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First Mother-Son Pilot Pairing Achieves Milestone for Alaska Airlines

Captain Michelle Miles and first officer Jeff Miles share the flight deck, continuing a three-generation aviation legacy.

Ryan Ewing
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Edited By: Travis Tingle
Airline pilots Jeff and Michelle Miles [Courtesy: Alaska Airlines]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Alaska Airlines celebrated a historic first with Captain Michelle Miles and her son, First Officer Jeff Miles, sharing the flight deck as the airline's first mother-son pilot team.
  • The airline intentionally coordinated this milestone flight, a lifelong dream for Jeff, just ahead of Captain Michelle Miles' planned retirement this fall after 37 years of service.
  • This significant event continues a three-generation family legacy in aviation for Alaska Airlines, as Michelle was inspired by her pilot father and Jeff by his pilot grandfather.
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In a historic moment for Alaska Airlines just ahead of Mother’s Day, captain Michelle Miles and her son, first officer Jeff Miles, recently shared the flight deck, marking the airline’s first mother-son pilot team.

The duo operated a Boeing 737 flight last week from Seattle to Kahului, a city on the Hawaiian island of Maui, fulfilling a lifelong dream for Jeff and continuing a family legacy spanning three generations.

Ryan Ewing

Ryan is Group President of Firecrown Media’s Aviation Group, overseeing a portfolio that includes FLYING, AirlineGeeks, AVweb, Plane + Pilot, KITPLANES, and AircraftForSale.com. He founded AirlineGeeks.com in February 2013 and has more than a decade of experience across aviation media, airport operations, airline workforce planning, and Part 135 regulatory compliance. His experience ranges from time behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing aviation industry executives. Ryan holds a B.S. in Air Transportation Management and an MBA from Arizona State University and is an adjunct instructor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

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