F/O Stephanie Layman (Spirit) with her father, Capt. Jim Layman, a pilot for American Airlines.

Does the love of flying run in your family? Many ALPA members have inspiring stories to share about the generations of airline pilots that run in their immediate family.

The following are the first two of many stories we hope to include in Air Line Pilot. Visit www.alpa.org/allinthefamily for information on how you can share your story.

Like Father, Like Daughter

By F/O Stephanie Layman (Spirit)

Like father, like daughter. This phrase has become my recent reality, and I couldn’t be more excited and proud that this is how I can describe my life.

Aviation truly runs in the family. My grandfather, Roger Layman, was an electrical engineer for Boeing for 30 years, and my mom was a station manager for a small regional airline called GPExpress. She always had a love for aviation when she was younger. And my dad, Jim Layman, decided halfway through a master’s degree that he wanted to make his part-time job of flight instructing his full-time career and shift toward a job with the airlines. He was eventually hired by GP-Express, where he met my mom. He was hired by America West in 1996, and today he flies for American Airlines.

Halfway through college, I decided that I wanted this lifestyle for myself. I advised my mom of my new plan—I wanted to become a flight attendant. She encouraged me instead to become a pilot, just like dad! Although my dad was a little skeptical at first as I had never expressed any interest in flying, it only took a little persuading to get him on board. I took my first flight lesson the summer before my junior year and absolutely fell in love. I quickly achieved my private pilot’s license and continued my flying lessons while in college. 

Fast-forward a few years and I’m a first officer at Mesa Airlines, flying the CRJ900 out of Phoenix, Ariz. I had some very memorable moments in Phoenix with my dad. One day early on, we both pushed away within minutes of each other—I can still remember taxiing and seeing his A321. I remember thinking, “Wow, I finally made it—I’m sharing the same office as my dad.” He was able to watch me take off that day, something he says he will never forget. We’ve had numerous occasions like this—coming or going and hearing each other on the radios, or passing by each other in the terminal or taxiways.

Last Christmas we both had to work but still had a special holiday moment when we heard each other on the radio and “twinkled” our lights at each other. I’ve had a few times where I’ve followed my dad in on an arrival, again thinking to myself how awesome that I get to share these moments with him.

This past winter I accepted a first officer position with Spirit Airlines and am now flying the same airplane as my dad, the Airbus A320. This has truly been a dream come true for us and has been such a heartfelt and special journey. Entering the Part 121 world was awesome and great to share with my dad, but now to be flying the same plane as him…words can’t even describe how close this has brought us. It’s taken a lot of hard work, motivation, and dedication to get to where I am today, and I know I wouldn’t be where I am without the support I’ve had from my parents.

Jet Fuel in My Baby Bottle

By Capt. Kristin Rice (Envoy Air)

I grew up immersed in aviation. My grandfather, Dick Bourland, began flying for TWA when he was 24 years old and went on to spend 34 years at American Airlines. He also owned a flight school and developed Bourland Field Estates, an airpark outside of Fort Worth, Tex. My father, Blake Bourland, flew the F-117A in Desert Storm and is currently a captain at Southwest Airlines. My mother’s father, Raymond Jopes, flew Hueys and Cobras in Vietnam. So there must have been a little jet fuel in my baby bottle.

I spent my summers at Bourland Field. From the first day I set foot on the tarmac, I would sit and watch airplanes roll down the runway and blast into the sky. I instantly knew that aviation was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life! I would sneak into the Frasca simulator and pretend I was a pilot. I would beg my grandfather to let the instructors take me up flying. It was a complete rush!

I took a few years off from aviation while in college, but after graduation I decided that flying was what I really wanted to do. I applied and was quickly accepted to Mesa’s pilot development program. I attained all my pilot ratings in 15 months and began work for Mesa in late 2008. Of the many benefits of flying for Mesa, the most personal to me was that I was finally in CASS. I immediately jumpseated with my dad on one of his trips. It was an absolute blast!

I was furloughed from Mesa after only five months, but that small taste of being an airline pilot was enough to convince me to persevere. To stay in the cockpit, I obtained my MEI, CFII, and CFI ratings in a little over a month and began work for U.S. Flight Academy. After a little more than a year and more than 1,000 hours of instruction, I was hired by American Eagle, now Envoy Air, and upgraded to captain this month.

My father and I both fly out of Dallas, Tex., but unfortunately at different airports so our flying paths haven’t crossed since I jumpseated with him many years ago. I currently live near Baltimore, Md., and after almost seven years at Envoy my long commute home from Dallas finally led to me passing through Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport at the same time as my father. I waited for him to arrive at the gate and for the first time we were both together in uniform! I took a photo and posted on Facebook about this special moment with my dad.

My father has helped me immensely to achieve my dreams and aspirations of becoming an airline pilot. It’s exciting to be the first female aviator in our family, one generation to the next!