article_snippet: It was a proud moment for the father-son duo, who work for Luton-based Monarch Airlines and were behind the controls as his father, John, and the pair flew passengers from Birmingham to Turin, Italy.
article_snippet: John served as captain and Luke as first officer on the flight, which was made even more special by the fact that it coincided with John’s 56th birthday.
article_snippet: That night, John was a pilot on a Monarch flight from Madrid to London’s Gatwick Airport and joined John wife at the hospital just 15 minutes before Luke arrived.
article_snippet: During the flight John received a call from operations staff, who asked John when the aircraft would be landing.
article_snippet: John thought the question was unusual until John landed at Gatwick and learned that John wife, Liz, was in labour.
article_snippet: John said: ‘Unbeknown to John operations had kindly arranged for a taxi to be waiting to whisk me to the hospital.
article_snippet: John joined Monarch from British Midland in 1986 and has flown British Midland fleet of Boeing 757s and 767s.
article_snippet: When Monarch 757s were retired last year, John flew one of the final three planes remaining from Mallorca to Birmingham.
article_snippet: They were able to fly together after John retrained on the British carrier's Airbus fleet.
article_snippet: The pair's first commercial flight together, from Birmingham to Turin, coincided with John's 56th birthday .
article_snippet: John said: ‘What a unique and wonderful way to celebrate my 56th birthday.
article_snippet: This flight will be a little strange for John in that I am still quite new to this type of aircraft, although I have over 21,000 flying hours.
highlights_snippet: Flight from Birmingham to Turin, Italy coincided with John's birthday .
  
highlights_snippet: John moved to the Luton-based carrier from British Midland in 1986 .
  