In 1994, a pilot father and his son posed for a photograph in a cockpit. Nearly three decades later, they did it again- but this time, not just as father and son, but as co-pilots!
Ruben Flowers, a 30-year-old First Officer for Southwest Airlines, was going through old photo albums at his grandmother’s house. Amongst the photographs was a snapshot from almost 30 years ago. The photograph captured a toddler Ruben Flowers sitting next to his father, also named Ruben Flowers in the flight deck of an airplane. In the photo, young Flowers gazed at his dad with pure admiration, while his father smiled at the camera.
Captain Rueben Flowers pictured with his son
A Childhood Dream
According to young Ruben, this photo symbolized the countless moments of inspiration he had experienced growing up. He recalled how he’d cherished trips to the airport, eagerly tagging along to the training center, and even trying his hand at flight simulators. He also recalled how pride swelled within him as his father spoke about his job on school career days.
As fate would have it, Ruben Flowers Jr., was on the verge of following in his father’s footsteps as a First Officer for Southwest Airlines. His father, on the other hand, was nearing retirement as a Captain for the same airline. The prospect of their careers briefly overlapping at Southwest Airlines filled them with excitement and hope.
“It was a dream of mine to make it to this point to fly with my dad, it was probably my number one aviation goal,” the younger Flowers told CNN. Now inspired by the rediscovered photo, father and son added a new chapter to their dream. They not only wanted to fly together but also recreate the 1990s flight deck photo, this time as colleagues and co-pilots.
A Dream Realized
Captain Rueben Flowers recreates the 1990s photos with his son Rueben Flowers Jr.
Fast forward to March 2023, and Flowers Sr. was at the helm of his final Southwest flight, flying an aircraft from Omaha, Nebraska, to his hometown of Chicago, Illinois. By his side was his son, serving as his First Officer.
“That was an awesome feeling,” reminisced Flowers Sr. “To look over there and see my son, next to me, for my last landing.” And, of course, they recreated their iconic 1994 photo, both sporting broad grins in the 2023 version.
“It was just great to be able to recreate that moment,” the younger Flowers beamed. “It was a dream come true moment.”
A Family Affair in the Skies
The retirement flight also had two special passengers on board – the older Flowers’ brother and cousin, who are both employed by Southwest Airlines. “There are seven of us,” Flowers Sr. proudly explained. “Me, my brother, and my three kids are all pilots. My brother’s son is a pilot, and my cousin is a pilot too. It’s just amazing to me that they all wanted to be pilots.” He noted.
Aviation Runs in the Blood
The aviation legacy in the Flowers family began decades ago when the older Flowers, growing up in Michigan in the 1960s and 70s, was invited into a cockpit. “A pilot one day asked me if I wanted to come up to the cockpit, and I did it,” he recalled. “And oh, my God, it was like the bug bit me – I wanted to be a pilot and from that point on, I just focused on being an airline pilot.”
Captain Rueben Flowers with his son Rueben Flowers Jr.
From then on, Ruben Flowers Sr. made it his mission to inspire others to follow in his footsteps, although he didn’t anticipate that this mission would include his own family members. He encouraged his children to explore their passions, whatever they may be, and it just so happened that many of them shared his love for aviation.
Flowers Jr. officially decided to pursue a career in aviation midway through college. Looking back now, he believes that the signs were always pointing in that direction. “It was always something that was probably in the back of my head that I probably wanted to do all my life,” he reflected with a smile.