For 747 Captain David Harris and his son, 747 First Officer Austin Harris, flying together wasn’t just another trip—it was years in the making.
Earlier this year, the two shared a flight deck for the first time at Atlas, a milestone Austin had been anticipating since earning his pilot’s license.
“If it doesn’t have four engines, I’m not getting in,” David had once joked when Austin first suggested flying together, making their eventual journey aboard the Queen of the Skies all the more fitting.
What followed was an 11-day trip spanning six flights around the globe, from Anchorage to Miami, Amsterdam to Almaty, and beyond. For father and son, this series of destinations served as an opportunity to experience the profession they both love from opposite seats in the same cockpit.
David’s decades-long career—from flight engineer to Captain flying the iconic 747—helped shape the path Austin would ultimately follow. Inspired by growing up around Atlas and drawn to the lifestyle and global reach of cargo aviation, Austin knew early on that he wanted to join the company, and someday, fly alongside his father.
That moment proved to be as meaningful as they had imagined. For Austin, it was “utterly surreal,” the culmination of years of hard work and anticipation. For David, it stands as a career highlight—one he doesn’t expect to surpass. While destinations like Amsterdam and Budapest offered memorable experiences on the ground, complete with canal tours, historic architecture, and standout cuisine, the most meaningful moments happened at 30,000 feet.
As David put it simply, his favorite destination wasn’t a city at all—it was “being in the cockpit with my son.”
