On Father’s Day, Martin Beaton, a seasoned Line Training Captain, and his son Harry, a burgeoning First Officer, will share the cockpit for a special training flight from Leeds Bradford Airport to Majorca under the banner of prominent holiday carrier Jet2.com. This unique flight on June 16 will not only commemorate the day but also count towards the crucial flying hours Harry requires for his pilot certification. It marks a cumulative 25 hours of shared sky time for this ambitious duo from Knaresborough, Yorkshire.
Martin, who has been with Jet2.com since 2014, plays a pivotal role in nurturing the capabilities of aspiring pilots, ensuring they are ready to handle commercial flights. He also occasionally pilots holidaymakers directly from Leeds Bradford, adding a personal touch to their journeys. Harry, whose zeal for aviation was the impetus for his 2019 entry into Jet2.com as an Airport Customer Helper, progressed to a non-type rated First Officer by January 2024. His journey toward piloting Jet2.com’s Boeing 737s includes supervised flights with experienced captains, including sessions with his father, culminating in a final assessment scheduled for the end of June.
Harry has had a passion for the aviation industry from a young age, with Martin’s successful ten-year career at Jet2.com inspiring him to follow in his footsteps. Martin explained: “Any father would be proud to have their own son following in their footsteps, but that was never essential to me. At the end of the day, you just want your kids to be happy in whatever they’re doing in life. Everybody’s different and while my other three children have shown no intentions to follow my career path, Harry has kept a very keen interest in flying ever since he was two years old. From playing on my flight simulator, his interest has grown stronger and stronger.”
Harry added: “It’s been my dream to fly alongside my dad for as long as I can remember, so to be training together on Father’s Day makes the moment even more special. We’ve spoken for years about how amazing it would be and I’m so delighted to get to this point in my career. At no point have my family ever pushed me towards this route – it really has been what I’ve always wanted for myself. I’ve been very lucky to have such supportive parents who have given me guidance to get to where I wanted to be.”
When asked whether the pair work well together, Harry said: “It’s funny, I get asked this question a lot! My dad taught me to drive, and he was the most patient man I’ve ever seen. I knew if he could teach me to drive without shouting, I had no worries about learning to fly with him!”
Martin agreed, adding: “Everyone always asks me what it’s like to fly with my son, but we’re very close as father and son so I don’t foresee any issues at all with us operating in the flight deck together.”
Following their airborne Father’s Day celebration, Martin and Harry plan to enjoy the rest of the day at home, surrounded by family, cherishing the personal and professional milestones they’ve achieved together.
