The First Kenyan Set of Twins to Conquer American Skies As Pilots For Same Airline

Are we seeing double? That is the question many passengers on Alaska Airlines are asking themselves when they see Kenyan born pilots Alex and Alan Orlale. Currently, they are both flying for Alaska Airlines. Alex began his career a bit earlier and flies out of Los Angeles, while Alan is completing his simulator training and will fly out of San Francisco. It is believed that they are the first set of twin pilots at the airline.

Inadvertently, their parents encouraged the twins’ love of flying. Their father first introduced them to the world of aviation by taking them out on Sundays to plane-spot. Whereas, their mother furthered their interest in flying when they would travel with her on business trips. After noticing the boys’ interest in aviation, she bought them a computer game, Microsoft Flight Simulator, which sealed the deal for Alan — he obsessed over the game and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he wanted to become a pilot. At 13 years-old, the twins moved from Kenya to California where they eventually began their pilot training.

Alan’s first job was working as a fueler for Alaska Airlines. He remembers how nice the employees were no matter their status. Being a newcomer, Alex couldn’t agree more. He stated that the company “treated you like family” instead of  just a cog in the wheel of a huge corporation. He specifically mentioned Captain Rich, an anchorage based pilot, who encouraged him throughout his training and interviewing process. 

Although it isn’t common for family members to pilot an aircraft together, that is certainly the twins’ goal. They both look forward to the day when their mom will be on board as a passenger, since she has yet to fly with either of her sons. Knowing that her twin boys pursued their dream of flying must make her extremely proud. The Orlales brothers are a source of “twinspiration” for young Kenyan boys and girls who dream of becoming a pilot.