American pilot couple flies together after 30 years of marriage: photo

Americans Joel and Shelley met when they were twenty-something, flying in the US Air Force. They became fast friends, then eventually fell in love.

Today they have been married for 27 years. Together they have raised two children. And now they are both pilots for Southwest Airlines. They regularly fly together, Joel is a captain and Shelly is a first officer, CNN writes.

The couple says that working together is "great". They see the stops as "date nights". They learn "wisdom and intelligence" from each other. And no, they don't argue in flight.

"People ask us how it works, flying together?" - Joel says. "We know several pilot couples, and some of them fly together, some don't. I've heard people say: "Oh, I could never fly with my spouse."

For Joel and Shelly, working together seamlessly is a joy that brings them both ease and confidence.

"We're best friends," says Shelly. "There's just that unspoken connection," Joel adds.

Joel and Shelly became instructor pilots in the Mississippi Air Force. Then, in the early 2000s, Shelly gave birth to her children, two twins, a boy and a girl. During this time, Shelly did not fly, but remained in the military, working in the US National Guard.