Published 20th March 2026
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For almost 22 years, Captain Larry Chenaille has flown with Republic Airways. Even after thousands of hours in the air, a recent trip stands out as extra special. In February of 2026, Larry had the pleasure of operating a Republic Airways® flight with First Officer Laura Jean Chenaille – his daughter. Here’s the story of how this remarkable family milestone came to be.
To say the Chenaille family has a history in aviation would be an understatement. Growing up, Larry’s parents (Laura’s grandparents) operated what was at the time the largest commuter airline in Alaska. His first ride in an airplane came at the ripe age of 28 days. “If you think that’s impressive,” Larry jokes, “Laura’s first ride cut my record in half. She was just 14 days old.”
Larry’s father and uncle were both Pilots, while his mother was a soloed student Pilot in her own right. If you take a look at Laura’s logbook, the very first entry features her Grandfather as her Flight Instructor. Even Laura’s mother was involved as a dispatcher for the airline, though she preferred flying as a passenger to piloting herself.
Ever since Laura first mentioned she was thinking of flying for a living, she and her dad have been looking forward to continuing the family tradition in aviation by flying together in the jet.
The first step toward that goal came when Larry had the opportunity to take a “Discovery Flight” with her in the LIFT Academy DA-40 in Myrtle Beach.
Laura eventually graduated from LIFT Academy in November of 2024, where she then worked as a Certificated Flight Instructor before coming to Republic Airways for First Officer training in November of 2025. Laura completed training and hit the line with Republic as a First Officer at the end of January 2026.
Now, at 22, Laura carries that legacy forward as a proud third‑generation Pilot, following in the footsteps of her father and several other family members. “I’ve received an immense amount of support from my dad throughout training, but also from many other LIFT Academy Instructors, Republic Airways Pilots and crew members who knew my dad and would cheer for me along the way,” said Laura.
From Larry’s perspective, the fact that the LIFT Academy procedures are modeled after Republic Airways is a huge help for new Republic First Officers. “In flying this trip with Laura, I found her to be one of the absolutely best-prepared new First Officers I’ve ever flown with. I attribute this to her having gone through the LIFT program,” Larry said. “That’s not just a father bragging; one of her IOE Check Airmen told me the exact same thing.”
Larry has been with the Company for almost 22 years; known for his professionalism, mentorship and love for the profession. Laura was less than a year old when he started. Now, 22 years later, the pair operated a four-day trip beginning on February 26, 2026, marking a rare father–daughter flight deck pairing in commercial aviation.
“These flights mean so much to me – mainly because this is something I’ve been looking forward to as long as I can remember,” Laura shared. “The idea of becoming a Pilot and one day flying with my dad was something that kept me motivated throughout all of my training.”
Adding to the significance of the pairing, Flight Attendant Malia Cervantes was also part of the trip from IND to BOS. Years ago, Malia babysat a young Laura while still early in her own Republic Airways career. Seeing the three of them, each at different stages of their aviation journey, working together on the same crew brought a sense of history, connection and pride to the Republic Airways operation.
Photos of Larry and Laura tell the story: from early childhood pictures of Laura in uniform beside her father, to the two standing shoulder-to-shoulder proudly wearing their Republic Airways uniform as colleagues. It’s a powerful visual of how careers, dreams and generations can intersect in extraordinary ways.
“We both appreciate the fact that Republic was willing to see to it that we could fly together once Laura was line qualified. There is a definite feeling of family and camaraderie here at Republic,” shared Larry.
Please join us in congratulating the Chenaille family and welcoming Laura as she begins her Republic Airways career. We celebrate their shared legacy and wish them many safe and memorable flights ahead.
To learn more about joining the Republic Airways family and starting your own legacy in aviation, click here.
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