It was late August in 1985 and mother Terry Chamberlain of Crookwell was feeling unusually sick. She was pregnant with twin boys and about five weeks from her due date. 

She visited Crookwell District Hospital with her concerns, where the advice was given that she rest. The following morning, continuing pains led her to Goulburn Base Hospital.

It didn’t take long before staff realised she had hieronymus, a potentially fatal condition that can affect twins in a heterotopic pregnancy, risking a sudden abdominal rupture at birth. 

Happily, the twins – Michael and James – were born on August 28, 1985, without major complications, but a build-up of amniotic fluid in James’ lungs meant he was airlifted to Sydney Children’s Hospital.

It was to be his first time in the air. From childhood, “he always loved the idea of flying,” Ms Chamberlain said. “I often say it’s because he was airlifted straight away that he has his passion for flying.” 

Michael, however, said that as young children, they would “often watch Hazleton Airlines flying into Moruya Airport as we camped nearby during the school holidays. This initially set the spark of interest.”

The pair attended Laggan Public School, then St Patrick’s College in Goulburn. “As twin brothers, they were bouncing off each other, always doing things together. It was like music notes,” Ms Chamberlain said.

After completing their HSC, the two took separate paths, only to end up on the same path years later.  

Working for a barbecue retailer in Goulburn, James was encouraged by the late Steve Swadling, former manager of radio 2GN, to apply for the Gillespie Field Eagles, a non-profit group that trains young people in aviation at El Cajon in California.

In the US, James completed a private pilot’s licence with Ben Cartwright, a retired World War II fighter pilot. 

Returning to Australia, James took up a job with the airline Regional Express in 2008, moving up the ranks to captain, and most recently as a trainer.

Michael, like James, was always interested in aviation, but a high school project to set up internet from Goulburn to Crookwell using wireless equipment resulted in the conception of a technology company. 

In 2007, Michael sold his business and moved to England with his wife. Returning to Australia, he shifted his focus to becoming a pilot and, in 2014, started training with Regional Express, loving the experience.

Two weeks ago, James became a Virgin Australia pilot. On his last day at Regional Express, he asked to be allowed to fly with Michael. 

“To be able to do that together, flying the same aircraft for the largest regional airline in the Southern Hemisphere, is quite surreal,” James said.

“We first flew together when we were both based in Perth. Ironically, our last day of flying together saw us operating to Moruya Airport, a place where it all began for us.”

Michael said it was the freedom of visiting new people and places that had drawn him to the profession. For James, it was the challenge and thrill of being outside his comfort zone.

James thanked the support of people such as Mr Swadling, “an absolutely genuine guy. I wouldn’t have been able to achieve what I did without all those people. At some stage I would like to return the favour to somebody else.

“You don’t need to be the smartest person to be a pilot, you just need motivation.”