It seems on a British Airways flight a few months back a passenger was so enjoying traveling with her 1-yr-old child that she decided right then and there to double the fun and give birth to a second offspring.

And you thought having a crying, kicking baby in the seat behind you was about as bad as it could get.

Fortunately there was a doctor on board to assist with the delivery and mother and baby are both well. And this unusual situation has led to some very interesting questions and discussion:

I’ve been on three flights now when a call has gone out for a doctor, and there’s always been one on board. This amazes me as I understand in the UK you can wait up to a week for a doctors appointment yet on a plane one arrives in minutes 😉 Seriously though, I always wonder how many professions are on board the average flight, and if there’s always a doctor/dentist/pilot/ engineer on board ~LuganoPirate

On a long-haul flight, if there is a doctor call, then two or three often answer – I have been part of a quick impromtu conference in mid-air to see which of us is best qualified to deal with the problem in question. ~DavidGordon10

Where is recorded on the birth certificate as the place of birth? ~HaggisCH

I have heard that babies delivered on planes are entitled to free tickets on that airline for life. Is that true? ~bombayteddy

I have heard several medical calls on airplanes and a doctor always materializes. Does someone check that they ARE doctors? Do doctors carry ID? ~judynagy

…you can also be a Dr but not be medically qualified. I stopped using my non-medical doctorate on tickets because of the surprising frequency with which I got a tap on the shoulder and “Excuse me, Sir – are you a doctor?” ~TominScotland

A terrifically entertaining and informative discussion. To read the answers to several of these questions please click through to the thread. And in the comments section below, let me know if adding this additional link to the thread at the end of the post is useful, or just overkill. Thanks.