Is John-David Duggar Breaking Courtship Rules With Girlfriend Abbie?

John-David Duggar is officially courting, and since his courtship announcement, he’s been spotted in more than a few photos showing off his growing relationship with girlfriend Abbie Grace Burnett. But is he breaking the Duggar family’s infamous dating “rules” in the process?

On Sunday, the Duggar Family Blog, which is run by friends of the “Counting On” family, posted a shot of Abbie cuddling up to John-David mid-flight. “He uses his skills both to serve his family and to teach others how to fly,” the blog captioned the shot. “Looks like his new girlfriend…is having a grand time exploring the skies with him, as well!”

John, 28, and Abbie, 26, shared an additional shot from their getaway which showed them getting cozy in the air. In the photo, Abbie can be seen resting her hand on John’s neck as he looks at her. “Exploring cloud nine,” reads the caption on their shared Instagram page.

Fans responded to the images by predicting the couple, who have been publicly courting since late June, will announce an engagement soon. “We’re going to have another Duggar boy wedding VERY soon,” reads one comment.

While it is unclear if John and Abbie have decided to follow the Duggar family’s strict courtship guidelines, which typically includes saving their first kiss for marriage, among other rules, it appears they could be using chaperones on their dates. Their airplane photos appear to have been taken by another party. Fans will likely learn more about their dating rules for one another when “Counting On” returns to TLC later this month. Though, if they did bend their guidelines, it wouldn’t be the first time a Duggar has done so.

John and Abbie’s airplane date is far from the only glimpse into their relationship fans have received. John and Abbie shared a photo they took at his brother Josiah Duggar’s wedding to Lauren Swanson last month, and the Duggar family’s official Facebook page shared a candid photo of Abbie and John taking in a sporting event over the weekend.

Jinger Vuolo, one of John-David’s sisters, also shared a photo of the couple recently. On July 2, she posted a shot of herself posing with the new pair and her husband Jeremy. “His smile is a bit brighter these days,” Jinger wrote of her sibling’s romance.

If John and Abbie did announce an engagement soon, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to Duggar fans. The family is known for having short-lived courtships and John has already made it clear he’s head over heels for his better half.

“Abbie and I are just so excited. We’ve known of each other for several years,” John said in a TLC.com video last month. “We fell in love very quickly. And it’s been a wonderful journey thus far and taking the next step to move onto a courtship.”