Long flights are tedious, and there isn’t a lot that you can do about it. Sure, you can try entertaining yourself with a movie or some music – until the passenger in front of you chooses to recline their seat all the way back, or a baby starts crying! It can be a lot to endure, and those in-flight announcements are often a welcome break.
Flight announcements have a vital role to play. They’re made to inform, remind, and reassure passengers that they are on track to reach their destination safely.
This particular pilot, however, had a different message to put across.
This flight announcement was for a very special passenger.
Michelle A’s mother used to work as a flight attendant for Capital Airlines six decades ago. However, she had to give up her job to take care of her three children. Being a stewardess meant being away most of the time. She wanted to be around for her kids while they were growing up.
It was a difficult decision, but it was all worth it. Her kids grew very close to her and continue to remain that way.
Michelle knows how much flying means for her mother. So she and her brother – who is now a pilot – arranged for a special surprise for their mom during one of their flights.
Their mother’s reaction was truly heartwarming.
It all started with an announcement.
“If you were a Capital Airlines stewardess, would you mind raising your hand,” the pilot requested.
The sweet lady was taken aback by this unusual flight announcement and blurted out an “oh my God.”
Then, with a big smile on her face, she raised her hand.
“I think I’m gonna cry,” she said as she tried to hold back the tears.
The pilot was Michelle’s brother, and his heartfelt words touched everyone on the plane that day.
In his eyes, their mother is the best mom. He has followed in her footsteps by becoming a United Airlines pilot.
Michelle sums it up best:
My mom was a Capital Airlines (merged with United Airlines) flight attendant 60 years ago. She left the airlines to raise 3 children – my brother is the oldest and he followed in her footsteps as a United Captain. This week, we surprised her with her very first flight with him as the plane’s captain.
With a gift in his hand and the warmest smile on his face, the pilot approached his mother’s aisle to give her a hug.
As they embraced, he didn’t forget to remind her about his love by saying, “Love you.”
Still emotional, his mother replied, “You had the greatest dad ever.”
She then added, “His father was a pilot.”
Apparently, Michelle’s mom was really surprised by what they had prepared for her. It surely turned out to be an unforgettable flight for her. The beautiful video clip recording the whole thing ends with the pilot son giving his mom a kiss on the cheek.
His mother appreciated the gesture very much. She is definitely not going to forget this flight for the rest of her days.
The other passengers on the plane loved the whole thing and clapped in admiration for the old lady.
Her reaction to the flight announcement also took YouTube by storm.
“You know life’s too short not say how you feel about your parents…I lost my mom way too soon to cancer so this means everything to me. I have the utmost respect for the captain to do what he did,” one viewer commented.
Another one wrote, “She’s obviously an unforgettable Mom! And what an awesome son she raised! In the end, she’s selfless and gives props to his Dad. Love to see this kind of love and respect!”
Mothers are truly deserving of special gestures like this. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a grand gesture or a simple token of thanks, as long as it comes from the heart.
