There Is Nothing More Wholesome Than This Viral Pilot Retirement Video
The video reached more than 3 million views.
Usually viral plane and flight videos are either useful or hilarious—handy tips and tricks, dogs sitting on planes, people exhibiting questionable behavior, you name it. Sometimes, though, more wholesome plane videos go viral, reaching the heart of every traveler.
Just recently, a TikTok went viral amassing more than 3 million views, and this time, it made us all shed a tear. In the video, Jeff Fell, an American Airlines pilot, stands in front of all the passengers with a little note in his hand. His eyes are watery, and his voice is shaky.
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard. My name is Jeff Fell, I'm the captain on the flight going to Chicago tonight," he says. "I normally don't stand up in front of everybody like this, I usually just stay in the cockpit and talk on the PA."
Fell then proceeds to warn his audience. He might get a little emotional, and please forgive him for it. There is a reason—this is his retirement flight. "I'd like to acknowledge a group of very important people to me," he says. "Most of them are in the back of the airplane and they're the majority of my family who have come along with me on my retirement flight."
On these last few words, Fell's voice breaks, and passengers are heard clapping. As the pilot points out, he has been with American Airlines for 32 years, and wanted to take the time to thank all of his family members for supporting him throughout the journey. "Thank you all for coming along with me tonight and celebrating this very memorable time in my life. I love all of you," he says in the video before ultimately acknowledging and deeply thanking his wife.
The comment section, in the meantime, is bawling its eyes out (just like us). "These pilot retirement videos always get me," says one user. "As soon as he said retirement flight my tears came," shares another one. And others, instead, wish Fell a cannon salute. "I still remember my Dad's last flight, hopefully this captain got his cannon salute," adds one user. "Well deserved sir!"