A doting dad gave his soldier-son the surprise of a lifetime by piloting the flight his son took back home from Kuwait after being deployed. Washington DC based United Airlines pilot Captain Mario Lopes jumped at an opportunity to fly a military aircraft back to Norfolk, Virginia, after learning that his son would be returning on that flight on the same day, April 14th.
Lopes told ABC News that he figured it ‘couldn’t be a coincidence’ that his son might be there.
I told my wife that this couldn’t be a coincidence. No one could confirm or deny if he would actually be a passenger on my aircraft, but I knew I had to take the chance and find out. I gave my lead flight attendant Audrey a bag of Mario’s favorite cookies to distract him while I tried to sneak onboard.
The whole crew was in on the plan, and Lopes managed to surprise his son (who was on board) and had no idea his father was on board. Speaking of the moment, the Captain said he couldn’t express the way he felt holding his son ‘after not seeing him for so long’.
I made my way behind him and asked, ‘First Lieutenant Lopes, what are you doing on my aircraft?’ When he turned around we embraced for as long as I could hold him. I cannot express the emotions I felt holding my son after not seeing him for so long.
According to a report in WSB-TV Atlanta, Captain Lopes said that words could not ‘describe how meaningful it was to have that moment’ with his son, calling it the ‘most memorable flight’ of his career.
Words cannot describe how meaningful it was to have that moment with my son. It was my most memorable flight in my 27 years with United, and, while I can’t say for certain, I’m pretty positive nothing will ever beat that.
Watch the heartwarming video here on Fox 13.
