An old Nepalese man finally got his wings after years of yearning gazing up at the sky. Bote Rai, 106, achieved his longtime dream of piloting an airplane on Tuesday.

The small, elderly gentleman was cautiously moved by helpers onto a Yeti Airline flight from Biratnagar to Kathmandu. Although the flight was only 35 minutes long, for Rai, it was sufficient.

He greeted The Himalayan Times with the loosely translated phrase “Had fun, had fun!” as soon as he touched down.

With his daughter who is disabled, Rai lives in abject poverty in Dhankuta, Nepal. He’s had three wives, and he’s had twelve kids in his 106 years on Earth.

He has witnessed the ascent and fall of the kings of Nepal, Maoist uprisings, and the emergence of political parties.

Over the past three years, the old man’s health has gotten worse. He has seasonal flu and is incapacitated.

Rai acknowledges that his hearing and eyesight are getting worse. His niece and nephew, who are both older than 70, claim they can no longer support him.

In an effort to find someone to care for their uncle, they opened their home to reporters and local health professionals.

Rai, however, stated to the media that he refused to receive medical attention or medication. In any case, he didn’t think he had much time to live. He was just interested in flying.

In a The Himalayan Times piece, Rai stated, ‘I have always wanted to fly but I could never afford it. Before I pass away, ‘I want to fly like a bird in the broad sky.’

The Nepalese airline Yeti Airlines learned about Rai’s request. For Rai and his 74-year-old nephew Man Bahadur Rai, they planned a quick trip.

Rai will be brought to the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, a Hindu shrine to Shiva. Before taking a flight back to his hometown, he will spend the night in a motel.

Rai claimed that despite it being his first flight, he wasn’t nervous about taking to the skies.