Capt. Smith’s final flight
Most of us look forward to retiring and enjoying some downtime after working our entire lives.
There is, however, a twinge of sadness for
individuals who are passionate about their careers.
Captain Ronald Smith of United Airlines must have been in that situation as he started his final flight in 2017.
As he flew from Chicago to Brussels, Captain Smith assumed command in the cockpit for the final time, capping a 32-year career.
Although this last flight would have been memorable anyway, a group of young passengers turned it into an event he will never forget.
They belonged to a choir from the Lycée des Garçons d’Esch-sur-Alzette, a school in Luxembourg.
The choir made the decision to hold a celebration when word of Captain Smith’s retirement made its way throughout the aircraft. They devised a strategy.
The kids waited for everyone else to exit the aircraft once it touched down and for Captain Smith to emerge from the cockpit.
He did, and they began to sing. One of the kids, Nicolas, filmed there lovely a cappella performance of the Coldplay song Viva La Vida.
One of the most beautiful sounds you’ll ever hear is the sound of their voices filling the plane’s cabin.
When the song was over, Ronald expressed his gratitude to the students by saying, ‘Wow. I greatly appreciate it.’
That was incredible. Watch the choir in the video below sing ‘Thank You’ to the airline personnel during another choir performance on a plane.
Lindsay Ronald’s daughter left a remark after Nicolas released the video thanking the choir for the gift they gave her father.
You have no way of knowing this, but Coldplay is one of his favorite bands, therefore you couldn’t have chosen a better song, she said, complimenting their excellent music selection.
More than 2 million people have now watched and liked this heartfelt farewell video. Perhaps its popularity is not a surprise.
All of us would adore being serenaded on our last day of work and feeling so appreciated when we retire. We wish Captain Smith a joyful and wonderful retirement.