An airline pilot has told how he took off on a scheduled flight with just one passenger – his proud mum.
Mary McCormick booked her seat specially so she could fly with son Ryan, 24, at the controls.
And when every other passenger on the fully booked jet accepted offers of alternative flights after it was delayed by seven hours, she waited patiently to be flown by her boy.
Ryan said: “I said to my flight attendant, ‘There must not be many passengers left’, and when she looked on her tablet she saw we had only one.
“I wasn’t surprised that my mum stuck around.
“She got a first-class seat and I told our flight attendants to give her anything and everything she asked for – captain’s orders! She enjoyed a premium snack and complimentary wine.
“I shared the pictures on Facebook and Instagram and the story seemed to go viral.
“A lot of people have gotten a kick out of it, and I still can’t believe I was lucky enough to have the experience.”
Ryan, who works for Pacific Southwest Airlines in the US, flew Mary from Norfolk, Virginia, to Philadelphia.
She’s particularly proud of her son’s career since she is a former captain in the US air force.
