After working our whole lives, most of us look forward to retiring and having a chance to take it easy. However, for those who love their career, there is also a pang of sadness. That must have been the case for United Airlines pilot Captain Ronald Smith when he commenced his last flight in 2017.
Captain Smith took control in the cockpit for the final time as he flew from Chicago to Brussels, marking the end of his 32-year career. This last flight would always have been memorable, but a group of young travellers made it an experience he will never forget.
They were members of a choir from a school in Luxembourg, the Lycée des Garçons d’Esch-sur-Alzette. As word about Captain Smith’s retirement spread through the plane, the choir decided they couldn’t let this day go without a celebration. They hatched a plan.
Once the plane landed, the students waited for everyone else to leave the plane and for Captain Smith’s appearance from the cockpit. Once he did, they started to sing. They chose the song Viva La Vida by Coldplay and one of the students, Nicolas, recorded their beautiful Acappella performance. The sound of their voices filling the cabin of the plane is one of the most wonderful things you’ll ever hear.
Ronald’s delight was obvious, and when the song ended, he told the students how much it meant to him:
“Wow. Thank you so much! That was amazing.” Another choir performance on a plane saw this choir sing “Thank You” to the airline staff, watch in the video below.
After Nicolas uploaded the video, Lindsay Ronald’s daughter left a comment giving her sincere thanks to the choir and the gift they gave to her father. She also praised their perfect choice of song: “You have no way of knowing this, but Coldplay is one of his favorite bands, so you couldn’t have chosen a better song.”
This touching send-off has now been viewed more than 2 million times and received 61,000 likes. Perhaps it’s not surprising it’s been so popular. When we retire, all of us would love to be serenaded and feel so appreciated on our last day of work. Here’s hoping Captain Smith has a wonderful and happy retirement.