Anthony, 8 years old, from Quebec. A future Sunwing pilot ?

[Gilles Hudicourt]

Anthony, 8 years old, from Quebec, dreams of someday becoming a pilot.
For his birthday his mom made him a gorgeous birthday cake to celebrate his future career as a Canadian pilot ..... a Sunwing Airlines B737 cake.

Sunwing Airlines would like his dream to become a reality and offered the family a trip to Florida.

I hope you make it Anthony.......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBw0fEKoOBk

[flyinthebug]

I still have an autobiography that I wrote in grade 5. At the end we had to list our "Future and ambitions" and I wrote that I wanted to be a pilot on a 747 Jumbo jet. I may not have made it to the 47 but I did get to live the dream for over 20 years on some smaller tin.

Good luck Anthony!!! Keep your dreams alive and you can achieve anything you set your mind to.

Cool of Sunwing to offer them a free flight to FL.

Fly safe all.
FTB

[timel]

Dear Anthony, more chances with an EASA license.

[Sasquash]

je suis (Charlie) Anthony !!

[PositiveRate27]

My love for aviation started with my face pressed up against the glass gazing at a Canadian DC-10. It's been quite the adventure, but despite all the negativity, I have no regrets!

Best if luck Anthony!

[JohnnyHotRocks]

Too bad the company that inspires you at the age of eight usually isnt around when you grow up and become a pilot

[I WAS Birddog]

Fast forward to 40 years and it seems like Anthony got his wits and decided to be a CEO of an airline instead;

"...ok we'll cut pilot wages...slash their pensions to zero...lay off the old and make the younger ones work 17 days on 3 off @ 120 hours per month....GET ON IT!!!!"




Bonne chance jeune Anthony ... tout le meilleur

[JDW]

Always fun to see a kid who loves aviation as much as most of us! Its a damn shame these days that a kid like that can't even go see the cockpit when he flies on Sunwing though. Some of my fondest memories around his age are of going to meet the pilots whenever I flew. To this day I credit a particularly friendly Canada 3000 crew who took the time to explain the cockpit their 757 in incredible detail with lighting the fire enough for me to pursue flight training. The craziest part is that I was only born in 1991! Lets hope this kid can get out to the airport and actually touch and feel aviation before he grows up and realizes how much more money he'll make as the airline's CEO

[Canoehead]

Yeah having the ability to visit the cockpit in flight, and perhaps even sit in the J/S for landing was probably the best PR opportunity ever available to the profession. Don't get me started on the fact I can't even bring my own kid up there...

My first cockpit visit was an L1011 in the early 80's. In the late 80's, after a visit to the front of a DC9, the FA delivered me a note from the Captain inviting me back up to sit in the JS for the landing. I was 13 or 14 maybe. Different times now sadly.

Great video of the young lad- too bad they gave him a seat in the back with no window view when he's buckled in!!

[HHI]

I still recall the highlight of an overseas flight when I was a teenager. The visit to the cockpit and the pilots taking the time to explain their world to me.

Later on it was me who invited kids up for a view out of my "office window."

On longer flights I would often go for a stroll and bring kids back up front with me. Some of my crew have jokingly made remarks about "Father Goose." Under the right conditions the J/S was occupied for landing.

Sadly, the 9-11 terrorists prevented the in-flight visits for the last decade of my airline career.

That did not stop me from inviting kids up front before departure (when pre-flight duties were complete) or after shutdown. I would pause the post flight shutdown sequence so that the PFD and Nd screens were still powered up.

The kids who visited my cockpit on the ground sat in the left seat of the big airliner and they wore my hat for the picture.

If the parents didn't have their camera handy I'd pull out my digital (pre iPHONE days). Everyone had email and received a copy.

I have lot's of great pictures of cute and happy kids.

After retiring from an airline career spanning 4 decades I still enjoy sharing the joy of flying with kids (and others).

Now it's with the Young Eagles and COPA kids flights. I take airborne pictures of EVERY kid and make them available to the parents. Although the view is not from the flight levels, everyone get's a window seat and one of them get's a "hands on" experience.

I trust my airline colleagues still make time for kids visits an the ground.

It's great to read in the COPA news that many pilots and volunteers give the kids a memorable flight experience.

Henry

[complexintentions]

Thanks for the stories Henry!

I always make time for any child (or young at heart) that wants to come take a peek up front, in fact (sadly) it's probably the part of the job I enjoy most now! And yes, they always get to sit in the seat and wear the hat. Being an expat job, sometimes the child/parent won't speak English, but it is always easy to understand excitement and and an ear-to-ear smile is universal. Where many of the cultures our pax come from, aviation is still held in high esteem, and it's a VERY big deal to get a picture in the flight deck. So I'm happy when I'm able to give a child that experience.

Just wanted to let you know the tradition lives on!

Cheers,
CI

[iflyforpie]

I like that aviation is the reason for most of my flights... not an inconvenient means to an end. I've not only had lots of kids in the cockpit with me... but they also got to drive the plane.

The sad thing I am seeing though is the 'achievement unlocked' generation... for lots of them it is just another somewhat unique thing to do.. take a selfie.. and never do it again... ... next is the Tatami Room at the local Sushi place...

[co-joe]

Dear Anthony, more chances with an EASA license.

[I WAS Birddog]

.....I trust my airline colleagues still make time for kids visits an the ground.

Henry

It is included in my pre-flight briefing with the entire crew. Including the children sitting in front of the controls while their parents take pictures.

[openendwrench]

An early trip to the flight deck stirred my interest to enter, enjoy and succeed in this industry, not as a pilot however but none the less it supplemented my compassion.
I'm thankful to hear that in this continued state of aviation fear flight crews are allowing an "open house" to the cockpit when permitted.

I recently was travelling on a small regional carrier which did not require a reinforced flight deck door. Many passengers (customers) were consumed by the crew activity during start and taxi only to be shut out of the activity for take-off, cruise and landing. Is it such a secret place beyond those doors I wonder?

Regardless, always follow a passion then it never becomes a chore.

[complexintentions]

Regardless, always follow a passion then it never becomes a chore.

Nah, it still does.