An American Airlines pilot went viral for his 'retirement flight' speech after 32 years on the job
An American Airlines pilot went viral for his 'retirement flight' speech on a flight to Chicago.
Jeff Fell, a pilot with American for 32 years, thanked his family for their support.
Several people online said Fell's speech made them emotional.
An American Airlines pilot went viral for sharing a tearful message on his final flight before retiring.
In a video posted on TikTok by Justin Harrison, American pilot Jeff Fell is seen announcing to the cabin that the flight from Charlotte, North Carolina to Chicago is going to be his last. The video, posted on Friday, has garnered over 3.2 million views and over 600,000 likes at the time of writing.
Harrison told Business Insider that he took the video on a flight last February but just posted it on TikTok last week. He added that he worked on the flight as a lead flight attendant.
"I rewatched the video and it gave me chills to see his vulnerability and his sense of purpose. I was so moved by his message that I decided to share it on tiktok," Harrison said in an email.
In the video, Fell is shown standing in front of the cockpit in his uniform, thanking his family for celebrating the memorable day with him.
"If I get a little emotional, please forgive me for that," Fell said in the video.
"They're the majority of my family who have come along with me on my retirement flight after 32 years at American," he added, after people could be heard applauding in the video.
"I love all of you," Fell said.
Fell continued his message by showing appreciation for his wife, Julie.
"She has been the solid rock in our foundation in our lives and our marriage. Her faith in the Lord, wisdom, strength, and love has guided our marriage and family throughout these years," Fell added.
People online shared how touched they were by Fell's retirement speech.
"32 years of safe landings also. God bless him & all pilots," one person wrote.
Another person commented: "his little script. just imagine him sitting there and typing it up the night before."
"As a pilots daughter this made me cry. I'll lost it when it's my dads retirement flight," one person commented.
It's not the first time an American Airlines pilot has gone viral for their in-flight message. In August, an American pilot went viral after he lectured passengers on how to behave on his flight.
American Airlines did not respond to a request for comment sent outside regular office hours.
Read the original article on Insider
