Delta Pilot Spots Toddler Watching Planes, Does Sweetest Thing

A video capturing a touching interaction between a Delta Air Lines pilot and a toddler at an airport has captivated viewers. The clip, shared by Marina Gilliland (@marinagilliland), shows the pilot waving at the 2-year-old from the cockpit before later coming inside the airport to greet the boy in person. The clip has garnered over 572,000 views since it was posted on May 11. Gilliland, 28, from Suffolk, Virginia, works as a federal customer success manager. She and her husband, Zachary, a 32-year-old nuclear shift test engineer for the United States Navy, and their 2-year-old son Theodore were traveling home from Florida and had a layover at an airport in Atlanta, Georgia, in the video. More From Newsweek Vault: Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex Review Both had recently been honorably discharged from the U.S. Army after a combined total of over 13 years' service. "We were on terminal leave as new veterans from the U.S. Army," Gilliland told Newsweek. A message overlaid on the clip reads: "The sweetest moment happened to our baby boy in between flights." The footage shows the toddler shown sitting at an airport with his dad, looking out at planes on the runway. More From Newsweek Vault: Compare the Best Rewards Credit Cards for Travel "The kindest pilot noticed our son watching planes and caught his attention," another note across the clip reads.

There is a pilot shortage as the industry struggles to keep up with the demand for air travel, which has returned to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels. Last year, Faye Malarkey Black, the president and CEO of the Regional Airline Association, warned a U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee about "the coming tsunami of pilot retirements." She said that "over the next 15 years, nearly 50 percent of the commercial airline workforce will be forced to retire because they will reach the age of 65." Boeing's pilot and technician outlook report for 2023-2042 said the industry will need 649,000 new pilots to replace the aging workforce and maintain the global commercial fleet over the next 20 years.

'Pure Joy and Happiness'

Gilliland told Newsweek that her son and the pilot waved at each other for about 10 minutes before he came over. Her toddler and husband had been watching planes in front of the window before Theodore spotted the pilot who waved at him from the cockpit. "My son waved back and started baby-dancing for him, wiggling around, and then we noticed there wasn't a pilot there anymore," Gilliland said. The pilot, Chris Hawkins from Milton, Florida, who is also a veteran from the U.S. Air Force, walked up the jetway and found the Gilliland family. The mom said: "I spotted him first walking our way because he made eye contact with me, then went directly to my son." The pilot is later shown speaking to the toddler, handing him some Delta trading cards as well as pilot wings. The poster said: "This was our first time meeting the pilot. We later connected on Facebook after we found him from the video." Angie, the pilot's wife, and his kids also connected with Gilliland on TikTok, saying that he shared with them the story of meeting her son. Gilliland said the latest experience was extra-special, adding that the couple has "traveled a ton" with their son, who is an avid plane-spotter. "His first flight was at 4 months, but this was his first time getting wings, meeting a pilot, and getting Delta trading cards," Gilliland added. The most memorable moment of the encounter for the couple was "seeing pure joy and happiness in his [their son's] eyes meeting someone whom he viewed as so special and important with a super power of knowing how to fly an airplane. He loves seeing airplanes flying over our house at home, and this was his Disneyland." Do you have a travel-related video or story to share? Let us know via life@newsweek.com and your story could be featured on Newsweek.