Flight 1126

Just recently we packed up the family for a vacation and a business trip for me.  The family consists of my wife (Illona) and three children (Hannah 6, Braydon 4, and Declan 2).  We left Boston on Nov. 1st to head to San Diego and then off to Palm Springs for themoving company convention before we would return to Boston eight days later.  For any of you who have not had the luxury of travelling with three little ones on a plane it is always an adventure.  I am sure many of you have had to sit through a screaming child on a long plane ride.  If not, your time will come soon.  Well picture this on our return flight we left Palm Springs at about 5pm e.s.t. and arrived smoothly in Denver.  In Denver that is where our luck changed after boarding the flight and being told we would be pushing back in a few minutes the plane did not move.  Shortly there after the announcement came that the door which we had boarded through seemed to have a plastic piece that was malfunctioning.  The door was not showing as shut and we could not leave.  The pilot quickly told us the mechanic was on the way and to sit tight.  Well 15 minutes grew into an hour.  The kids were getting restless and our family stress level (okay mine) was rising with each minute.  How would the kids stay in their seats?  What time would this flight actually arrive in Boston?  Would we even leave?  That is when my two year old Declan decided he had enough.  He was no longer sitting and he would proceed to check the entire plane out from front to back.  In his travels he met a new friend one of the stewardess on the plane.  She did an absolutely amazing job with him for the next few hours.  Declan assisted her in making coffee and followed her through the aisle as she delivered the coffee.  He would then help with clean up going up and down the plane yelling “trash?” to assist his new firend in her duties.  By this time my other two children Hannah and Braydon had also joined the clean up team.  I sat in my seat and relaxed for a bit.  I could not help but think about my line of business being a Boston moving company that we have this kind of opportunity to help a family deal with stress and anxiety with each move we perform.  After the clean up chore was over what else could Declan and his siblings do to help? No worries.  The stewardess decided to take the kids all three of them to the cockpit to meet the pilot.  Shortly thereafter my wife was taking pictures of the three kids flying the plane and talking with the pilots.  You would have thought we were back at the San Diego Zoo or Disneyland with all the smiles and laughter. I have included a picture of Braydon at the helm of this 757 aircraft so you can view the fun.  It was time to leave the cockpit and return to our seats as this piece of plastic which caused the delay was located by the mechanics and would be fixed in 15 minutes.  I am happy to say our flight left shortly after and we arrived in Boston for sunrise.  The kids all slept the entire way and I watched  Declan’s new friend smile and be happy the entire flight.  Declan woke up as we were coming off the plane and mustered enough energy to say good bye to his flying buddy.  Since we landed all I have talked about was the kindess and compassion that was shown to my children and our family.  Talking about reducing the stress! I have never been so pleased to spend 12 hours on a plane ride. We could all learn a lesson from the crew ofUnited Air Lines Flight 1126.  Great job and thanks for making the skies so friendly! Jim