Sometimes a career becomes a family affair.
So when one young pilot got a chance to thank the woman who inspired him to take to the skies, he made sure to make the most of it.
She was a flight attendant on his plane, but not just any flight attendant – she was his mom!
Cole Doss has only been flying since 2022. His entire family has spent their careers in the air. His father is a retired flight attendant. His sister, as well as his mom, are both flight attendants, well.
Cole said he was working toward a business degree, when he realized he wanted to follow in his parents’ footsteps and become a pilot.
“My parents were incredibly supportive,” he said. “They both have a passion for aviation and my dad, before becoming a flight attendant, was working on becoming a pilot as well … so becoming a pilot [myself] kind of fulfilled both of our goals.”
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And for the first time, both he and his mom, Moya Doss, were on the same flight. Cole was piloting a flight from Washington, D.C. to Madrid, Spain, and his mom was able to snag a shift on the same flight as her son.
“That was the first time I was able to fly my mom ever,” Cole said. “In flight school, she was a little nervous about the small planes, so I was never able to fly with her there.”
The day of the flight, the mom and son were able to commute together.
Cole Doss speaks to passengers aboard the flight he shared with his mother. Photo courtesy of Cole Doss
“We met in the employee parking lot. We took the bus together. We went to security together. We walked to the gate together,” Cole said.
So, it was really neat being able to share all those moments with her.”
And during his pre-flight speech to the passengers, he made sure to honor her because, he said, flight attendants “deserve all the credit they can get.”
“She’s been one of my biggest supporters in my life and in my career becoming a pilot, ever since my very first flight lesson,” Cole said to the passengers. “To my mom, I love you, and to everyone onboard, welcome aboard our family-friendly skies.”
Moya said her son’s announcement surprised her. “I was taken aback,” she said. “It was really, really sweet.”
For Cole, the ability to honor his mom was the most important thing for him.
“I wanted to do something incredibly special to pay back my mom and and let everyone know that this was a really cool and momentous event for the both of us,” he said.
From left, Moya Doss and Cole Doss. Photo courtesy of Cole Doss
“It was definitely a career highlight for me.”
The two are already working out the details of their next flight together.
“In flight school, we’re trained to fly as though our family members are on board,” Cole said.. “It was really cool to finally have that reality. It felt like I had been training for this for quite a while.”
Watch the heartwarming moment between son and mom below!
Sources: Good Morning America | Today
