A retiring Southwest Airlines captain’s final flight turned into a viral family moment when his daughter, serving as his first officer, surprised him with an emotional tribute.
A Heartfelt Tribute
Captain Jim Curtis retired after 22 years at Southwest Airlines, which was preceded by 21 years in the U.S. Air Force. In her speech honoring his long aviation career, his daughter, Julia Curtis, credited him with inspiring her to become a pilot and shaping her character throughout her life.
The father-daughter duo joined a TV show, where Jim admitted it wasn’t easy to maintain his composure during the tribute. He said, ‘I spent 30 years trying to have a stern profile. And people noticed my lip quivering, and so I was just lucky to be able to keep it together.’
Julia said she had long considered the possibility of accompanying her dad on the meaningful trip. She said, ‘I grew up watching him go to work, and to actually have the opportunity to sit there with him and also get to tell my greatest mentor in life how much he means to me was truly special.’
Jim expressed excitement for his daughter’s future following in his footsteps and said that he would be retiring to a family farm to grow walnuts with his wife. Julia said her father’s lessons helped her reach this point in her career, especially those insights regarding the importance of mindset and work ethic.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
