American commercial pilot Anselm Winston gave a touching speech on Saturday (June 5) when his father finally joined him aboard their first flight together, after 10 years of aviating.

An excited Winston announced over the jet’s intercom, “We have a VIP on board,” on a flight from Charleston to Miami. 

He continued: “So, a little bit about this VIP, he hails from Kingston, Jamaica, born in the small town of Portmore, Jamaica,” he shared while giving a short background on his father’s life journey of migration from Jamaica to Canada and then to the United States.

He proudly announced, “And that VIP that I’m talking about is my father.” 

An emotional Winston later revealed that the Miami bound flight, in particular, meant a lot to him and he was grateful to have his dad as a passenger for the first time.

He wrote beneath an Instagram post: “Today was one of the most memorable and best days of my life and I got to share it with my father.

“It’s been about 10 years since I’ve gotten my Commercial pilots license and it’s been even longer that I’ve wanted to be able to share an experience with my Dad that he’d never forget.”  

He concluded: “The stars aligned and I was finally able to get my Dad out on a trip with me on the jet. I don’t think I need to say much else as the video pretty much shows my emotions better than what I can write. Dad, I’m thankful, I’m blessed and I hope I’ve made both you and Mom proud. I hope you enjoyed the ride.”

The video shows an emotional, yet proud son expressing his content, to not only his dad, but to the many other passengers and flight crew, who were all in awe over his ‘shout out’ to his dad.

He also revealed that his dad’s birthday was one day prior to their special flight.   

“I’m just trying to hold the tears back, I didn’t think I’d cry but this is a very special and very important flight to me because it’s the first one with my father and I’m just very thankful and very blessed to have my father on board,” he said while holding back tears in his Instagram post.

He continued: Dad, I thank you for everything you’ve done for me and I’ll try to make this the greatest flight he’s ever had.”

Winston shared a carousel of videos and photos of his shout out to his dad but also a video and picture of his dad joining him in the cockpit  

“A happy belated birthday present to him, so I hope he enjoys it,” Winston said in the clip while his dad simultaneously records his comment.

Some viewers savoured the the sweet, heartwarming moment, sharing their thoughts on the endearing clip.

Flight Attendant, Melissa Suarez commented: “Sirrrr you didn’t have to make me cry! 😢❤️”

 “Wow. His father took care of him. It must have been such a good feeling to take care of his father. Symbolic and beautiful!!” another user wrote. 

According to the online news platform, Gravity, Winston’s father, Ashman, is not the only passenger who he’s brought to the front of the plane. 

The ERJ-175 certified pilot is known for bringing friends and family into the cockpit to give them a glimpse of his job, including children and long-time friends.  

As for his parents, Winston consistently shares photos of the two on his Instagram page, expressing how grateful he is for them and how much he loves them both. 

“The ones who raised me. The ones who loved me. The ones who believed in me. The ones that knew I could fly before I had my wings. The ones that are responsible for me becoming the man I am today. The ones who never gave up despite my pitfalls in life. Family. Parents like no other and that I’ll always cherish and adore. I love you Mom and Dad #Mom#Dad#Love,” the Miami-based pilot wrote in a post.