'All crying stopped': Wholesome airplane pilot saves a woman's toddler from having a meltdown on a flight, restoring faith in humanity

Author image for Jesse Kessenheimer
Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Nov 2, 2023 6:00 PM EDT

Sometimes humans can be bros. It's not very often that we meet genuinely amazing strangers out in public, but sometimes, in the most wholesome moments, our faith in humanity is restored. Usually we don't expect those moments when we're anywhere near our local airport, but apparently people can surprise us. 

Usually when anybody is planning to travel or hop in a plane, they expect to have the worst 5-8 hours of their life, cramming into a tin can with 200 other grouchy adults after being probed by TSA agents. The only way that air travel can be made much worse is if you're seated next to a crabby toddler. Parents know that there's nothing worse than a crying baby on a plane and the window seat is never enough to save a toddler from an eventual meltdown on a flight. All in all, nobody's happy when a baby is on board.

Fortunately, in this story, a pilot noticed a particularly grouchy kiddo about to board his plane and did the one thing that made everyone happy, saving the entire plane from eternal misery and proving that some human beings are really, really cool. Scroll onward for a wholesome tale that'll brighten anyone's day– even a grouchy, airborne toddler. 

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  • 01
    Font - Pilot saved my toddler from a meltdown Southwest Fun My overtired toddler was having a meltdown as we got off our Southwest flight this morning in San Diego. A pilot was coming on
    via u/sharktooth20
  • 02
    Font - the jet bridge for the next Southwest flight and saw him having a rough time. He convinced him to get in his stroller to get a special pilot ride
    via u/sharktooth20
  • 03
    Font - up the jet bridge. He pushed him to the top, gave him a fist bump and all crying stopped. It was so sweet for him to take the time!
    via u/sharktooth20
  • 04
    Cheezburger Image 9831570176
    via u/MasOlas619
  • 05
    Font - suoinguon That pilot deserves an award for saving not only my toddler from a meltdown, but also saving the sanity of everyone else on the plane! Bravo!
    via u/suoinguon
  • 06
    Font - Smobasaurus If this works I'm throwing a tantrum when I deplane too!
    via u/Smobasaurus
  • 07
    Font - Independent Brick8075 Southwest has some amazing people working for them, that seem to truly love their jobs!! I board a Southwest plane in 9 hours...
    via u/IndependentBrick8075
  • 08
    Font - BeepBeepYeah7789. Making a difference in someone's life!
    via u/BeepBeepYeah7789
  • 09
    Font - Mopar Medusa As we were boarding, we had to step aside for a first class passenger. The pilot invited my 5 yr old to look around the cockpit.
    via u/MoparMedusa
  • 10
    Font - She was over the moon! He asked her where she was from and he was from a town right up from us and had graduated a year before her dad. Small world!
    via u/MoparMedusa
  • 11
    Font - EstablishmentSafe133 Man when I was like 5 or 6 and really into airplanes a northwest pilot let me sit in the cockpit of an old DC9 or something for like 20mins after our flight. One of my favorite memories.
    via u/EstablishmentSafe133
  • 12
    Font - La_Peregrina When my son was 4 yrs old we were traveling on Southwest and upon deplaning my son stopped at the cockpit door, saluted the pilot and said, "Thank
    via u/La_Peregrina
  • 13
    Font - you for flying the plane sir.". The pilot saluted my son back and said, "Thank you for being on board sir.". It was so precious I almost cried lol.
    via u/La_Peregrina
  • 14
    Rectangle - Feisty_Elfgirl_5258. Did the pilot make the airplane noise as he pushed the stroller? If so 'chef's kiss'
    via u/Feisty_Elfgirl_5258
  • 15
    Font - ScratchMorton. I have a picture of my 4 year old granddaughter in the cockpit and at the controls of a southwest jet last month. She was giving the thumbs up. She was happy!
    via u/ScratchMorton
  • 16
    Font - papier peint last year we were leaving our SW flight and i told my kid (6 years old) to thank the pilot while we were getting off the plane. when we got to the front of the plane the pilot
    via u/papier_peint
  • 17
    Font - asked if she wanted to see the cockpit, got her in the command seat, and let her touch some of the buttons and the yoke. it was awesome. some pilots really go above and beyond for little kids.
    via u/papier_peint
  • 18
    Font - Rosie3450. Stories like this make my day. That pilot deserves an award for his kindness.
    via u/Rosie3450
  • 19
    Font - morley1966. I once had a toddler seated next to me having a meltdown, and refusing to sit for departure. I had the aisle and his mother the aisle of two seat row, he was lap
    via u/morley1966
  • 20
    Font - child. I asked him if he wanted to sit on my lap and look out the window, he did, and was asleep before we were in the sky. His mom was so thankful, I said my kids were once little.
    via u/morely1966
  • 21
    Font - Jean_Momma Aw, I love this! I swear Southwest Pilots are the GREATEST! I was on a flight alone with my daughter, and we landed, but for some reason they didn't bring my stroller up to the ramp to be
    via u/Jean_momma
  • 22
    Smile - picked up, so I was the last one waiting there. The pilot got off the plane and saw my daughter and I and asked the flight attendants what was going on,
    via u/Jean_momma
  • 23
    Font - they explained they were having trouble finding my stroller. He personally went down and talked to the guys unloading luggage and was able to track it down for us! It was so sweet.
    via u/Jean_momma
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    Motor vehicle - EE EER E F EIB
    via u/canva

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wholesome tantrum heartwarming toddler flight plane parenting pilot airline Travel traveling reddit thread Reddit parents airplane
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