“He’s So Happy”: 65-Year-Old Dad Takes His First Flight Going to Daughter’s Graduation, SA Moved

• A young woman moved many online after showing her dad, mom, and husband travelling to her graduation
• The lady made her TikTok post extra nice by detailing that it was a special moment for her father, who looked excited to be travelling with them
• Social media users flooded the comment section, praising the lady for making her parents and husband proud and for turning her father's dream into a reality
• Briefly News spoke with Nosiphiwo Diniso, a former cabin crew member with 20 years of experience

A 65-year-old dad was excited to be taking a flight for the first time, going to witness his daughter graduate at NWU.

The graduate, TikTok user @mbalimahlelabezui, shared her clip on the video streaming platform, attracting comments from online users who celebrated her success and congratulated her.

The dad takes his first flight

The clip starts as the family gets to the airport. After moving around a bit and taking family photos. They finally head to the security point. The clip moves to show them on the airbridge, going to board the flight. It transitions to them moving in a queue, going to their seats and then shows

@mbalimahlelabezui holding his hand mid-flight. It then shows the dad enjoying himself, laughing, before showing him disembarking. After the flight, the video moves to show the dad and his son-in-law walking at the airport and then a picture of the four of them.

Watch the TikTok clip below:

First-time flyer fears

We at Briefly News spoke with Nosiphiwo Diniso, a former SAA flight attendant with two decades of experience. We asked her what first-time fliers worry about the most. She said:

"Most of them are scared of the takeoff and landing stages, fearing that when it lifts, it might fail, drop to the ground, and that when it lands, it might go hard, crack, and break into pieces. Turbulence is also a major concern. When it starts, you can even hear cries from some of them."

The team asked her if she's ever had to hold someone's hand or calm them down mid-flight. The former flight attendant said:

"Yes! Once I had a gogo who grabbed my hand when I got to her and wouldn't let go as light turbulence started. I went to attend to her after the passenger next to her pressed a call bell. Luckily, the turbulence wasn't bad and we could still move around.

She kept praying while feeling overwhelmed and breathing heavily. I gave her an airsick bag to breathe on. She did and was calmer as I kept reassuring her that light turbulence was normal and that nothing was going to happen to her."

Briefly News asked her what advice she would give to someone flying for the first time. She responded:

" Relax, breathe, and enjoy the view. The flight deck crew are highly experienced and checks are always done to make sure that the aircraft is fit to be in the sky before departure. I always add humour by asking how people are not as scared to be inside moving cars as planes, as there are more car accidents than plane crashes.

That always gets them thinking. Being on a flight is like being in a giant bus in the sky. Oh! Lastly, don't be shy to ask questions, that's what the cabin crew is there for, your safety and comfort."

SA thanks the woman

The clip touched many social media users who flooded the comment section and congratulated the lady, while others thanked her for giving her father a memorable first flying experience. Many who will be graduating at the end of the year shared they could not wait for their turn, and others wished they still had fathers to take on their first flights.

User @sduuhmchunu said:

"I can't wait to fly my parents to Stellenbosch ngo (in) December for my graduation. 🥹🥹 Congrats Mbali👏🏾."

User @lenah commented:

"Hi, ma'am which NWU are graduating at if it's in Potch, I might come and see you."

User @Mesh shared:

"Can't wait to go to my daughter's. I will also fly for the first time to Pretoria."

User @Babu added:

"Wonderful, you made him proud 👏👏. I did it for my daughter's graduation in Cape Town 🥰."

User @Sesi MLR🐘🦂 shared:

"He is so happy hle🥰."

User @mommyangel said:

"My mom also flew for the very first time to my graduation. I sometimes hear her boasting stories about flying😂😂😂 our parents though 💓💓."

3 Briefly News articles about graduations

• A young woman proudly embraced her culture, wearing a Tswana traditional attire, during her graduation at CPUT, leaving the hall erupting in cheers and applause, and social media users singing her praise.
• An absent father sent his daughter a message inviting himself to her graduation, but she turned him down, reminding him of all the times he had refused to help her.
• A young lady shared a video compilation showing her cleaning windows, toilets, and tables at RocoMamas before showcasing her graduation, earning praise from online users who congratulated her.

Source: Briefly News