With all of the controversial goings-on in the news these days surrounding air travel, it’s easy to quickly become jaded about flying. After all, the act of getting on an airplane is stressful enough without having to worry about hidden rules and regulations! Sometimes it seems like it would be easier to just throw in the towel and skip this year’s vacation just to avoid it all.

Because there is so much negative hype, we want to brighten your perspective on the greatest mode of transportation, in the best way we know how—by showing you a video of something GREAT happening on a plane.

This particular clip features a long-time Southwest pilot who is about to take his passengers on a very special flight. You see, the dedicated airman has dutifully kept a log of the number of people he has safely transported over the years, and it turns out that this is the flight where he is set to hit a seminal number—his one millionth passenger. Talk about impressive!

It all starts off with silver-haired pilot, Captain John Richie making a pre-flight announcement not from the cockpit, but just in front of the galley—not a typical sight seen on most flights.

He tells the passengers that he started flying for Southwest about 22 years ago, after retiring from the U.S. Air Force where he worked as both a combat and test pilot.

After stating that this is the very flight that holds his lucky one-millionth passenger, the entire plane erupts in a spontaneous round of applause, and for good reason— it’s not every day that something like this happens!

Whoever is filming the scene gives us quite the perspective on it—this pilot seems to have each and every one of his passengers engaged. It is obviously a big moment for everyone involved.

Captain Richie then goes on to say that he has several heartfelt gifts that he would like to give the passenger in honor of this momentous occasion. He identifies the person as Miriam Kreiger, a woman who is seated near the back of the plane.

The pilot quickly spots his exceptional passenger and gifts her with the three presents. We have to say that she certainly does seem quite taken aback by all of the attention. Nonetheless, it’s clear she is grateful for the captain’s kindness.

Now, we bet you are plenty ready to see exactly what this generous pilot gives his millionth passenger. Let’s just say that we think it’s incredibly sweet, considering HE’s the one flying the plane. Click on the video below to see the surprise unfold for yourself.

We don’t know how you feel about this situation, but we have to say that we are just a wee bit jealous of those gifts!

What do you think of this pilot’s surprise? Have you ever seen something similar happen on a flight? Do you work in air travel? Tell us all about your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below!