By Soo KimShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberA video of a pilot capturing the emotional moment of her mom boarding one of her flights for the very first time has melted hearts on TikTok.
The clip was posted by Sydney Rae (@pilotsydneyrae), a 31-year-old Canadian pilot with British citizenship who is based in London, the capital of the United Kingdom. The clip shows her waiting at the aircraft doors as her mom steps on board.
In the clip—viewed more than 440,000 times since it was uploaded on October 6—the pilot greets her mom with a huge hug as the mother joyfully dances her way down the jet bridge, suitcase in hand. Text overlaid on the video reads: “The moment my mama boarded her first flight with me.”
The pilot told Newsweek: “I’ve been flying for easyJet [a low-cost U.K. airline] since Nov 2024, started flight training in 2022, and it took a little over two years [to become a pilot]. Neither of us were nervous [about the flight], just super excited. I made a PA announcement that she was flying with me, and some passengers clapped.”
...The milestone flight was from London Gatwick (LGW) to Belfast City (BHD), and it turned into a special mother-daughter getaway. “This was the first flight with her on board…and we were night-stopping there, so mom and I got to explore the city, have dinner, and she stayed in the hotel with me, then we flew back the following morning,” the poster said.
The viral moment comes as the pilot profession ranks highly in national job comparisons. In the 2025 U.S. News & World Report 100 Best Jobs list, pilots placed 15th overall, second among social service jobs, and eighth among best-paying roles.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual pay for airline and commercial pilots is $198,100. The BLS noted: “Overall employment of airline and commercial pilots is projected to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations.”
The BLS estimates around 18,200 job openings for pilots each year over the next decade, largely due to workers retiring or switching fields.
The pilot from the viral TikTok clip credits her mother for giving her the confidence to pursue aviation without hesitation. “She’s always been a huge support, particularly with allowing me to grow into my potential and instilling in me when I was young that no career was off limits,” she told Newsweek.
She added that her upbringing meant she never absorbed gender stereotypes often associated with male-dominated fields. “I honestly never even realized aviation was predominantly male because my mom never mentioned things like that…[it was] super cool to be honest, no barriers," the TikToker said.
By “no barriers,” the pilot explained she meant freedom from the limiting beliefs many young girls might face, which say “that certain careers are off limits because they are male-dominated or not for minorities…”
'Made Me Cry'
TikTok users were quick to share their admiration and emotion over the touching moment.
User flymetothemoon wrote: “Aww, this made me cry happy tears! Well done to you both x.”
User @8faiz8 commented on the clip’s opening moment, noting: “The little dance at the start,” accompanied by a crying emoji and an image of a teary-eyed dog.
Another user, @d1_mackalicious, posted a picture of a woman wiping tears from her face.
Others praised the wholesome exchange. zazababy222 wrote: “This is precious,” while debbiecampbell641 said: “A very special flight, love this.”
Another user, Mel, commented: “Love this, she must be a proud mama,” and @minieggs4eva added: “Awwwh, this is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”
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