For 35 years, Brad Hachat soared through the skies with precision, passion, and purpose. But when his final flight touched down in Arizona on July 1, 2025, it was what waited at the gate that truly took his breath away.
The 64-year-old pilot, who once flew fighter jets and later guided commercial airliners across the globe, had no clue that his family, dressed in Hawaiian shirts, leis, and holding handmade signs, would be waiting to celebrate his retirement.
“My dad didn’t want any kind of celebration or retirement party, but we knew deep down he would be so excited to see his family when he got off the plane,” his daughter Lindsay, 31, told PEOPLE exclusively.
And she was right.
“I just about broke out crying,” Hachat admitted. “But I knew once I let out that first tear, I wouldn’t be able to control it, so I tried hard to fight that back.”
The heartfelt surprise was coordinated by Lindsay and her stepmom, Denise, a Delta flight attendant who accompanied Hachat on his final flight from Hawaii. With a little help from American Airlines, the family secured special gate passes and flew in from Colorado, Nebraska, South Carolina, and more, all to make sure Brad knew just how proud they were.
“We thought it would be super difficult to get the whole family there on relatively short notice,” Lindsay said, “but everyone in the family, without hesitation, committed and said they would make it work.”
@lindsey_pritchard Surprising my dad with the whole family flying out to be at the airport when he gets off his very last flight before retiring 🥲 #fyp #viral #foryou #trending #flying #flight #retirement #dad #foryoupage #follow #dadsoftiktok #pilot #airplane #tiktok #family ♬ original sound – Lindsey Pritchard
Normally, surprises are hard in the Hachat family since everyone shares their location. But this time? Brad hadn’t checked the app while relaxing in Hawaii. That small detail made all the difference.
After the emotional airport reunion, the whole crew headed to Brad’s house to celebrate with drinks, food, and a pool day, the perfect landing after decades of high-flying.
“There was a sense of relief and lifted weight of responsibility,” Brad reflected. “Never again would I have to go to work and have hundreds of lives be my responsibility to get them to their destinations safely. At the same time, on my last flight, everything I did crossed my mind, that I would never have fun getting to do this again.”
Brad’s journey began in college when a T-38 mockup on campus sparked his fascination with flight. At 22, he entered the Air Force Initial Flight Screening program and never looked back.
“I always had a love for flying,” he shared. “My dad was a big aviation enthusiast and even built his own airplane.”
He spent eight years on active duty flying A-10s, AT-38s, and F-16s, followed by another eight years in the Air National Guard. In 1990, he joined American Airlines, where he piloted aircraft like the 757, 777, and Airbus 321 for over three decades.
His favorite destinations? “Rome, London, and Santiago, Chile,” he said.
The job came with sacrifices, missed birthdays, jet lag, hotel living, but Hachat says it was all worth it.
“I had the best office in the world, being up in the sky,” he smiled. “I got to travel to some amazing places all over the world. The best parts about being a pilot were the many people from all walks of life that I got to meet.”
Now officially retired, Brad Hachat has swapped cockpits for pool days and family time, and after a career of climbing high, he’s landed in the one place he’s happiest: surrounded by the people he loves most.
- From Unwanted to Unstoppable: Chewy the Shih Tzu Finds His Forever Family in a Senior Living Center - September 18, 2025
- Teen Who Started Reading Program During Pandemic Still Brings Joy to Special Needs Kids Five Years Later - September 18, 2025
- Uber Ride Turns Into a Life-Changing Friendship That’s Still Going Strong Seven Years Later - September 18, 2025
