A Wisconsin grandmother got to cross off a big bucket list item — all thanks to her grandson.
Frances Dahlke, 88, had never ridden a plane before until Sunday, Feb. 8, when her grandson, Alex Shupe, who is a pilot, flew a plane from La Crosse Regional Airport in La Crosse, Wisconsin, to Chicago.
Dahlke told CBS Chicago she decided she would finally take to the air “when Alex gets his pilot’s license.”
After Shupe earned his license, he was able to share the experience with his grandmother on that Sunday flight. Dahlke even received a few extra perks, including getting to sit up front.
“It’s very, very nice. I felt like a spoiled celebrity. I had the first seat in first class,” Dahlke recalled.
“As an airline employee, you get these flight benefits,” Shupe added. “I was able to throw her name on a list and then put her on the standby list.”
Dahlke said she was especially excited to experience everything for the first time, particularly “the sensation [of flying]” and the view outside the window.
Her family also made sure she was prepared, packing Dramamine — a medication used to help prevent and treat motion sickness symptoms like nausea, vomiting and dizziness — just in case she felt unwell. That, she said, became another first.
“They made sure — they told me to take Dramamine first. I’ve never taken Dramamine in my life either,” Dahlke told CBS Chicago with a laugh.
During the trip, Dahlke snapped a photo with her grandson, but she wasn’t the only relative on board. Shupe later shared photos on Instagram showing his parents and brother on the same flight to Chicago, getting the chance to see him at work in the cockpit.
“Career highlight for me to finally be able to fly my family on my flight from La Crosse. First time ever my parents and brother have flown with me and first ever flight for my 88 year old grandma. A truly memorable experience,” Shupe wrote on Instagram.
