"I'm Flying You Home," Says This Pilot Welcoming His Military Son Back From Deployment

When United Airlines pilot Mario Lopes learned that his son, First Lieutenant Mario Lopes, would be returning from active duty in Kuwait and then catching a military flight from Norfolk, VA, he planned for something pretty incredible.

While he wasn't entirely sure if his son would be on that particular flight departing from Norfolk, Lopes nonetheless requested to pilot it in the event that he was. In an interview with ABC, the elder Lopes explained, "I told my wife that this couldn't be a coincidence." Thankfully, his hunch turned out to be right.

As his son boarded the flight, Lopes anxiously awaited the big surprise and then finally approached him by asking, "First Lieutenant Lopes, what are you doing on my aircraft?" He added, "When he turned around we embraced for as long as I could hold him. I cannot express the emotions I felt holding my son after not seeing him for so long."

Check out a clip of their heartwarming reunion, above. We apologize if you hadn't planned on ugly-crying at this point in the day. It happens.