Grandson pilots 88-year-old grandmother’s first ever flight

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WPVI) — A Wisconsin grandmother just checked something special off her bucket list.

At 88 years old, Frances Dahlke had reached many milestones in her life.

But there was one she had yet to check off, taking her first flight.

That’s because she had one condition before she took to the skies.

“And I says, well, I’ll fly when Alex gets his pilot’s license,” said Dahlke.

She wanted to make sure her grandson, Alex Shupe, was the one to show her above the clouds for the first time.

And after years of training, Shupe was finally able to make that dream a reality.

“As an airline employee, you do get these flight benefits. I was able to throw her name on a list and then put her on the stand-by list,” he said.

So on Sunday, Dahlke boarded her first flight at La Crosse Regional Airport, where her grandson would be behind the controls.

“The sensation, you know, and of course watching the clouds, if there are any out there,” she said.

Prior to the flight, her family made sure she was properly prepared in every aspect, thinking of even the little things.

“They made sure they told me to take Dramamine first. I’ve never taken Dramamine in my life either,” she said.

After going through security and her Dramamine on stand-by, there was nothing left but to soak in the next hour and a half with the people she loves the most.

“It’s very, very nice. I felt like a spoiled celebrity. I had the first seat in first class,” she said.

When the plane landed in Chicago, Dahlke and her Shupe reflected on just how meaningful that experience was.

It’s a memory they both say they will hold onto forever.