When United Airlines pilot Captain Denny Flanagan, the subject of my Wow Factor Sends Customer Satisfaction Sky High post, read it and responded, he also revealed that it was his birthday, and that he had the following wish to share with all of our readers. I hope you’ll spread Captain Flanagan’s good word among your colleagues, friends, and loved ones, too. Happy Birthday, Captain Flanagan.
 

Dear Family, Friends, Workmates and Customers who I have flown through the Friendly Skies,

I’m approaching 58 years on Earth, and I ask myself what have I done to make this planet a better place to live. On birthdays, you generally receive material gifts, which you can’t take with you, so this year I am reaching out to you for a special favor.

A few years ago I had the honor and privilege of spending some quality one-on-one time with Astronaut Jim Lovell. (Tom Hanks played him in the film, Apollo 13.) During our conversation I asked Jim what was his most memorable flight. Without skipping a beat, Jim looked at me and said, “Denny, when I die, the last thing I will see before I close my eyes is the view of our planet I witnessed from Apollo 8 in 1968.” At this time, Jim made a fist, half stretched out his arm with his thumb sticking straight up, simulating his famous pose of blocking out Mother Earth from his seat 225,000 miles away.

Next, Jim said “I am one astronaut in this capsule, but you represent 6 billion astronauts on that ball (Earth) before me, and you are ruining it.” As he continued speaking, it sounded like a lecture blaming me for all the pollution, greed, anger, disease, poverty etc.  At the same time, the hair on my arm was sticking straight up between rows upon rows of goose bumps. It was a powerful moment for me, and one that will last forever. Before we continued on to another topic which I didn’t want to leave, Jim said, “If our world leaders could just view our planet from my seat in Apollo 8, they would change the way they are running things. This is the only place we have to live; it is so fragile, and needs tender care.”

I am reaching out to each of you to help me make a difference, and to spread Jim’s message to save our planet. We can help do this by just being NICE. My wife Terri and I always comment that there are not enough NICE stories in the paper. My birthday is June 5th, and I am asking when you do a nice deed for someone you don't know that you send me the story. Send me your story when it happens or on my birthday. Multiple stories are also acceptable. If you are so inclined, you can pass this email along or make the same request to your friends for your birthday. If you elect to do this, I would like your ten best stories. Thank you for your help and for crossing the path I have taken over the last 58 years.

Captain Denny Flanagan
United Airlines