A video of a man viewing a map on his computer has gone viral on TikTok, as his reason for the gesture has melted thousands of hearts.
In the clip—which has received 630,900 views—Ian, 59, can be seen watching a flight from Turkey as it returns to Northern Ireland, where he lives. On board was his adult son, who had traveled overseas to play tennis.
His daughter, Shannen Donaldson (@shannen9615), posted footage of the scene online, writing, “My dad’s green flag is when any of his kids are on a plane, he spends the day tracking it.”
The 29-year-old told Newsweek, “He is a bit of a nervous flyer, so he can’t settle properly until he knows we have landed and are safe.”
Donaldson continued: “It’s nice to have a dad who, even though we’re all in our mid-20s or older, still genuinely cares about our safety. As a parent myself, I know the feeling never leaves.
“We can go about our day without telling him what we are up to, but when it comes to making sure we are safe, he likes to know we are OK.”
She said the dad of three used to stay up and collect his kids whenever they’d go out at night.
The March 16 video has since amassed more than 50,000 likes and hundreds of comments from viewers sharing similar actions by their fathers.
“My dad does this too! He reports updates to the family [WhatsApp] every hour or so—take-off, what country the plane is over, and landing,” one user wrote.
“That’s my dad. And I’m a flight attendant,” a commenter said, while another added, “This dad > any other kind of dad.”
According to viewers, it isn’t just dads—it’s mothers and siblings, too.
“I’m a mom and do this for everyone I know, wherever they’re flying!! My record is tracking my son’s flight from London GB to Melbourne AU,” a user said.
“I do this for my brother too, and then I wait a quarter of an hour after landing to send him a message, because otherwise, he thinks I’m stalking him,” another wrote.
Although aviation is considered one of the safest modes of travel, a series of alarming accidents—some deadly—has increased safety concerns among travelers and intensified scrutiny on the U.S.’s already embattled civil aviation regulator.
Recently, a poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 64 percent of U.S. adults considered air travel “very safe” or “somewhat safe,” a slight drop from 71 percent last year. Meanwhile, the percentage of Americans who viewed flying as very or somewhat unsafe rose to about 20 percent, up from 12 percent in 2024.
If you have a family dilemma, let us know via [email protected]. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
The post Tears at What Gen X Dad Does When His Adult Kids Are on a Plane appeared first on Newsweek.
