84-year-old Myrta Gage, who has recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, found herself in a familiar place when she stepped inside the cockpit of a plane.
Gage had been a pilot in her youth. Her son Earl said his mother had been struggling with day-to-day activities, so the family decided to help her create a bucket list.
Gage’s wish to take to the skies again was on the list. Earl contacted a pilot named Cody Mattiello to fulfill her wish. The pilot agreed to take the two over Lake Winnipesaukee and Mount Kearsarge.
Mattiello handed over the aircraft’s control to Gage in a bid to help a fellow aviator. Many videos and pictures of the elderly woman shared on Mattiello’s Facebook page have gone viral.
“I was asked a few days ago to help fulfill this amazing lady’s final wish to fly a plane again,” he wrote in the post. “She was a pilot in her youth and having Parkinson’s disease and being in her 90’s insurance requirements would not allow her to use a flight school.”
Mattieollo said her son contacted him to help and he was more than happy to help a fellow aviator. “Beautiful weather to fly down Lake Winnipesaukee and around Mount Kearsarge to see the fall colours. As a New Hampshire born pilot I feel lucky to be able to share my love of aviation and be a part of making memories like this for others.”
