The Gift of Legacy: A father and son together in the flight deck

On the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday, Piedmont Captain Tim Hayes, Sr. could barely contain his excitement as he patiently waited in the flight deck for the First Officer to arrive for his final flight of the day. First Officer Tim Hayes, Jr. arrived and greeted his father in the flight deck to begin their pre-flight checks. It was business as usual for the two pilots, but this day was special and would create a once-in-a-lifetime memory for father and son.

While they waited for push-back from the gate, Tim Sr. quietly pulled out a note he had written at the hotel the night before, put his headset on and began reading the note and making an announcement to passengers. Tim Jr. and the flight attendant couldn’t hear what he was saying and when he had completed his announcement, Tim Jr. informed him that his headset wasn’t plugged in and none of the passengers heard his announcement. “That’s my dad,” Tim Jr. joked. Tim Sr. laughed, plugged in the headset and re-read the note in which he shared what a special day this was for him to be able to fly with his son. He was filled with emotion as the heartfelt announcement brought cheers and clapping from the passengers. Together, they departed Charlotte, North Carolina on a perfect weather day bound for Salisbury, Maryland.

Tim Sr., a retired crew chief from the Army National Guard and twenty-year veteran in the New York City Police Department, never imagined he would get to fly with his son. “I was flying helicopters when Tim Jr. was born and hoped one day to fly a commercial airplane,” shares Tim Sr. He was in the air on 9/11 and saw the second plane hit the tower. “We were dispatched when the first tower was hit but couldn’t land due to debris in the air and instability of the tower roof. It was a day that I will never forget.” After retiring from the NYPD, he began flying Med-Evac helicopters for Carolina’s Healthcare System. It was while he was working there that Tim Jr. expressed interest in flying and took a discovery flight at ATP Flight School that was located next to the hangar where his father worked.
“When I was in college, I joined the Army National Guard with hopes to become a pilot like my dad,” shares Tim Jr. After obtaining his bachelor’s degree in International Criminal Justice from Appalachian State University, he began his journey to becoming a commercial pilot. Tim Jr. flew charter jets until he reached his 1,500-flight hour minimum when he joined Piedmont as a first officer in May 2024. “Dad had been flying for Piedmont since 2018 and had a lot of good things to say about the Company,” shares Tim Jr.

Tim Jr. says his father was instrumental in his path to becoming a pilot. “I have followed in my dad’s footsteps in many aspects of his career including joining the Army,” shares Tim Jr. “He never pushed me to become a pilot, but he loved flying, and thought it was something I would enjoy, too. I had ridden in the jumpseat with my dad on a Piedmont flight and it was cool to watch him in action. Now I’m sitting in the right seat next to him.”

Tim Jr. reflects that being able to share this moment and fly with his dad has meant everything to him and is something they both didn’t think was ever going to be possible. Tim Sr. was scheduled to have flowed to American Airlines but their recent pause in pilot hiring delayed his flow date to early 2025. “My father is my idol and is a great mentor outside of being a father. Being able to catch up to where he is, reflects how I was raised.”

The pair touched down in Salisbury and Tim Sr. shared how impressed he was with his son’s professionalism, and that it didn’t feel real working together. “This flight together has been the best father/son experience I’ve ever had.” Tim Jr. echoed the sentiment saying that when they landed, they felt like they had done it a million times before. After landing, they were fortunate to receive a handshake and congratulations from Piedmont President and CEO Eric Morgan who was in the office that day. “That was the icing on the cake.”

“To have my son follow in my footsteps means the world to me,” shares Tim Sr. fondly. “I’m so proud of him and it validates what I’ve done my entire life. He’s a great kid and flying with him is the best thing ever for a dad!”

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