Mandy Moore is honoring her dad, “Captain Don,” who took his last trip as a pilot for American Airlines on Monday.
“It’s the end of an era for our family. After 42 years at the company, he’s reached the mandatory retirement age (65) and he’s saying goodbye to a career that he’s always claimed felt more like a hobby,” Moore wrote on Instagram. “To have spent 2/3 of your life at one job; to have raised 3 children and made a living doing something you’re so deeply passionate about is an absolute gift.”
“I hope you’re proud, Dad… because there are so many of us who sure are celebrating this milestone,” she continued. “Can’t wait for your next chapter and all of the unfiltered Grandpa time Gus is about to experience!! WE LOVE YOU!!!”
Peter Blandino, Don's boss and director of flight at Los Angeles International Airport, sent his heartfelt congratulations in an email to TODAY Parents.
"We are grateful to have known and worked with such an outstanding pilot over nearly half a century," Blandino wrote. "We wish you all the best on your next adventure, Captain Moore!”
Moore illustrated her tribute with a series of photos. In one picture, Moore and Don, who have the same smile, are seen sitting side-by-side in a cockpit. She shared the same photo in 2019, and revealed it was taken on a runway in London.
“Today was my first time ever flying with him!” Moore wrote at the time. “Also my stepmom (an AA flight attendant) was working our flight as well so I got some face time with both of them on their breaks.”
Moore was 23 when her mother, Stacy Moore, left Don for a woman. The actor told People in 2017, that her family remains “extraordinarily close.”
On Father’s Day, Moore shared Instagram photos of Don and doting on his grandson, Gus. Moore and her husband, Taylor Goldsmith, welcomed the little boy in February.
“I sure lucked out in the dad department with mine and watching him step into his role as a grandpa these past few months has taken my love and appreciation for all he is to an entirely new level,” she wrote.
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