The sun was shining brightly outside the window of Flight 702 bound for Cebu. The airport was filled with holidaymakers, businessmen, and families returning to the countryside. In seat 14A, sits Kiko, a 13-year-old boy who is quietly playing on his tablet. He doesn’t play guns or car races; He was playing a “Flight Simulator.” Ever since he was a child, Nikki has dreamed of becoming a pilot. He knew the buttons on the cockpit, the radio terms, and the correct landing angle, even if he only experienced it in the game. Her mother, Which Marta, who was next to her, was sleeping soundly, tired of working as a janitress just to save up for their first vacation.

The peaceful journey took a sudden turn. About an hour after take-off, the plane suddenly rocked violently. This is not simple turbulence. The car seemed to have lost its way. Then, a deafening silence was heard from the cockpit, followed by the rush of flight attendants. Kiko saw head stewardess Sarah emerge from the cockpit, her hands pale and trembling. It picked up the intercom, the voice cracked. “Ladies and gentlemen… There is… There was a medical emergency in the cockpit. We are in need of help. Is there a licensed pilot? Please stand up.”

The whole cabin was silent. No one stood up. No one blinked. “You seem to have mercy! “Anyone who knows how to fly!” cried Sarah again, tears streaming down her face. That’s where there was chaos. The passengers were screaming. “What’s going on?! Are we going to die?!” The plane began to turn right. The seatbelt sign light flickered. Oxygen masks have fallen. Both the Captain and the Co-Pilot lost consciousness due to suspected severe hypoxia or poisoning from what they ate before takeoff. No one was driving the plane.

In the midst of the commotion, while Which Marta hugged Kiko and prayed out loud, Kiko removed her seatbelt. “Mom, just wait a minute,” she said. “Kiko! Don’t go! “We’re going to die!” cried the mother. But there was a strange twinkle in Kiki’s eyes. He stood up and walked over to Sarah. “Miss… I do. I’m smart.”

Sarah looked at him suspiciously. “Boy, this is not a game. The lives of 200 people depend on it. Go back to your seat.”

“No one else will stand up!” shouted Kiki, with an authority not expected of a child. “I know how to build the tower. “I know autopilot. Please let me in before we fall!” Lacking choice and the speed at which the plane was dropping altitude, Sarah pulled Kiko into the cockpit.

As soon as he entered, a terrifying scene engulfed him. The Captain was on the yoke (steering wheel), causing the plane to go down. The co-pilot is unconscious on the side. Sarah and the other steward quickly pulled the Captain away from the seat. Kiko sat down in the Captain’s seat. The seat was too big for him. The amount of lights, the number of buttons, and the sound of alarms is deafening. “Field! Field! “Shut up!” the computer yelled.

Kiki took a deep breath. “It’s like a game, Kitty. “It’s like a game,” he muttered to himself. He grabbed the yoke. He pulled it up to correct the plane’s flight. The engine roared, but the wing level slowly adjusted. Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. “What shall we do?” asked the stewardess.

Kiko put on the head. He pressed the button for the radio. “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. This is Flight 702. Pilot incapacitation. I repeat, pilot incapacitation. “We need immediate assistance,” Kiko said in a voice that he was trying to stabilize.

At the Air Traffic Control tower in Cebu, controller Captain Mendez was surprised. He heard a child’s voice. “Flight 702, copy your Mayday. Who am I talking to? Where’s the Captain?”

“Sir, my name is Kiki. He is 13 years old. They were all asleep. “I’m in charge of the plane now,” Kiki replied.

Captain Mendez froze. A child. But he had to remain calm. “Okay, Kiko. Listen carefully. My name is Captain Mendez. I’ll help you. Don’t let go. Can you see the horizon?”

“Yes, sir, we are at this level. It’s at 15,000 feet,” Kiko replied, reading the altimeter like a veteran.

“You’re right, Kiki. Now, I want you to find the Autopilot switch and press it,” Mendez ordered. Kiko obeyed every command. The plane was stabilized. But the hardest part was just around the corner—landing. The autopilot can’t land the plane in this model on its own, requiring manual input in the end. And they’re heading to a runway that’s short and windy.

As they approached the airport, Kiko saw the runway. A small view from above. Her hands began to sweat. “Sir, I am afraid. I don’t think so. I only know the game. “I could have killed my mother,” Kakashi cried.

“Listen to me,” Captain Mendez’s voice sounded confident. “Your mother is behind you. There are 200 people behind you. You are the Captain now. There’s no game here, but your skill is real. Put down the landing gear. Right now.”

“Gear down,” Kiko said as he pulled the lever.

“Flaps to 30,” utos ni Mendez.

“Flaps 30 sets,” Kiko told me.

The plane was descending rapidly. Too fast. “Shut up the throttle, Kitty!” “Shut up!” shouted Mendez over the radio. Kiko pulled the throttle. The runway is getting bigger and bigger. He felt the weight of the plane. The wind was blowing them to the right. Kiko controlled the yoke with all the strength of his little arm.

“It’s close… It’s close… Hold your nose up… Now!”

“GOD!”

The plane landed with a bang. It bounced slightly. The passengers were stunned. “Brake! “Hit the brakes!” shouted Mendez. Kiko slammed on the brakes with both of her feet, almost standing up in the chair to reach her. The plane was flying on the runway, but… stopped.

It stopped before the pavement ended.

Katahimikan.

“Flight 702… “Are you still here?” asked Mendez over the radio.

Kiko picked up the headset, shaking, crying. “Sir… We’re here. It’s Earth.”

The entire control tower screamed with joy. Inside the cabin, the passengers applauded. Sarah opened the cockpit door and hugged Kiki. “You did it! You saved us!”

As soon as Kiko got off the plane, he was greeted by firefighters, police, and media. The only thing he was looking for was his mother. Sister Martha ran over, crying, and hugged her son. “I thought you were going to lose me! Be brave, my son! You’re awesome!”

For his heroism, Kiko was honored by the government and the airline company. He was offered a full scholarship to the best Aviation School in the country when he went to college. The pilots who lost consciousness also survived after being treated and were very grateful to Kiko.

Kiko proved that age is just a number. Heroism is not measured by height or strength, but by the courage to face a challenge when there is nothing else to do. A kid who used to play video games, is now a legend in the air.

If you were in the same situation, would you have the courage to do what Kiki did? Do you believe that video games can also do something good? Scroll down below and share this story to inspire young people!