Kids & Family

WATCH: A Proposal at 1,500 Feet

MacArthur Airport plays a role in an epic wedding proposal in the skies Monday.

As a flight instructor at Long Island MacArthur Airport, Mike Nelson often brings his students flying around the New York City skyline. 

On Monday afternoon, though, it was his girlfriend Jessica Rispoli in the passenger's seat for a flight down the Hudson River. When the plane landed at MacArthur about an hour later, Rispoli was his fiancée. 

Nelson, 22, pulled off the epic proposal 1,500 feet in the air in front of One World Trade Center. He asks Rispoli, of Lake Grove, to read off a checklist to engage the autopilot. After Rispoli reads off a few instructions, Nelson tells her there's another checklist inside a pouch and that's when the Rispoli realizes what is about to go down. "I knew it, I knew it," Rispoli screams. 

A 7-minute video Nelson posted on YouTube of the proposal has garnered more than 850 views in less than a day. 

Nelson, who also works part-time as EMT for several local fire departments, said he always wanted "do something big" when it came to proposing to Rispoli, a wedding videographer. 

"I always wanted to plan something in the air," Nelson said. "I do these tours all the time so I'm like you know what, I've never taken her down New York City and it's great. She loves the sights."

Nelson had a hand from a few friends at MacArthur Airport for an added surprise following the proposal. Two airport firetrucks flanking the off-ramp of the runway sprayed over Nelson's Cessna Skyhawk after it landed. 

Watch the full video of the proposal above. 


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