Woman gets on flight. Then the first officer slips her a note: ‘I saw you while boarding’

“Aviate, Navigate, Communicate.” These are the three golden rules of aviation that each pilot learns early. But what if there was a secret fourth tenet: Captivate?

Most passengers don't hop on a plane expecting to find by a sudden romance, but one woman is going viral for it. She's even shared photos of how she found an unexpected meet cute while flying as a passenger.

‘The cabin crew got passionate about the story'

Traveler Nanna Ohrt (@nannaohrt on TikTok) shared a slideshow of photos that has more than 1.4 million views of a meet-cute she had with the co-pilot of the plane. The first slide showed a note he'd apparently written to Ohrt.

“Hey! I'm the first officer of this flight,” the note read. “I saw you while boarding and I think you're beautiful! I leave you my number.” The note then featured a phone number starting with +39, which is the country code for Italy. Ohrt covered the rest of the phone number with her thumb.

The next several slides showed text messages Ohrt purportedly received from this first officer, with her responses blurred out. The first officer expressed in the messages that he “hopes [his gambit] worked” on her.

Later on in their text exchange, the first officer revealed he'd recruited his fellow airline staff members to scope out Ohrt's romantic situation.

“Btw all the cabin crews were working on you,” one text read. “You have been observed for long as far as I know … The cabin crew got passionate about the story … They kept observing you to understand if any of guys at your left or right seat was your boyfriend.”

The last text Ohrt shared in her TikTok was of the first officer extending an invitation for the two to see each other and grab a bite to eat once he finished his trip. In the comments, Ohrt made it clear she intended to take him up on his offer.

The saga continues to unfold

Ohrt, in response to one of her commenters, revealed the first officer “also came out to greet [her] when [she] landed, and said it was he who had written [the note].”

In a twist, one member of the aforementioned cabin crew actually stumbled across Ohrt's slideshow—and made sure to chime in in her comment section.

“I'm one of the flight attendants on that flight, you're gorgeous!!!!” she commented. Ohrt replied, “Is he a good man? we will meet tomorrow.” The flight attendant assured her, “Yeeeahhhh, he is a good man !!!!!! don't worry.”

However, some viewers seemed alarmed by Ohrt's plans to meet up with the first officer. Several tried to convince her that being in a relationship with a pilot is “bad.”

“Oh no don't do this to yourself,” one viewer commented. When Ohrt replied, asking “why,” they responded, “He's a pilot … You don't want that life trust me.” Another viewer concurred in the same comment thread, writing, “Life with a pilot it's both beautiful and hard.”

Still other viewers seemed unimpressed with the first officer's decision to proposition a passenger, with one calling the move “actually really unprofessional.”

“This is so creepy and unprofessional,” one viewer commented. Another agreed, writing, “Asking the cabin crew to watch her is sackable.” A third person chimed in saying, “I have heard of guys getting fired over stunts like this.”

What is a first officer, and are they allowed to flirt with passengers?

It can be easy to mix up the different titles and ranks of aircraft personnel. Ohrt herself hashtagged her TikTok with both “pilot” and “first officer,” so what's the difference, if any? Are the terms interchangeable?

Well, not exactly. According to Simple Flying, “nowadays, nearly all commercial passenger flights are flown by two people: a captain and a first officer.” Each one has their own clearly defined roles and responsibilities.

“While both the captain and the first officer are licensed pilots, the former bears primary responsibility for the flight, and is the person in overall command,” Simple Flying wrote. “To recognize the captain and the first officer, look at the sleeves of their uniforms. The captain will have four stripes on their uniform, while the first officer will have three.”

While there do not appear to be any laws or regulations explicitly forbidding any type of pilot from making romantic advances upon passengers, the European Cockpit Association (ECA), has previously emphasized that pilot decision-making needs to revolve around safety. “Ensuring the safety and the security of the flights is the main task of every pilot,” The EPA stated.

Additionally, The Airline Pilot's Association, which hosts the largest airline pilot union, has stated that the “primary responsibility” of a pilot is to maintain the safety and comfort of passengers.

“The safety, comfort, and well-being of the passengers who entrust their lives to them are the pilot's first and greatest responsibility,” ALPA's Code of Ethics stated. “They will never permit external pressures or personal desires to influence their judgment … they will at all times operate … in a manner that will contribute to the comfort, peace of mind and well-being of their passengers, instilling in them trust in the pilot.”

Buzz News has has reached out to Ohrt via TikTok comment.