Part 2/9:
The day started like any other; the flight was fully booked, and all personnel were engaged in their routine tasks. Everything seemed typical until a 44-year-old pilot named Joe, wearing a dark sweater and suit pants, boarded the aircraft for a jump seat ride. Joe, an experienced Boeing 737 captain with Alaska Airlines, was following all necessary protocols to hitch a ride home after an emotional memorial service for a close friend. However, beneath his calm exterior, a storm was brewing—a culmination of grief, depression, and a desperate need for help that he had been unable to seek due to fear of repercussions in his career.