Utah pilot part of crew that brought Olympic flag from Paris to LA
Aug 16, 2024, 8:17 PM | Updated: 8:18 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — Captain Mark Braby knew from a young age that he wanted to fly planes.
“My first toys were airplanes when I was a little boy,” he said. “Even as a kid, I sat far away from the TV because I was afraid it would mess up my eyes and I wouldn’t be able to be a pilot.”
But he didn’t expect to one day be flying a plane carrying the Olympic flag. Braby said he was doing yard work at his home in Mapleton when he received the news.
“My wife got the email, and she came out and said, ‘Hey hon, check this out.’ And I read it, and I was like, ‘No way!'” he said.
Following the 2024 Closing Ceremony in Paris, Braby and his crew boarded the custom LA28-themed A350 aircraft for the 10-and-a-half-hour flight to Los Angeles, bringing the Olympic flag back to the U.S. for the first time since 2002.
“It was remarkable,” he said. “It was a really fun trip.”
They even flew over Salt Lake City . Braby’s wife got a video of the plane 40,000 feet in the air. Delta is the official airline of the 2028 Olympic Games.
“It really was an honor, and we were all proud to do it,” Braby said of the experience. “Proud of the United States. Proud of Team USA. And I know I’m speaking for all my fellow Delta employees, we were very proud to be a part of that.”
The custom aircraft that Braby flew is now in regular service so that Delta passengers can travel in it.
