Check out your boy Drake pictured along with Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard Branson hanging out of the cockpit of his very own Virgin America Airlines plane: “Air Drake.” Sir Branson celebrated the launch of his first Virgin flight between Toronto and California by naming an airplane after the Young Money rapper who is a Toronto native.
Drake and Branson touched down in Toronto at the Pearson International Airport Tuesday (Jun 29) on a special flight from Los Angeles via Virgin Airlines. “Air Drake” is Virgin’s first international aircraft and it provides flights between Toronto and 2 of California’s most popular cities: San Francisco and Los Angeles.
“It’s breathtaking to stand out here and stare at this plane,” Drake told Spinner shortly after arriving in Toronto with Virgin Group chairman Sir Richard Branson on the plane’s inaugural flight. “It’s phenomenal.”
“We’re honoured to name our plane Air Drake,” echoed Branson. “He’s Canadian through and through; he’s one of the most successful Canadians. He bridges the gap between Canada and America very successfully.”
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-68643" title="Drake in front of his new Virgin America Airlines plane "Air Drake"” src=”http://gossiponthis.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/air-drake-2.jpg” alt=”” width=”550″ height=”366″ />
The plane took off from LAX in Los Angeles at 5:30 AM and arrived in Toronto nearly 11 hours later. And in that time frame, Drake was able to get some serious business advice from one of the richest men in the world.
“He wanted advice on running companies.” Branson recalled. “I said the key is finding great people, not trying to do everything yourself — learning the art of delegation, not second guessing people.”
“He told me I’m making the right moves,” Drake elaborated, “doing [good] things for my city, being able to create jobs in the city. I’m on the right path.”
Drake also spoke on how honored he is to be considered an ambassador from Canada.
“I’m honoured to be called a representative and ambassador; however people want to chalk it up,” he said. “I don’t go to the States and go to Europe and forget where I’m from. I say every night at the end of my shows ‘I’m just a 23-year-old kid from Toronto Canada,’ so I appreciate the love. I’m just honoured that my city loves me at all ’cause I love this city so much,” he added. “I remember walking around [suburban Toronto Mall] Yorkdale with my friends saying, ‘One day we’re gonna do it’ and [now] we’re doing it.”
Well damn… Drake’s the first rapper to have his first airplane named after him. And he didn’t even have to pay a dime for it! Wow…
