United Express pilot plays piano to soothe stranded fliers

United Express pilot Billy Hock went above and beyond Thursday to help keep passengers occupied in St. Louis, reports St. Louis TV station KSDK.

The station says Hock -- "stranded at Lambert International Airport along with 1,700 other people" -- decided to take to a piano in the airport in an effort to help soothe fliers stuck in the airport.

KSDK reports "he played in Terminal 1 for about three hours as a mixture of snow and sleet covered the runway." Nearly 300 flights were canceled at St. Louis Thursday (Feb. 22) as a winter storm snarled flights throughout the central USA.

In its report, KSDK adds: "Captain Hock composes all of his music, and while passengers were tired he did bring smiles to their faces."