Trading notepad and pen for controls of a plane
When I started my day on Saturday the last thing I thought I’d be doing was flying a plane, but somehow I ended up doing just that.
I headed out to do my reporter thing for the annual COPA (Canadian Owners and Pilots Association) Kids Flight Day at Niagara Central Dorothy Rungeling Airport. Children who had never been in a plane before got to take a trip up for free.
It all started off as it usually does, sussing out the situation — who to talk to and what to take photos of.
I found who I needed to talk to, pilot of about 40 years Peter Van Caulart. It all started off normal, me asking a hundred questions and Van Caulart answering them. He said he enjoyed being part of the event because he wanted to share the joy of flying with the next generation of pilots.
“I’ve flown hundreds of kids and probably seven or eight of them turned into airline pilots and another six or seven into Air Force pilots,” Van Caulart said.
He then began selling me on the awesome experience of being in a small plane. He said it is completely different from flying in a commercial-sized plane.
“The world opens up below you and it’s like ‘Oh my god,’” he said.
At that point I didn’t know how right he was, but I was soon to find out. After the interview he asked if I’d ever been in a small plane. I said no. With a smile on his face he said, “You want to go up?”
I said I couldn’t, I have to work, and you know I get motion sickness. Which he quickly promised me I wouldn’t get sick.
So, with a little convincing — OK, a lot of convincing — I agreed to go for a ride. But first I wanted to see how others had enjoyed their trip.
There were families with children from ages eight to 17 taking turns in small aircraft. They each took off with a trained pilot to experience the joys of being in a plane at however many hundreds of feet above the ground. Once they got back down to earth they received certificates for participation. They were all thrilled about the day’s adventure, showing off their certificates to my camera as I snapped photos.
One of the girls I talked to, Keyonna Cichocki, 10, from Welland said she didn’t like heights and she threw up. Picking up on what she said I thought, “See, I knew I’d get motion sickness.”
I finish talking to the rest of the group, who all loved the flights and didn’t get motion sickness. I walked over to Van Caulart and let him know one of the young girls was sick. He looked at me and said we’re doing this — I had no choice.
Everything was going well, he showed me all the things I needed to know for an emergency. He told me the doors don’t open if we go down. I asked about a parachute, and he answered matter of fact that there are none. “Great,” I thought. We lined up on the runway and took off — the smoothest takeoff I’ve ever experienced in my life, and I’ve been on probably about two dozen planes or more.
I know you’re probably thinking, “Hold on, you’ve been on how many planes and you’re nervous?”
I’ve never been on a small plane, the kind with four seats and a window that opens. It was nervewracking thinking about it, but once we were up above the clouds, what an awe inspiring moment — complete freedom.
I could see for miles and the Lake Erie shoreline was stunning, almost crystal clear. For a moment I forgot where I was, and I thought about the similarities the lake seemed to have with the Caribbean Sea or the waters of Barcelona, Spain from up here.
Just as I was taking in the joys of flying, which I always have when in a jumbo jet, Van Caulart turned to me. “Take the controls,” he said. “Uh, I don’t think you want me to,” I said with a nervous laugh.
I thought, “Doesn’t he know I’ll probably end up crashing us into the deep blue?” But he didn’t seem concerned as he slyly built my confidence enough for me to take the controls. First by having me hold the second set of controls while he was still holding his controls, then by taking his hands off and pointing out I was flying.
At first I was just holding on, keeping us flying straight, but then he asked me to turn. He pointed at a small Island and started talking to me about the lighthouse on the Island. I forgot for a moment I was flying and without even knowing I turned towards the Island.
“See, you’re turning just by looking, it’s easy,” he said to me.
Just as I started to get comfortable again, he asked me to turn the other way. The plane started to tilt with more of an angle, which made me nervous again.
“Seriously, I’m going to crash us,” I thought.
But again I turn and things level out. I pull the control toward me and we start to gain altitude. I push the control away from me and we start to level out.
I flew for about 10 minutes or so by myself, and it felt fantastic — the most thrilling thing I’ve done in ages. And I think I’ve caught the flying bug, because once we landed I wanted to do it again.