Model pilot gets his wings
● Picture taken at tender age of 2 proves sign of things to come for newly qualified flier
At the age of 2½ Dylan Liebenberg was not too pleased when he was forced to pose in a Harvard aircraft replica for a photograph in a newspaper, but some 20 years later the newly qualified commercial pilot cannot get enough of planes.
Liebenberg, who was asked to pose for the picture published in The Herald’s sister paper Weekend Post about 20 years ago, said he remembered how his family and the photographer had tried to get him to smile – but he was having none of it.
Since trying out the pedalpush plane all those years ago at Shelpam Aviation – just across the way from his current flight school – Liebenberg’s solemn demeanour has changed to all smiles after three years of hard work finally paid off.
He said his mother’s career as an air hostess had ignited his interest in being a pilot.
“I definitely remember that day, they kept trying to make me smile for the picture but I just would not,” Liebenberg said. “Looking back now, that moment was pretty cool.
“My love for flying though came from my mother – she was an air hostess and it kind of stuck for me.”
Liebenberg, who lives in Brymore, said that after high school the struggle to make his dream a reality had meant working at an air-conditioning company to save money, but that had kept his options open.
“I had difficulty in trying to get enough funds together to make it possible after school but while I was still at school I would go and visit different flight schools.
“After school I came to MBSF [Mandela Bay School of Flight] to check out the aircraft and the love for flying stuck – it is just one of those things you know you want to do
“I got a job after high school for a year and a half and realised that it was not for me.
“Then I applied for various cadet programmes and finally got an interview with MBSF – from there it just took off.”
during his cadet programme training, Liebenberg did the flight school’s finance and accounting.
“Realising that you want to do something and you don’t have the funds but doing it the hard way, working for it, getting up early in the mornings and putting in that extra bit, makes your achievements that much greater.
“It felt absolutely wonderful when I passed my commercial pilot’s licence,” he said.
“Seeing all my hard work paying off is something you can’t explain in words.”
The photograph taken on September 14 1996 of Liebenberg is firmly placed on his dad’s desk at home.
“It is cool that I have this piece of memorabilia now that I am in this career, but the next step is to do an instructor’s course for three months and build my hours up in that way.”
Speaking about his first solo flight on his journey to becoming a commercial pilot he said: “It is obviously very stressful because you are on your own and then when those wheels lift off the ground, it is such an amazing feeling.
“It is one of the best days of your life.”