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l a n o i Reg VOLUME 13 NUMBER 52
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2015
Stettler teens’ heads in the clouds — literally STACEY LAVALLIE WEEKENDER REPORTER When most people use the term ‘head in the clouds,’ they’re referring to an individual’s propensity for daydreaming or not paying attention. When referring to Johan Baouer and Rochelle Vogel, however, the expression is quite literal. Johan, 14, and Rochelle, 15, are both pilots, with each completing their first solo flights on Nov. 21. While neither are the youngest to complete such a feat at their age, it’s not the most common thing to see young pilots. Fourteen is the youngest age a pilot can earn their basic flying licence. Both can only fly with an instructor or alone, at least until they’re 16 and earn their recreational licence, which would allow them to fly for pleasure, with company. Both Johan and Rochelle’s fathers are from South Africa, and were pilots there. Johan’s father has already earned his licence to fly here in Canada, while Rochelle’s is currently working on his. “My father took me up once,� Johan recalled. “I really liked it, and he let me take the controls, and I knew I wanted to fly.� Like Johan, Rochelle has flown with her family and found happiness amongst the clouds. The two families pooled
their funds and purchased a Piper 140 cherokee, which Johan dubbed “a bit of an ugly duck, but with a good heart.� Since purchasing the plane, the family’s worked on upgrading the essentials, leaving the ugly duckling with its less attractive colouring — for now. “Eventually she’ll grow up into adult feathers,� Johan said. The two started flight training in May of this year, under the watchful tutelage of Denis Stoez, who is based out of Hanna. Stoez travels to several small communities in the area, teaching at the small airports which were built all across the province in the 1960s. The training consists of book learning, practical learning and, of course, hours in flight with the instructor. All of this must be completed to the instructor’s satisfaction before the solo flight can be attempted. Leading up to that fi rst fl ight, both Johan and Rochelle admitted to some nerves, though once they were seated inside the Piper, the nerves went away. “It went very, very decent,� Johan said of his flight, which took place first. “It was cold with a slight crosswind.� When Johan had landed and got out of the cockpit, Rochelle said her “stomach wrenched,� but once
Contributed photo
Johan Baouer, 14, and Rochelle Vogel, 15, are pictured on the wing of their Piper 140 Cherokee the day the duo completed their solo flights.
inside the cockpit, going through the checklist as she had gone through it many times before, her nerves settled at the comfort of the familiar routine. One thing the two newly-minted solo pilots did was follow their checklists to the letter, something they will do every flight, every time. “It becomes dangerous if it becomes second nature,� Johan said. “That’s when accidents happen.� Both families are very proud of their young pilots. “It’s pretty rare to have kids so young get their licences and solo flights,� Phil said. “I’m glad to have
kids with such gumption.� Even though Johan’s not his son, Phil included him in his flight-family. Stettler’s airport is a popular venue for training, though that’s because of an error in building, Phil Vogel, Rochelle’s father, explained. “Way back in the ’60s, the province built all these airports,� he explained. “It opened up the province. But most runways are built in the direction of the wind, so pilots have the wind at their backs as they land.� In Stettler Airport’s case, the runway is built so the wind blows across the runway rather than with it, the wind bufet-
ting and pushing planes as they land. Fortunately, the wind isn’t so strong that it constitutes more than a minor problem, but it gives pilots a chance to practice if they land in Stettler. “Lots of people come here specifically to practice that,� Phil said. The elder Vogel, who by profession is a doctor, said that community airports are very important, and if people don’t use them the communities they serve could be at risk of losing them. STARS is mostly known for its helicopters, which swoop in at collisions and land at hospitals, or help ferry the critical-con-
dition patients to larger institutions. However, STARS also has a small fleet of planes which are used to transport people whose medical condition makes helicopters too small. An example of that, Phil noted, is premature birth. “The helicopter is too small to fit all the equipment for a premature baby,� he said. STARS will fly in and meet an ambulance at the airport, where the baby will be flown to a larger centre, like Calgary or Edmonton. As for the two teens, whose heads are stuck in the sky, they’re hoping to keep flying for a very, very long time.