A10 THE SAULT STAR — TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2002


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AVIATION


Sky's the limit for young Blind River pilot


By ROCCO FRANGIONE
Special to The Star


BLIND RIVER — A 17-year-old Blind River teen is the latest member of the local air cadets to acquire both his glider pilot licence and power engine pilot licence.


Luc Rouilliard, a Grade 12 student at Jeunesse Nord secondary school, first acquired his glider license last year at the age of 16. He earned his power licence earlier this year.


Rouilliard, a member of the North Shore Air Cadets Squadron 696, became interested in the cadets when he was 12 thanks to an officer with the local squadron.


At that age Rouilliard never thought he'd be flying four years later.


"It surprised me," he said.


Rouilliard said flying at the age of 16 was not a frightening experience.


"It's not scary because you know how to fly," he said. "It's a gradual descent and you're in control."


Rouilliard said the glider experience helped when it came time to acquire his power pilot licence this year. That extra knowledge gave him an edge, even though the flying was more intense.


"With the power licence you're going further from the airport as opposed to the glider where you're always near the airport," he said.


Studying for the course was not an easy process.


Rouilliard spent seven weeks at Wilfrid Laurier University in Kitchener.


He was up at 5 a.m. each day and studied well into the evenings.


"We studied things like principles of flight, air law and meteorology," he said.


Rouilliard finished his course in 29 days. With time to kill Rouilliard decided to get his night rating, which allows him to fly at night.


One of Rouilliard's first night-time flying experiences was going to Toronto from Kitchener.


"I followed the 401, which was weird, and then flew around the CN Tower, which was pretty amazing," he said.


What made the night-time flying a little easier was the fact that he was always in radio contact with air traffic control in Kitchener.


In making the flight, Rouilliard flew a single-engine, two-seat plane known as a Katana.


The one thing he didn't do while on the flight was compete with heavier air traffic by landing at Pearson International airport.


After he graduates from high school, Rouilliard


Photo
ROCCO FRANGIONE
AIR CADET LUC ROUILLIARD earned his power engine pilot licence earlier this year
says joining the Canadian military is a strong possibility, adding he'd like to fly a Hercules aircraft or a fighter jet.