Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - It's been about a year since he was old enough to drive but now 17-year-old Joseph Medernach has a licence to fly.

Inside the cockpit of a Cessna 170, newly-licensed pilot Joseph Medernach is ready to launch his future in aviation. - Ben Morgan/NNSL photo

He said he was nervous the first time he flew alone.

"When I was landing I came very close to going through a fence on my first solo - about 10 feet short of it, actually."

He turned the plane at the last minute to avoid hitting the fence. Medernach said after that he was given the nickname "Brakes."

Medernach, a cadet with the 825 Yellowknife Air Cadets Squadron, was one of 33 air cadets from across the NWT and British Columbia to complete the seven-week Private Power Scholarship course at a flight school at CFB Comox in B.C.

"It was a lot of pressure to keep up with the program to get it done in seven weeks," said Medernach. "Not everyone made it."

The students trained on a Cessna 172. During the training, Medernach was up before sunrise and spent time in theory class - studying math and basic navigation related to his training. He said he had to follow a very condensed lesson plan including many hours inside a plane flying - both with a trainer and solo.

"Doing it in seven weeks meant we had to fly every day. And as soon as we got back we were doing our homework and then the next morning you were right back out there again."

Despite earning a new nickname, Medernach said flying solo was a valuable experience.

"It was a lot easier after that, because you feel more confident handling the aircraft after you've gone solo," he said.

He's now comfortable inside an aircraft and hopes to take his parents and friends up for a flight.

"I'm hoping I'll get my own plane soon," he said.

Medernach has been with the Yellowknife cadet squadron for three years.

"Joseph is very consistent," said his commanding officer Dale Crouch. "If he puts his mind to something, he's methodical and very determined."

He said a good pilot must have persistence, be determined and goal-oriented and be someone who pays attention to detail.

"Joseph is all of those things," said Crouch.

He said it would cost someone thousands of dollars to get their pilot's license outside the program.

"One of the advantages in doing it the way Joseph has done it is it really didn't cost him anything - it's all just time and effort."

Medernach said it takes some people months to get licensed.

"I did it in seven weeks and the course saved me about $15,000."

Medernach said he hopes to further his pilot education at a university to earn his commercial pilot's licence and hopes to one day work for an airline.

"I can legally fly an aircraft but I can't work for a company - you need a commercial licence to do that," he said.