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Iqaluit youth flies high in B.C.

"If you just work hard, it really pays off"

JOHN THOMPSON

Matthew Mahoney is learning to be a glider pilot at the Canadian Forces Base in Comox, B.C. (PHOTO COURTESY OF MWO RICK PARADIE)

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Matthew Mahoney's at a loss for words when asked how it feels to soar above the tall forests and rugged coastlines of Vancouver Island in a glider.

He says the closest thing to that he's ever done is hydroplane his snowboard across melted ponds back in Iqaluit, his home town.

"Gliding is definitely a lot better," he said between practice flights at the Canadian Forces Base in Comox a few weeks ago. "It's like pure flying."

Mahoney received a scholarship to attend the course. Successful trainees receive their cadet glider pilot wings and Transport Canada glider pilot licence at the end of the course.

It's also provided a focus for someone who felt aimless four years ago, until he joined the air cadets. Mahoney, now 18, says it's helped him find a sense of purpose, even if he still hasn't settled on what to do with himself since graduating from Inuksuk High School this summer.

There's no hurry for him to decide. Flight camp, which began on July 11 and runs until Aug. 19, keeps him busy running between the classroom and the airstrip during most hours of the day.

Inside the cockpit of a Schweizer 2-33A glider, he has a perfect view of the world at 3,000 feet below through the plexiglas dome that surrounds him.

"It's very open," he said.

When released from the plane that's towing it, the glider travels at an indicated airspeed of 50 miles an hour. Most flights last between 10 to 15 minutes, although currents of hot air can prolong airtime. "If you can catch thermals, you can spiral up."

Meteorology, the physics of flight, radio protocol, airplane maintenance - all these subjects are studied during the course - as well as emergency maneuvres, to recover when a mistake is made.

Once Mahoney banked into a turn tighter than intended and pulled up, when the whole body of the plane began to shake. He said he wasn't too worried, but knew something wasn't right. His instructor helped right the plane safely.

During landings he's learned to wait until he can make out individual blades of grass before he makes his final dive, nudging the glider's wheels toward asphalt.

Mahoney said he enjoys the camaraderie with other glider trainees, and "the professionalism they expect you to have, making radio calls and always carrying good airmanship."

Before entering cadets he wasn't sure what options were open to him. Now he's overwhelmed with the number of choices available. Dreams of heading across the country on a road trip with friends and one day entering law school bounce about his head.

Or Mahoney could return to Comox as a flight instructor for next year, if he chooses to accept the invitation. He's also thinking about pursuing his commercial pilot's license and following his parents, who both operate a flight charter and air ambulance service. No matter what, he's glad he has options.

"If you just work hard, it really pays off."

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