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Passing on the gift of flight
Elaine Della-Mattia
For: http://www.saultstar.com/
Local News - Tuesday, August 08, 2006 @ 09:00
Flying a plane can be contagious.
It can become an all-consuming hobby before you know it, says Sasha Pejic, owner of Soo
Aviation.
"It silently gets into you," Pejic says. "You can't explain it. You feel like you belong up there."
For Pejic, flying has been a 23-year addiction that he still just can't get enough of.
As a young boy he practically grew up at the airport and aviation became a part of his life.
His grandfather, uncle and mother all had pilot's licences and it wasn't long before he was
skipping high school in favour of hanging out at the airport and flying.
Now Pejic makes flying his life.
"I consider it a gift that I have and can pass on to other generations to enjoy," he said in an
interview at his airport office.
The hum of the aircraft can be heard outside and Pejic can't help looking out his window to
see which aircraft is coming or going.
His classroom, just down the hall, is decorated with pictures of aircraft and posters
highlighting the instrument panel of a plane.
"If I can get the gift into someone else, then that's important to me," he said. "I feel like I've
done something."
Pejic has taught more than 30 students since he began teaching flying lessons in 2004.
He launched Soo Aviation at the Sault Ste. Marie Airport almost a year ago, a short time
after his family moved to the city from Lethbridge, Alta.
Unable to find work in his field, Pejic quickly learned the city lacked a private flight school
and decided to begin one on his own.
His clients are students of all ages, each with his or her own reason for wanting to soar at
3,000 feet.
While his youngest, 15-year-old Kevin Koprash, has aspirations of one day becoming a
commercial pilot, others just want to be able to fly as a hobby or for recreational purposes.
Obtaining a recreational flying permit is roughly estimated at about $5,000, depending on
how quickly the client progresses through the written and practical stages of the lessons.
Pejic proudly reveals that all of his students have passed their Transport Canada testing
and all continue to fly.
Flying lessons consist of ground school and air classes.
Eventually, the air classes progress to a short solo flight - ultimately circling the airport, and
then longer "cross-country" journeys (about one hour).
flight school also includes lessons on dealing with stalls, spins and forced landings as part
of the 20 or so items that must be covered in the classes.
Final exams are conducted by designated examiners approved by Transport Canada.
Three Sault College aviation program instructors have the designation to do the 1-1/2-hour
flight test. Written tests are completed at the Transport Canada offices in Sudbury.
Elaine Della-Mattia
For: http://www.saultstar.com/
Local News - Tuesday, August 08, 2006 @ 09:00
Flying a plane can be contagious.
It can become an all-consuming hobby before you know it, says Sasha Pejic, owner of Soo
Aviation.
"It silently gets into you," Pejic says. "You can't explain it. You feel like you belong up there."
For Pejic, flying has been a 23-year addiction that he still just can't get enough of.
As a young boy he practically grew up at the airport and aviation became a part of his life.
His grandfather, uncle and mother all had pilot's licences and it wasn't long before he was
skipping high school in favour of hanging out at the airport and flying.
Now Pejic makes flying his life.
"I consider it a gift that I have and can pass on to other generations to enjoy," he said in an
interview at his airport office.
The hum of the aircraft can be heard outside and Pejic can't help looking out his window to
see which aircraft is coming or going.
His classroom, just down the hall, is decorated with pictures of aircraft and posters
highlighting the instrument panel of a plane.
"If I can get the gift into someone else, then that's important to me," he said. "I feel like I've
done something."
Pejic has taught more than 30 students since he began teaching flying lessons in 2004.
He launched Soo Aviation at the Sault Ste. Marie Airport almost a year ago, a short time
after his family moved to the city from Lethbridge, Alta.
Unable to find work in his field, Pejic quickly learned the city lacked a private flight school
and decided to begin one on his own.
His clients are students of all ages, each with his or her own reason for wanting to soar at
3,000 feet.
While his youngest, 15-year-old Kevin Koprash, has aspirations of one day becoming a
commercial pilot, others just want to be able to fly as a hobby or for recreational purposes.
Obtaining a recreational flying permit is roughly estimated at about $5,000, depending on
how quickly the client progresses through the written and practical stages of the lessons.
Pejic proudly reveals that all of his students have passed their Transport Canada testing
and all continue to fly.
Flying lessons consist of ground school and air classes.
Eventually, the air classes progress to a short solo flight - ultimately circling the airport, and
then longer "cross-country" journeys (about one hour).
flight school also includes lessons on dealing with stalls, spins and forced landings as part
of the 20 or so items that must be covered in the classes.
Final exams are conducted by designated examiners approved by Transport Canada.
Three Sault College aviation program instructors have the designation to do the 1-1/2-hour
flight test. Written tests are completed at the Transport Canada offices in Sudbury.
Cessna can take your breath away - in more ways than one
Elaine Della-Mattia
For: http://www.saultstar.com/
Local News - Tuesday, August 08, 2006 @ 09:00
A short jaunt on the runway, a quick pull on the lever and we are soaring above Sault Ste.
Marie.
The quick-moving St. Mary's River looks like a calm, deep blue meandering river.
The green forests look even more dense than they do from the view of a passing vehicle.
And the massive wind farms can be seen from miles away, appearing much shorter than
from ground level.
Sasha Pejic, owner of Soo Aviation, talks to the tower in his headset then turns to me.
"What do you think?" he asks.
I'm speechless. In awe.
I've travelled in planes of all sizes, and even a helicopter, but never a two-seater Cessna
152.
The view is spectacular.
Up in the air and over the airport, Pejic makes a quick turn to the right and we're quickly
above the St. Mary's River, overlooking Algoma Steel and St. Mary's Paper.
We glide over the International Bridge and follow the city's shoreline, along the downtown
corridor.
It's easy to identify the buildings below on this bright and sunny day, including the Civic
Centre, the pavilion and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp.
We then turn north and travel up to Third Line to view a private property with a grass strip
runway designed for ultra light planes. Somewhere along the way, we flew over The Sault
Star offices.
Pejic turns east to Echo Bay and we view the new four-lane Highway 17 project before
turning back and heading towards the wind farms for a close aerial view.
"You fly the plane now," he says.
Me? At 2,000 feet above sea level?
Well, I can drive a car. Certainly this can't be much different, I think.
Wrong!
Steering on the Cessna is a lot more sensitive than the steering on any vehicle.
I wasn't gentle enough.
A little jerk of the to the left and the right wing pops up, sending the plane sharply left, the
horizon a little off balance.
Pull on the steering column and you only see the nose of the plane, your speed slows and
the horizon is left far below.
Push it in a little too far and you're nose-diving, picking up speed along the way.
A few minutes later I catch on. Gentle manoeuvres. Little turns. Keep the nose a little
lower than the horizon.
"Look over there," he says, while I seriously concentrate on maintaining a view of the
horizon and heading over the wind farms, taking in all the view that I can.
I glance out my side window, pulling the plane with me.
A dark cloud has formed, the clear blue sky replaced by what appears to be a foggy patch.
"That's rain," he says. "We'll be getting into that soon."
The Sault's air traffic controller can be heard on our headsets, advising us of the
changing weather conditions.
We decide our tour is complete and seek permission to land.
Pejic resumes control of the plane and continues his conversation with the air traffic
controller.
We're put in order to land and soon given clearance to do so.
Pejic lands the plane softly, travelling through the rain to the runway and back to his
parking location near his office.
Awesome!
First flights are often best described in an famous quote by Leonardo da Vinci, he says:
"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned
skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."
Elaine Della-Mattia
For: http://www.saultstar.com/
Local News - Tuesday, August 08, 2006 @ 09:00
A short jaunt on the runway, a quick pull on the lever and we are soaring above Sault Ste.
Marie.
The quick-moving St. Mary's River looks like a calm, deep blue meandering river.
The green forests look even more dense than they do from the view of a passing vehicle.
And the massive wind farms can be seen from miles away, appearing much shorter than
from ground level.
Sasha Pejic, owner of Soo Aviation, talks to the tower in his headset then turns to me.
"What do you think?" he asks.
I'm speechless. In awe.
I've travelled in planes of all sizes, and even a helicopter, but never a two-seater Cessna
152.
The view is spectacular.
Up in the air and over the airport, Pejic makes a quick turn to the right and we're quickly
above the St. Mary's River, overlooking Algoma Steel and St. Mary's Paper.
We glide over the International Bridge and follow the city's shoreline, along the downtown
corridor.
It's easy to identify the buildings below on this bright and sunny day, including the Civic
Centre, the pavilion and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp.
We then turn north and travel up to Third Line to view a private property with a grass strip
runway designed for ultra light planes. Somewhere along the way, we flew over The Sault
Star offices.
Pejic turns east to Echo Bay and we view the new four-lane Highway 17 project before
turning back and heading towards the wind farms for a close aerial view.
"You fly the plane now," he says.
Me? At 2,000 feet above sea level?
Well, I can drive a car. Certainly this can't be much different, I think.
Wrong!
Steering on the Cessna is a lot more sensitive than the steering on any vehicle.
I wasn't gentle enough.
A little jerk of the to the left and the right wing pops up, sending the plane sharply left, the
horizon a little off balance.
Pull on the steering column and you only see the nose of the plane, your speed slows and
the horizon is left far below.
Push it in a little too far and you're nose-diving, picking up speed along the way.
A few minutes later I catch on. Gentle manoeuvres. Little turns. Keep the nose a little
lower than the horizon.
"Look over there," he says, while I seriously concentrate on maintaining a view of the
horizon and heading over the wind farms, taking in all the view that I can.
I glance out my side window, pulling the plane with me.
A dark cloud has formed, the clear blue sky replaced by what appears to be a foggy patch.
"That's rain," he says. "We'll be getting into that soon."
The Sault's air traffic controller can be heard on our headsets, advising us of the
changing weather conditions.
We decide our tour is complete and seek permission to land.
Pejic resumes control of the plane and continues his conversation with the air traffic
controller.
We're put in order to land and soon given clearance to do so.
Pejic lands the plane softly, travelling through the rain to the runway and back to his
parking location near his office.
Awesome!
First flights are often best described in an famous quote by Leonardo da Vinci, he says:
"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned
skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."