Teenager flying plane — Alain’s first time at the controls!
Summer 2025. We were flying around Tadoussac looking for whales, the sun was already setting as we turned back home. Suddenly Alain asked: “Can I take the controls for a bit?”
He had been a passenger many times — even in the old Stearman PT-17 biplane — but this was the day he finally wanted to fly himself. And not just any plane: a beautiful classic Cessna 170, in thick wildfire smoke so thick there was no visible horizon.
Below is the actual video with the full cockpit conversation in French (turn on English subtitles). Alain really did great — his very first time at the yoke, straight-and-level, turns, keeping altitude, all by instruments and distant village lights in the dark. Super impressive.
Video: Alain’s Very First Time Piloting a Real Airplane
Video Transcript— I have a question.
— Yeah?
— Can I try to fly the plane a bit while we’re straight and level…
— Straight line. Yeah, you can take the yoke, I’ll set you back into a good configuration. You can try.
— We’ve got the ailerons. If you want to make a coordinated turn, you move the ailerons together with the rudder.
— I know. I’ve flown a lot in the simulator.
— Yeah.
— I was in the school course, in a Cessna 172.
— Ok.
— I know, for example, how to start a Cessna.
— Yeah?
— Yeah.
— Just pull a bit… look, you see, you lost 100 feet.
— We can put a bit of trim, add a little power to get back our 100 feet.
— It’s hard to fly in these conditions, because we don’t have a horizon. Usually, we rely on the horizon and keep the same distance with it. But now, since we’ve got nothing because of the smoke, we have to rely on our instruments while still looking outside a bit. It’s not easy to fly like this. Instrument flights.
— Yeah.
— Good, you’re doing really well. Look, we’re going to head over there. Can you turn?
— Over there?
— Yeah. You see the lights in the distance? That’s where we’re going.
— Do we turn now or later?
— You can turn right now. We can head straight for the lights.
— Yeah, exactly like that.
— Good. Ah, that’s good.
— Yes.
— Now we’re back over the village of Bergeronnes. We have the two rivers with the very wide mouths.
— You know the basics of piloting? Always keep the ball centered, always keep your altitude.
— Yes. I’m watching.
— Good RPM, 2450 for us, about. Like here, we keep our oil and oil pressure in the green arc.
— Yes.
— Traffic information, Bergeronnes region, Cessna 170, Golf Oscar Alpha Whiskey. We are currently at 2000 feet above the village of Bergeronnes. We’re heading toward Les Escoumins, Oscar Alpha Whiskey.
— You see, the village is the lights. We’re really going there, look… like this here.
— Good. You flew well. I’ll take back the controls, we’ll soon start the descent.
— Yes.
— Nice. [по-русски]
— Good.
— There we go.
A little bit about Cessna 170
This airplane was built about 70 years ago. You don’t see it very often today. The Cessna 170 was around for major historical events, including the Korean and Vietnam wars. The military version was the Cessna L-19 (later called the O-1) Bird Dog. The 170 is also the ancestor of the Cessna 172—the model that went on to become the world’s most common light airplane.
For Alain, it’s a day he will never forget!