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How A Fear Of Flying Became A Lifelong Passion
As surprising as it may seem today, I was once terrified of flying.
On 24 October 2004, I boarded an aircraft for the very first time.
A Transavia flight was taking me from Brussels to Heraklion, Crete.
While most passengers were already dreaming about their holidays, my thoughts were focused on something entirely different: what awaited me in the skies.
Yet one detail immediately caught my attention.
As I stepped through the aircraft door, I caught sight of the cockpit.
Everything appeared perfectly organised, methodical and structured. Every instrument seemed to have its place and its purpose.
Being naturally analytical, and undoubtedly influenced by my profession as a chartered accountant, I was fascinated by this environment where nothing appeared to be left to chance.
Very quickly, a simple idea took hold :
To overcome fear, one must understand.
And to understand, one must learn...
On 10 September 2006 at 11:00 a.m., I completed my first introductory flight from Namur Airfield aboard a Cessna 150 registered OO-PRH.
On that day, without realizing it, I had just opened a new chapter of my life.
After a few flights in Namur, I continued my training at Charleroi Airport. My instructor passionately introduced me to the fundamentals of flight and shared with me the skills and discipline required to become a pilot.
On 8 April 2007, our paths parted when he was called to new professional horizons.
On 24 February 2008, I resumed my training in Namur.
As the months went by, challenges began to accumulate. Aircraft availability was limited, the grass runways often became unusable during the winter months, professional commitments demanded an increasing share of my time, and compatibility with certain instructors was not always ideal.
Progress was slow — far slower than I had hoped.
Yet, despite every setback, the dream remained intact. Each lesson, each flight and each hour spent in the cockpit strengthened my determination to continue the journey I had begun on that September morning.
29 June 2008 nevertheless remains a very special date.
On that day, I completed my first solo flight aboard the Cessna 152 OO-TMC.
For the first time, I was alone at the controls.
It is a moment every pilot remembers for the rest of his life.
Yet despite reaching this important milestone, my training continued to drag on.
On 30 March 2009, I resumed my journey once again, this time under the guidance of Claude.
Claude was an experienced pilot who had crossed Africa from north to south and from west to east. He brought with him not only a wealth of experience, but also a unique philosophy of flying.
I can still hear his words today:
“Grand, on pilote aux fesses ! ”
Even now, they still echo in my headset.
With Claude, flying ceased to be a simple sequence of numbers, procedures and instrument settings.
It became a feeling — an instinctive connection between the pilot, the aircraft and the air itself.
He taught me that an airplane speaks to those who are willing to listen, and that true flying is as much about perception as it is about technique.
And yet, despite his guidance and encouragement, something still seemed to stand in the way of my progress.
Lessons followed one another. Flight hours continued to accumulate.
Yet I still could not understand why I was unable to cross the final hurdle.
On 18 November 2009, I decided to take a step back and seek the opinion of another instructor at Liège Airport.
Suddenly, everything became clearer.
Skills that seemed to be questioned in one place appeared perfectly satisfactory in another.
That meeting proved to be a decisive turning point in my training.
On 9 April 2010, I completed my qualifying solo cross-country flight:
Liège – Kortrijk – Charleroi – Liège.
The day remains particularly memorable for one reason.
While intending to fly to Kortrijk, I accidentally requested a QDM to Koksijde instead.
As I continued my flight and suddenly saw the North Sea stretching out ahead of me, I quickly realised that something was not quite right with my navigation plan.
It is an anecdote that still makes me smile today, but it also serves as a reminder that every pilot builds experience not only through success, but also through mistakes. Each flight brings a lesson, and every unexpected detour becomes part of the journey.
On 19 May 2010, after nearly four years of training, I finally passed my practical flight test without any restrictions.
The dream had become reality.
On 13 June 2010, I completed my first flight aboard my own aircraft, a Cessna 150 registered OO-SKB.
A few months later, on 23 October 2010, I took possession of the aircraft that would become my faithful travelling companion: Helmut, a Reims Aviation Cessna F172F registered D-EMMT.
Since then, we have explored the European skies together.
Hundreds of flight hours, countless unforgettable encounters, breathtaking landscapes and a sense of freedom that is difficult to describe—except perhaps through a simple glance out of the windscreen.
The cockpit has become what pilots often call:
“The most beautiful office in the world.”
On 18 January 2016, I continued this adventure by beginning my Night Rating training at Charleroi Airport.
Because in aviation, learning never truly ends.
And that is probably what makes this passion so fascinating.
