Why We Fly

Late bloomers learn from their dad

"The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who, in their grueling travels across trackless lands in prehistoric times, looked enviously on the birds soaring freely through space, at full speed, above all obstacles, on the infinite highway of the air."--Wilbur Wright

When Wes Frank was a youngster spending summers at his dad's resort on Lake of the Woods in Minnesota, his fascination with flying was triggered when he watched the floatplanes landing and taking off with guests, piloted by well-known Minnesota bush pilots Swede Carlson and Don Hanson. In 1967, taking lessons at Lake Elmo Airport near St. Paul was the beginning of a lifelong, passionate journey of breaking the bonds of gravity and tickling the clouds. When his children, Chantel and Cheldon, were born, their first flights were at 2 weeks of age and, from that time on, flying was taken for granted as a perfectly ordinary mode of transportation.

Over the years, Wes earned a seaplane rating, commercial certificate, instrument rating, and flight instructor certificate. Even when money wasn't plentiful, there was a budget for flying. In the Frank family, flying was as vital for the soul as groceries were for nourishment. Although he trained many student pilots over the years, Wes's children didn't seem to catch the fever. "I never got the bug to fly any sooner," Cheldon remarked, "because I was so accustomed to my father flying us wherever we went--it just never occurred to me that I could learn to fly myself."

Until recently, that is. Now in their 30s, both Chantel and Cheldon decided they wanted to finally claim the heritage their dad had instilled in them and learn how to fly.

A patient instructor and mentor, Wes was thrilled to be teaching his own kids. After hours of bonding in the cockpit of the 1977 Cessna Cardinal, in October 2006, Cheldon received his private pilot certificate. In spite of a few interruptions (her third child was born in 2005), Chantel became a private pilot in November 2007.

Cheldon, who is president of Pilot Financial Services, didn't think having his father as an instructor was more difficult than learning from someone not related. "My dad has taught me new things my whole life. This flight training experience with him as the instructor made it a lot easier for me. I wouldn't have had it any other way."

"Who could possibly be better suited to share the highs and lows of learning to fly than my father?" says Chantel, a part-time pharmacist. "Together we bonded over my tears of elation, cursing in frustration, and dripping sweat during those tense, hot, and humid summer lessons. I've now been handed the family gift and passion for flying. I will never regret any of the 40 hours spent together in the cockpit with my flight instructor--my life teacher--my dad."

Upon the completion of Chantel's check ride, Bill Mavencamp, a designated pilot examiner from Maple Lake, Minnesota, teased Wes, "She's a better pilot than you!" Needless to say, this dad's pride in his two certificated pilot offspring is great, and the alliance they created brings immeasurable joy. "To watch your children take off and land an aircraft on their own as a result of your own instruction is an awesome experience that puts a lump in your throat and a tear in your eye," Wes says. Now it is their job to pass on the excitement of soaring the skies to Wes's five grandchildren.

Daire Frank is an executive assistant to the director at the University of Minnesota and enthusiastic right-seat passenger of Wes Frank.