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Sudbury youth aims for high-flying record

Matthew Gougeon could legally fly a plane solo long before he could drive a car on his own. The 16-year-old has a long history of flying, first taking the controls in his dad's plane at the age of seven.
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Sixteen-year-old Matthew Gougeon is planning to set a record as the youngest pilot to fly from coast to coast. He leaves Sudbury in his family's plane, a Cessna 182, on July 10. Photo by Jenny Jelen.
Matthew Gougeon could legally fly a plane solo long before he could drive a car on his own.

The 16-year-old has a long history of flying, first taking the controls in his dad's plane at the age of seven. His formal flight training began at 13, and he took to the skies alone for the first time at 15. Now, he's moving on to bigger things.

“When I was 13, I was sitting in my room thinking 'I want to break a record,'” Gougeon said. Three years later, he's hoping to be the youngest pilot ever to fly an amphibious aircraft from coast to coast.

On July 10, the Sudbury native is flying a Cessna 182 to Tofino, B.C., where his trek will officially begin. He plans on spending about eight hours a day in the sky, for a grand total of 45 to 50 hours, before reaching Halifax.
Sixteen-year-old Matthew Gougeon is planning to set a record as the youngest pilot to fly from coast to coast. He leaves Sudbury in his family's plane, a Cessna 182, on July 10. Photo by Jenny Jelen.

Sixteen-year-old Matthew Gougeon is planning to set a record as the youngest pilot to fly from coast to coast. He leaves Sudbury in his family's plane, a Cessna 182, on July 10. Photo by Jenny Jelen.

Stops are scheduled in a number of cities, including Kamloops, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Montreal and Moncton. He will reach his destination before his 17th birthday, if everything goes according to plan.

Days before departing, he said he was feeling a little nervous — not because of what could go wrong, but because of the impending time he is about to spend all alone in his plane. Gougeon said he is well-prepared for everything but the solitude of the flight.

But that's all part of the operating an independent aircraft, which even Gougeon admits is “not exactly the average hobby.”

Gougeon, who will go into Grade 12 at Lockerby in the fall, said he is attracted to flying because of the tests it presents.

“I really like that it is challenging,” he said.

The fact that it offers him the chance to see new places and experience new environments is a bonus, too.

While the flight is truly the adventure of a lifetime for Gougeon, he's hoping others benefit from it, too.

Gougeon is flying for the Neil Armstrong Fund, which is run by the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association. The purpose of the fund is to “honour one of Canada's foremost aviation members and to provide flight training to worthy young people who might not otherwise be able to pursue their love of flight.”

Anyone interested in helping Gougeon raise awareness and funds is welcome to visit his website, crosscanadasolochallenge.ca.

Posted by Arron Pickard  

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