Father and son team learning to fly

Flight instructor Chris Jones, left, is helping student Chris and Mike Cincio earn their wings.

PELHAM - More than a decade ago, Chris Cincio brought his young children to Niagara Central Airport for a ride in Bruce MacRitchie's vintage T-28 Trojan fighter plane. 

Chris, a Niagara Regional Police officer and Welland resident, said he's always wanted to learn to fly.

And the chance to fly in the restored 1950s plane was an experience he never forgot.

On July 30 last summer, he was riding through the countryside aboard his Harley Davidson motorcycle with his now 14-year-old son Mike when they once again found themselves at that same airport.

He asked Mike if he'd like to go for an introductory flight lesson, and Mike eagerly nodded his head.

They haven't looked back – or down – since.

“As soon as you get up there it's like a whole different world,” Chris said.

They've been learning to fly with Chris Jones, an instructor at the Welland Aero Center at the Niagara Central Airport.

Despite losing his contract to operate his flight school in the main airport building at the end of October, unable to negotiate a new agreement with the airport commission, MacRitchie, the Welland Aero Center owner, has continued to honor his commitment to his students including Chris and Mike, working from within his personal hanger at the airport.

MacRitchie said he's always believed that by teaching people to fly, he's helping to make their dreams come true.

“Frankly, if it wasn't for the fact that we hung in there, that dream wouldn't be coming true for this young man,” he added. “He's totally committed to it.”

In his six years of teaching prospective pilots, Jones said Chris and Mike are the first father and son team he's taught together.

“These guys are both great students,” Jones said.

Jones said there's a bit of friendly rivalry between his two students.

If that's the case, Chris said his son is winning.

He flew his first solo flight on Dec. 23, something he has yet to do.

Although Jones has had 14 year old students before, Mike is his first student of that age to fly solo.

Although prospective pilots can begin flight training at 14, Mike said he has to wait until he's 16 to get his recreational pilot's license and 17 for his full private pilot's licence.

But being at the controls of an airplane, and then returning to the life of a normal 14 year old has been a little challenging for the Grade 9 Notre Dame student.

Chris recalled driving home in his car after a day spent in the air a few months ago.

“It was really turbulent upstairs and we were tossed around all over the place,” he said. “After flying the aircraft, driving (the car) was nice and steady,” Chris recalled. “I turned to Mike and said, 'It's kind of different driving nice and smooth like this. He turned to me and said, 'I wouldn't know. They don't let me drive a car.'”

But it's probably better to wait a few years before he starts driving cars, anyway.

“As Bruce MacRitchie says, It's safer flying because there's not as many crazy people flying out there,” Chris said.

Learning to fly may also be helping Mike academically, his father speculated.

“He's learning about physics and chemistry. He's learning about biology and the effects on a pilot while flying,” he said.

“That's priming him up, and the more he works here in ground school and the tests he's writing, his marks in school have gone up.”

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