By SABRINA LABOUEF, The News-Star
RUSTON, La. (AP) — Growing up in Monroe, Cameron Van seldom saw commercial planes flying overhead. After falling in love with aviation, he began his journey toward becoming a pilot, and today he’s flying planes as a Louisiana Tech University student.
Most recently, he was featured in AviNation magazine, a publication specifically aimed at youth in aviation, for his journey into the world of flying.
“I hope other people can read it, especially kids that were in my situation who were very hesitant but enthusiastic about aviation,” Van said. “I hope it inspires them to just trust in the process and get it going. As long as there is enthusiasm and there is any bit of hesitation, just trust in the enthusiasm and just cling on to that for as long as you can, and it’ll bring you pretty far as I’ve learned.”
The aviation bug bit Van as a child in Northeast Louisiana. He soaked up knowledge about military aviation by learning about past pilots and visiting the Chenault Aviation Museum. He studied various kinds of aircraft to the point where he could redesign any plane you asked him to.
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As a junior in high school, Van got the opportunity of a lifetime: The National WWII Museum granted him a scholarship to study aviation history in Normandy, France. Through this excursion, Van saw the planes he read about through books in person, amazed at the sight of some of the last models of their kind.
“Obviously, Normandy has a lot of those historical pieces, so it gave me the very unique opportunity to see that history that I had been in love with for myself,” Van said.
On the last day of the trip, Van spent the day at the American Cemetery in Normandy. He sat talking with a fellow student reflecting on the trip when he heard a low rumble in the distance. Out of nowhere, four French fighter pilots zoomed overhead, giving Van his first brief glimpse of fighter pilots in action. In that short yet explosive moment, Van said it was love at first sight.
Coming back to the United States, Van wrapped up his senior year of high school intending to pursue a career in aviation. He even got to fly with Mason Andrews, a Louisiana Tech alumnus who was the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe, helping further solidify Van’s aspirations.
However, he learned it would be no easy path. It was costly to become a pilot. On top of that, being a pilot required intelligence and skill. He was told that many people who try to become pilots don’t make it. Those that do, don’t always last long in the field.
“I think the biggest thing that terrified me wasn’t the financials of it, although that was a huge thing, but also trying to convince myself that, ‘OK, you’re good enough. You’ll make it. It’s fine,’” Van said. “The department had explained to me that there is a massive attrition rate in aviation, and for a lot of reasons as well, but usually financial reasons, which usually discourages kids. You kind of have to psych yourself up and pump yourself up and tell yourself, ‘Oh, yeah, but I am going to be in the minority of kids who make it through the program.’
“That was a lot easier said than done.”
In the fall of 2019, Van started his freshman year in Louisiana Tech’s aviation program. Within the first week, his instructors had him in the cockpit and flying. The sight of the control panel mesmerized Van with its multitude of colors. Its intricacy felt akin to playing the piano. Press the right keys and the plane would sing.
These regular flight lessons came to a halt that spring with the start of the pandemic. The university moved classes online, and there was no way to translate flying a plane onto a Zoom call.
“I was like, ‘Oh, I have a flight scheduled tomorrow. What’s supposed to happen to that?’” Van said. “It would be another three or four months until I ever hopped on a plane ever again.”
That first flight after the hiatus back felt surreal, Van said. Hearing the plane come back to life, he was happy to be back in the saddle.
Now in his junior year, Van expects to graduate early from his flight training program. He’s been trying to squeeze three years of training into a shorter span of time so as to hit the skies sooner. He hopes to become an international commercial pilot on the east coast, giving him easy access to Europe and his beloved France.
“The idea of like one of my off days just going to the airport hopping on a flight to Europe just for the sake of it and then coming back — I think that’s magical,” Van said. “I hear all these stories from other airline pilots, and they get bored and they’re just like, ‘Oh, well, I guess today’s a South America type of day,’ and that just blows my mind.”
The road to becoming a pilot has been no simple feat for Van. He’s worked various jobs, sometimes full time, to help finance his schooling. Van said he has battled with imposter syndrome and learned to push through.
“Despite how absolutely terrified we constantly are, there’s never any doubt in our mind that we shouldn’t be doing what we’re doing,” Van said. “At this point in the program, we’re pretty used to being nervous so we’re quite used to pushing down whatever fears we have about whatever’s coming. We are all uneasy, but we are also quite used to stomaching that fear.”
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