In 2023 het hy nog op die skoolbanke van die Ho\u00ebrskool Overberg gesit, maar skaars ses maande later, op 12 Junie vanjaar, het Reenan Hendricks (19) sy eerste solovlug uitgevoer en sodoende sy eerste balkie van die vliegskool waar hy \u2019n student was, verwerf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reenan het al van jongs af in vlieg belanggestel en het reeds in graad 10 in Swellendam begin vlieglesse neem. Hy het gevoel dit maak inbreuk op sy skoolwerk en het besluit om dit eerder te los totdat hy klaar is met skool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reenan het op 5 Februarie as student by die Flight Training College in George begin om sy droom te verwesentlik.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hy is \u2019n vasbeslote jong man wat nie maklik opgee nie. Hy het aan Hermanus Times<\/i> genoem dat hy in graad nege \u2019n probleem met rekeningkunde gehad en gewonder het of hy halfpad deur die skooljaar \u2019n ander vak moet kies. Hy het nie. Hy het aangehou en homself uitgedaag en homself gevra: \u201cWaar begin my vermo\u00eb en waar eindig dit?\u201d Sy ander vakkeuses soos wiskunde en fisiese wetenskap het hom goed te staan gekom en baie gehelp tydens sy studies waar hulle momentum, versnelling ensovoorts moet bereken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDie eerste twee maande is dit net ground school <\/i>met lesings. Daarna moet jy op jou eie studeer en kom jy net in om jou praktiese vlugte saam met \u2019n instrukteur te doen,\u201d s\u00ea Reenan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDie eerste vlugte met \u2019n instrukteur langs jou was maklik, totdat die instrukteur eendag n\u00e1 nog \u2019n landing vir jou s\u00ea om nou self op te styg en n\u00e1 \u2019n rondte om die aanloopbaan ook self te land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDit was nie \u2019n baie aangename ondervinding nie, want jy is onder soveel druk en is s\u00f3 gespanne. Die landing was moeilik, want ek het \u2019n bietjie te hard geland en die vliegtuig het \u2019n bietjie op die aanloopbaan gehop,\u201d s\u00ea Reenan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reenan s\u00ea daarna het dit sommer baie beter gegaan totdat hy uiteindelik sy eerste solovlug moes doen. \u201cEk is nie vooraf daarvan ingelig nie. Die hoofinstrukteur het my getoets om te kyk hoe voorbereid ek is, en daarna ges\u00ea ek moet nou alleen vlieg,\u201d noem Reenan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOns is heeltyd in radiokontak met die beheertoring, maar toe ek wag om op te styg, het ek die druk begin voel. Ons doen net een circuit <\/i>en dan moet ons land. Ek het net gedink nou moet ek di\u00e9 ding op die grond kry dat hy net egalig uitrol. Gelukkig het ek \u2019n perfekte landing uitgevoer,\u201d s\u00ea Reenan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cToe ek na die loods getaxi het, het ek gesien al die mense van die skool staan buite en hande klap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDie mooiste ding wat ek regtig bewonder van hulle is dat wanneer jy opgestyg het en jy kom land, is jy nie meer \u2019n gewone student nie. Jy is nou \u2019n silver student<\/i>, wat ook beteken jy mag nie aan die grond raak nie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEk moes my skoene uittrek, op iemand se rug klim, en di\u00e9 persoon het my na \u2019n buitebad geneem en daarin gedompel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDit was winter, die water was yskoud en vuil en dan gooi hulle verder nog emmers water oor jou uit. Maar toe ek uitklim het hulle my met my eerste balkie vir \u2019n solovlug beloon,\u201d s\u00ea Reenan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hy noem dat di\u00e9 ritueel iets uniek is, want n\u00e1 \u2019n mens se eerste solovlug is jy net eenvoudig nie meer dieselfde nie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nadat hy al sy vakke klaar geskryf het, en met \u2019n gemiddelde van 94% geslaag het, al sy praktiese vlugte gedoen het en oor die hele jaar se kennis getoets is, het Reenan sy lisensie as private vlie\u00ebnier verwerf en spog nou met twee balkies op sy hemp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDie waardering vir wat my ouers, Romeo en Antoinette, vir my gedoen het, kom diep uit my hart. Sonder hul ondersteuning sou dit nie moontlik gewees het nie,\u201d erken Reenan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reenan se pa, Romeo, \u2019n senior superintendent van die TWK se verkeersbedrywighede, s\u00ea: \u201cOns as familie is supertrots om te kan sien dat \u2019n boorling van Caledon sy doelwitte bereik het. Hy het homself ook bewys deur sy goeie akademiese prestasie. The sky is the limit<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2019n Kwalifikasie as kommersi\u00eble vlie\u00ebnier is Reenan se volgende mikpunt en hy het reeds met sy studies daarvoor begin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In 2023 het hy nog op die skoolbanke van die Ho\u00ebrskool Overberg gesit, maar skaars ses maande later, op 12 Junie vanjaar, het Reenan Hendricks (19) sy eerste solovlug uitgevoer en sodoende sy eerste balkie van die vliegskool waar hy \u2019n student was, 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