The last flight of the commander Piché

Photo Catherine Montambeault
The captain Robert Piché savor a few moments of respite in a park in Lachine.

Catherine Montambeault

Sunday, 24 September 2017, 08:00

UPDATE
Sunday, 24 September 2017, 08:00

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Robert Piché has spent his life flying from one country to another with both hands on the controls. When he retires next month, he will return almost immediately to board a plane, but this time as a passenger.

Ironically, the commander Piché, who has accumulated over 20 000 hours of flight time, wants to spend his retirement traveling.

“I’ll finally be able to do the trips that I have always wanted to do and I’ve never had the time to do it fully, with enthusiasm. For example, I love India. I went there five times, but each time, it was not long enough. “

He and his wife plan to leave for Vietnam in January, without knowing exactly when they will return. A freedom that Mr. Piché has never been able to afford. “This time, there will be nothing that urges us to go “, he says.

When it will celebrate its 65 years, in November, Robert Piché has reached the age limit set by law for the exercise of the duties of a pilot line in Canada. Even if it is a forced retirement, the driver of the most well-known of Quebec rejoiced at the idea of slowing down the pace.

“I can’t wait to stop running and to finally relax, says he. I want to sleep, because at this point, I have 50 hours of jet lag in the body. As we age, it becomes hard to manage. “

Its last commercial flight will be celebrated in grand style on the 12th of October with a special ride of a little over an hour.

2001

Photo archive

The captain Robert Piché in his pilot’s uniform.

No regrets

Robert Piché was born in Quebec and raised in Mont-Joli, near the airport of the municipality. Already, he was fascinated by the huge aircraft engine that flew near him.

“My mother told me that when I had fun with my friends, and a plane landed or took off, I was the only one who stopped playing to look at. “

He then joined air cadets and learned to fly at the Cégep de Chicoutimi.

On August 24, 2001, he has been propelled to the rank of a national hero when he landed on an emergency air container 306 passengers. The leakage of fuel mass that struck the flight 236 from Toronto to Lisbon, had forced the commander to hover his aircraft for 19 long minutes before you ask the Azores, in the middle of the Atlantic.

His criminal past is, however, returned to haunt a few days later, when the media have exposed in the great day of his imprisonment for drug trafficking in 1983. Mr. Piché had then been detained for 18 months in Georgia for transporting the marijuana from Jamaica.

The man has even sunk into the alcohol under the pressure of the media. He is finally released, following a therapy and in establishing a foundation to help addicts. His story unusual was the subject of a film, a book and a comic book.

But in spite of all the zones of turbulence it has endured, the driver says he has no regrets.

“I managed to catch up with all the mistakes I have made, he believes. It would be easy to say that I would not have had to carry the drugs because I wouldn’t have done in prison. But without it, I probably would not have developed the survival instinct that has allowed me to land the Flight 236. “

The flight of his life

More than 15 years after the exploit which has made his fame, the commander Piché was still struggling to explain why life has put this situation to be unlikely on its way.

“I’m the only one of all the pilots of Air Transat which was not to be found in the newspapers, but it fell on me, he remarked. If it had happened at take-off to Toronto or to the landing in Lisbon, we would never heard of. But no : it happened in the middle of the night and in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. I hope that one day I will understand why all this happened to me. “

Anyway, the man considers himself fortunate to have been able to live this moment unreal.

“I often compare it to the prison, because I found myself in a case that was bigger than me, and I managed to get out,” he said. I was in the worst scenarios, but because of the adrenaline, I felt in control. It is an incomparable feeling, and I feel privileged to have been able to feel it in my life. “

Addicted to the adrenaline

It is the adrenaline he feels whenever he is piloting a plane that will be missed the most by Robert Piché.

“An Airbus A-330, it weighs 230 tons and going up to 41 000 feet in the air with 375 passengers : it is a big responsibility,” he stressed. When you’re at the controls, you have no other choice than to think about the emergencies that could happen, the lives that you are responsible for, so it comes with a lot of stress. “

“With experience, you learn how to manage stress,” he adds. But still, this adrenaline-there, I’ve always liked it. It’s going to miss me, to fly. “Even if it will never be at the controls of an airliner, the captain Piché know they can always fly smaller aircraft to satisfy his need to fly. “I have many friends who have had, then I can always make small towers, he says. But it remains that this is not quite the same thing. “

Passengers become friends

The commander Piché remained in contact with some of the passengers he rescued from certain death in 2001.

Those who have become his friends over time are either Portuguese, or Canadian, as the flight 236 departed Toronto and was due to land in Lisbon. The man is regularly discussed with them on the social networks.

“For them, I am the Good God ! exclaims Robert Piché, laughing. When I got off the plane, that’s what everybody was screaming, and it still is-that’s what they tell me when I see them today. “

Last year, the pilot has met one of these passengers as it was at the other end of the world, in Thailand. “We went dinner together,” he says. It’s always fun to see these people, who are very grateful. “

Always speaker

Even though he retired from the aviation, Robert Piché account continue to give lectures on his course fantastic.

The pilot visit of companies for several years to share his story. He uses the lessons that he was able to take in the course of his life to teach others to manage their stress, cope with changes and to believe in themselves.

“I already have several conferences that are scheduled in the near future, and I am also working to create a new one with [the actor] Marcel Leboeuf, who will focus more on the spirituality,” said Mr. Piché.

The man adds that he will be busy with two other projects of which he cannot disclose details for the moment.

A tribute evening to the airport

2013

Photo Ghyslain Lavoie

The captain Robert Piché has seen Michel’s Side (to the right) to interpret his character in the hit movie Piché: between heaven and earth.

Robert Piché will be accompanied by the actor Michel Côté, who plays the commanding officer in the film about his life, and a score of other public figures during the final flight of his career.

On 12 October, the pilot of the Air Transat will make a plane ride of about 500 km to nearly 400 passengers, the time to complete the round-trip Montreal-Quebec.

“Above Quebec, we will descend to 3000 feet and we will do the tour for people to see the city and the Montmorency falls “, he explains.

Back to the airport, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, a cocktail reception and a gala tribute dinner will be waiting for the famous pilot and his guests. A benefit of the group, The Chicane is foreseen.

The actor Maxime Le Flaguais, who plays the young commander in the film Piché : between heaven and earth, is one of the personalities expected. The vocalist, Paul Daraîche, the boxer Jean Pascal and the actor Marcel Leboeuf will also be present.

“Doubly a hero “

As to Michel’s Side, he never would for anything in the world this evening in honor of the one who became his friend since the film was released in 2010.

“This is a guy that I admire, that I respect and that I like a lot,” he said. I think it is doubly a hero because, in addition to his feat, he managed to overcome his demons. “

The actor says without hesitation that the role of the commander Piché has been the most difficult to play of his career.

“For an actor, it is complicated to embody someone that is really out there, and that was very publicized more,” says Michel Côté. It was frightening to me, but I think it was very successful. “

On his side, it is with serenity that Robert Piché expected this evening significant.

“But it is sure that on the same day, I may be emotional,” he says. After all, to get where I am, I have worked hard. It has not been easy. “

A ticket to this historic flight costs $ 500 per person for economy class and $ 1000 for the first class. All the seats are already reserved, but it is possible to register on a waiting list by calling 514 637-5555.

All funds raised will go to the Fondation Robert Piché, who comes to the aid of organizations working with people with addictions to alcohol, drugs or gambling.

The Fondation du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke (CHUS) is a partner of the event and will also receive a portion of the profits.