Persistence pays off for pilot

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After 30 years of work and schooling, Tseshaht's Wally Watts attained his lofty dream Sept. 8, which was no easy task considering the size of it.

Watts reached the pinnacle of his profession last month when he achieved the captaincy of a 747-400 jumbo jet, the largest commercial airplane in the world.

"It's the top of the ladder. There's nowhere else to go now," said Watts. "At United we have 7,500 pilots and only 225 747-400 captains. It's the biggest plane and pays the most," he said.

For Watts, the dream started more than 32 years ago when he watched a plane land at the old grass airstrip near the Somass River estuary.

"I was 12 years old and rode my bike down there to watch the little, tiny airplanes. I thought they were really cool, and I started getting into airplanes. When I was 15, I took my first flying lesson, and Indian Affairs paid for my flight school course."

One day, while flying over Port Alberni in the tiny Cessna 150 two-seater trainer, Watts looked up and saw a huge plane thousands of feet above him. He asked his Alberni Flying Club instructor about the jet and was told it was a four-engine 747 on its way to Asia.

"I said 'someday I'm going to fly that plane'. He said 'you'll never get there. You'll never, ever do it. They only hire one out of every 5,000 pilots that apply. Nobody ever becomes a 747 captain.' He said that he had applied to the airlines and 'they wouldn't hire me, so there's no way they'll hire you.' I said 'someday I'll do it.' I want to find him now and tell him I finally made a 747 captain. Now I'll be flying over to the Far East like that plane was," said Watts.

After completing training, Watts joined Austin Airlines in 1981, flying to various First Nations and Inuit communities around northern Ontario and Quebec.

He became a co-pilot on a DC-9 freight airliner for Airborne Express.

In 1984, he joined United Airlines as a second officer flight engineer on a 727, then became second officer on a DC-10.

Watts then was a co-pilot first officer on a B-737, B-727, B-767, B-747, and became a captain on a 737, Airbus 320, DC-10, 757, 767, and finally a B747.

Now after three decades as a commercial pilot, he is captain of a 747-400 jumbo jet.

The Boeing 747-400 was built for intercontinental travel. It can carry 568 people on its passenger model, or haul more than 120 tons in its cargo model for a distance greater than 13,000 km at a speed of 912 km/h. At 231 feet long and 211 feet wide, the 747-400 is almost as long as, and significantly wider than, a football field.

Only days after graduating from a 30-day training-course on the 747-400, Wally Watts was flying to Hong Kong with 375 passengers on board.

"I'll be flying all around the world: China, South America, Europe," said Watts. "Lately I've been flying troops to Kuwait and Iraq," he said.

Watts has been at United Airlines for 20 years, and being only 44, has another 16 years before retirement.

Now he wants to see others attain their goals.

"I still haven't met a Native American pilot in all my years of flying," said Watts.

"When I first walked into the United Airlines pilot's lounge in 1984, everyone stopped and looked at me because they were all white guys. Now there are more black pilots and female pilots, but there are still no brown pilots. I'd sure like to see more First Nations airlines pilots."

Although racism can still be an obstacle for First Nations people trying to enter into professional careers, determination can sometimes lead to triumph.

"It took me two years to find a job," said Wally. "I'd be hired for a job over the phone, and I'd drive up there and they'd see me and wouldn't hire me. It's really hard to get an airline job.

You have to keep applying. When I applied for United Airlines I applied every two weeks and would call them and harass them to hire me. Finally they interviewed me. When I was interviewed I was really prepared for the job; I studied for the test they give you, and I was n really good shape, working out every day," he said. "When you set your goal, you have to follow through with it. Don't give up. A lot of people, like my flight instructor from Port Alberni, gave up being an airline pilot, but I never gave up."

Now, 29 years after looking up and seeing one of the first Boeing 747 jumbo jets flying overhead, Watts is where he said he would be, living his dream.