The Boy Who Wanted Wings
The journey from a small African village to the skies
As far back as I can recall, I’ve always had a fascination for human flight. For as long as I can remember my sights have been set on understanding the physics behind it and eventually conquering it. I remember the first time I watched Superman and the fuss I made while insisting that my parents buy me the suit. To me, that was the key to manned flight because even to this day I haven’t seen Superman take off without his suit.
Where I’m from, we aren’t exposed to much, a consequence of the fact is that we lack opportunity and imagination. Our thought process is not very diverse, and so we end up following similar career paths. This, in turn, creates a cluster of unemployed citizens and slow service delivery. This all stems from employees working jobs they are not content with for lack of passion. The same passion I believe I have been blessed with because, from a young age, my parents have nurtured and supported my dream of one day soaring the skies.
The first time I saw an airplane from up-close was on a grade-two school trip to the airbase of the Military. From that day forth Aviation was never not an option. On that trip, we got to fly on the military CASA 212 plane, and to me, that was like visiting heaven. I also find it very poetic that from that day going forward, I was never to use my asthma pump again, mainly because I had lost it. Mom can’t get over the fact that she had bought it the day before in case I was to need it on the field-trip, which I didn’t. Shortly afterward, it was confirmed by the doctor that I had outgrown it.
Over the years my mind has bounced back and forth from love for the engineering side of things or being a Pilot. Nonetheless, Aviation has always been tunnel-vision.
Looking back at my life, I can appreciate my upbringing and surroundings. I realize that I have been blessed with opportunities that most of my peers weren’t fortunate enough to either have or identify. From outside observation, one might say that the stars have been aligned in my favor, and honestly, I can see how that could be the case. However, I give all credit to my parents who have always been the backbone of the little successes I’ve had thus far.
One year, Mom took my sister and I to celebrate Civil Aviation Day at the airport, there the Lesotho Civil Aviation Authority hosted us for some short introductory flights. Throughout the day, we took off and landed on small Cessna 182 airplanes. During the event, I also got to sit in the cockpit of a parked military CASA 212. Later on in my life, my dad and I would watch Aircrash Investigation together, we would often have long conversations about the aviation industry at large. I then graduated from High School and began preparations for flight school, and during that period, Dad managed to organize a meeting between myself and a man who would become my mentor in aviation. The Commander to the Lesotho Defense Force, Lt. General Mojalefa Letsoela, a Pilot and a notable Flight Instructor in the SADC region.
If there’s one thing in my life I can never complain about, it’s a lack of a strong support system.
I have been flying general aviation airplanes for over a year now in Spain and I’m still in training. Looking back and seeing how far I have come, I am humbled by the journey behind me. I hope that my story will ignite passion in the heart of a child out there to never stop dreaming and to shoot for stars. Regardless of where you’re from, nothing is beyond reach if you don’t stop dreaming. To the parents of said child, I hope you feel inspired to nurture and support the dreams of your child. No matter how far-fetched they may seem.
Lemy Letsoela is a full-time student pilot with a passion for storytelling and content creation. On Medium he writes about love, crime, and satire. Mostly fiction, and all very compelling and concise. Beyond Medium, you can follow him on either Instagram or Twitter.