December 6, 2003 – The Chomedey News, Laval’s English community newspaper

Robert Piché tells his story to Lavallers

BY BARBARA LAVOIE

As more than 200 people, some of them young, many of them older, hurried to get a seat in the crowded basement auditorium of Église Saint-Noël-Chabanel in Saint-François, Laval on the Friday evening of November 7, a man dressed all in black stood inconspicuously smoking by the door watching the people as they clamoured in to hear a fantastic, but true tale of heroism.

On August 24, 2001, Captain Robert Piché, pilot of an Air Transat Airbus carrying the crew and 304 passengers performed the unimaginable. High over the Atlantic Ocean en route to Lisbon from Toronto when the first engine failed, then the second due to fuel loss, he managed to glide the disabled aircraft to a safe landing in the Azores.

Even though he stood in the shadows blending into the night, he was unmistakable. After all, his photo had been broadcast around the world when the news broke that he had diverted a near disaster, yet no one acknowledged him as he stood by the door.

Normande Fournier and Philippe Malo of Ste-Rose were among those looking for a place to sit. “I’m interested in what Commander Piché can tell us,” said Malo. “I want to learn about him and how he stayed so cool and calm in the situation. Maybe has some secrets to share about this with us,” said Fournier.

“We’re proud of our French-speaking Quebecers,” said organizer Sylvie Hébert, head librarian, bibliothèque Marius-Barbeau in Saint-François, “When 325 people reserved places, I had to hold it in the church instead of the library.”

And proud they were that night. After a brief introduction, Piché took the stage, alone, no props, no notes, and recounted in full detail how the harrowing experience unfolded, sprinkling in some humour from time to time. For example, he recalled how he stepped out of the plane after landing and lit up a cigarette. Someone told him to put it out and he answered, “Hey, it won’t matter. We have no fuel remember!”

He held back nothing speaking about his personal past including the US jail term he served for being part of a drug smuggling operation. You could hear a pin drop. At one point he stated knowingly, “We’re all in the process of dying,” then went on to encourage everyone to live in the present, “It’s today that’s important, the possibilities are in today.”

When he was finished speaking, he patiently answered almost an hour’s worth of questions taking time to respond to each person with sincerity and genuine interest. Then, for another hour, he spoke to at least half the audience individually, occasionally posing photographs.

All these people had lined up to purchase the book, Robert Piché aux commandes du destin, written in French by journalist Pierre Cayouette and published in 2002 by Libre Expression. An English version is being released sometime in November.

Two troops of cub scouts and their leaders were also in the audience. Leader Sylvain Heldt said, “We brought the boys so they could meet a real hero, not a virtual one,” referring to the multitude of video games that offer them unrealistic hero models.

Chomedey resident, Monique Prévost brought her aunt, husband and children to hear Piché. “It was very interesting. He offered a good philosophy, a positive approach to life for young people and a good life lesson. Whatever you do, even if you’ve done wrong, you can turn it around someday to make it good,” she said.

“I have to talk about it,” admitted Piché in a brief but personal interview after everyone had left the hall. “My message to everyone is to never give up in any situation. Whatever you’ve learned from your past, you always get to use in the future,” he added. He also gave credit to the rest of the flight crew, “they were all very experienced. We did it together.”

When asked if he had had any premonitions, he explained that a month or two before he had not been able to sleep and that he had told his wife had a feeling something big was going to happen to him. He then forgot about it until she reminded him later.

As I left the building that night I couldn’t help thinking that the man I’d seen earlier that night by the door, silent and quiet, had been contemplating the gravity of the situation he was about the retell before becoming someone publicly adored and sought after. He has been given a heavy load to carry - the lightness of being, as author Milan Kundera coined it, life itself.

Today Piché continues to fly the same plane for the same airline while speaking at public events similar to the one in Laval about 10 times a month.

The Montreal-based television production firm Pixcom plans to release a movie version of his story in 2005. His book is available at most Laval public libraries.

For more information you can also visit his web site www.robertpiche.com.