At Air Transat, we often say that our crews form one big family. But recently, on flight TS398 to Punta Cana, this expression took on a whole new meaning. For the very first time in our history, an Airbus A321-200 took off from Montreal with an entire family on board to look after our passengers: Patrice Roy, Captain; Terry Bayer, Flight Director; and their children Élizabeth and Olivier, both First Officers.
For Father’s Day, we celebrate this family whose love story with aviation spans generations, continents, and time.
A passion across three generations
For the Roy-Bayers, looking to the sky is second nature. Their family tree is deeply rooted in aviation: grandfathers were pilots, grandmothers were flight attendants, and uncles also share this calling.
After several years as a pilot for Québecair in the 60s, Patrice’s father started his own bush flying company in Sept-Îles. That’s where Patrice cut his teeth in aviation: “I started as a dock hand and base manager on the North Shore, then moved outside the province. I flew Cessnas, Beaver-Otters, then Metroliners. I was hired as a pilot at Air Transat in 1996 on the Lockheed 10-11, and my father joined me in 1998 to finish his career. We managed to fly together once, he was my co-pilot!”
« J’ai toujours regardé mon père comme si c’était mon héros. Pour les autres petits garçons c’était Superman, mais moi, quand je voyais mon père en uniforme de pilote, c’était lui mon héros », confie Patrice.
“I always looked at my father as my hero. For other little boys it was Superman, but for me, when I saw my dad in his pilot uniform, he was my hero,” Patrice confides.
It is no coincidence that Patrice now has a 28-year career at Air Transat.
“I always wanted to be a pilot; I don’t remember ever wanting to do anything else for a living. Even as a young boy in school, my oral presentations were about aviation. If I had to restart my career tomorrow morning, I would do exactly the same thing.”
The human behind the uniform
Olivier remembers the impact of this profession on their family life: “With the unusual hours and absences, it created a specific dynamic. But the result is that when he was there, he was 100% present and we had wonderful family moments. We were also lucky enough to travel a lot with him.”
And wearing dad’s hat to play pilot was a classic!
“Growing up with a pilot parent, seeing my dad leave and come back in uniform, was a real source of pride for me personally,” shares Élizabeth. “I also liked seeing it through the intrigued eyes of my friends, because deep down, it’s a profession people don’t really know. For us, it was normality, but that wasn’t the case for my friends’ parents.”
Today, they draw inspiration not only from their father’s technique, but from his human legacy. Even though they grew up with a rather playful dad, they discovered a completely different side of him at work.
“To us, our dad is someone fun, funny, who doesn’t take himself too seriously. It was quite a contrast to sing with him in the car on the way to the airport, and then see him become very serious when introducing himself to the crew. We understood that he has an immense sense of responsibility and that there is a time for everything,” recount Olivier and Élizabeth.
Élizabeth and Olivier’s pride is also fueled by the love the industry has for their parents.
“What’s most special to me,” confides Olivier, “is operating flights with colleagues who have worked with my parents and who tell me stories about them. It always warms my heart.” Élizabeth confirms this sense of belonging: “Our name follows us. It easily creates a familiarity with the crews we meet, and we try hard to honor our family’s three-generation reputation.”
It was destiny all along
Yet, despite this imposing legacy, Patrice always insisted that his children forge their own path.
“It was important for me to let them move forward on their own. I always taught my kids to do a job they love,” he explains. “Right from the start, I saw a rigor, even at their young age, to excel in their flight training… whereas you couldn’t say they had the same interest in their high school classes! I had never seen them study so hard.”
« Notre père, c’est pour nous quelqu’un d’amusant, de drôle, qui ne se prend pas au sérieux. C’était tout un contraste pour nous de chanter avec lui dans l’auto en chemin vers l’aéroport, et ensuite de le voir devenir très sérieux en se présentant à l’équipage. On a compris qu’il a un immense sens des responsabilités et qu’il y a un temps pour chaque chose ».
For Olivier, who initially hesitated between becoming a police officer or working in film, the turning point came during a flight in a small Cessna with a family friend. “I got hooked. That flight really convinced me to get my licenses. It must be said that having access to our dad alleviated the stress! We could go flying with him coming back from school, for instance.”
Élizabeth, for her part, wanted to be sure to choose this profession out of passion and not just imitation. But as soon as she put her hands on the controls, it became obvious: “I was afraid of choosing this job just because my dad was a pilot. But it was impossible for me to do anything else. I jumped in with both feet.”
While Patrice wasn’t surprised by their choice, he didn’t try to change their minds either. And he thoroughly enjoys his role as a mentor.
“Since we are at the beginning of our careers, we face a lot of new situations, and when we talk to him, with his nearly 30 years of experience, he’s seen pretty much everything. It’s a great wealth for us to have access to tools and knowledge, to be able to talk about it among ourselves.”
Today, Élizabeth and Olivier are inspired daily by their father’s greatest legacy: his work ethic. Because being a pilot isn’t just about what happens after the flight deck door is closed and the plane takes off; it’s a huge team effort! “I often wonder how he would react to a difficult situation. That still inspires me today,” emphasizes Élizabeth.
Patrice and Terry, a love story written in the sky
It is impossible to tell the story of this family without mentioning Olivier and Élizabeth’s mother, a Flight Director at Air Transat for over 33 years. Terry and Patrice met in 1996 during a technical stopover in Goose Bay. At the time, Air Transat operated flights between Vancouver and London, but didn’t have aircraft with sufficient range to fly directly to Europe. The itinerary had to include a stop in Goose Bay for a crew change and refueling.
“It’s been 28 years now since we met at the Goose Bay restaurant during that technical stop. We’ve never left each other’s side since,” confide Patrice and Terry, whose bond remains as strong as ever.
For Terry, this family flight represents the achievement of a lifetime.
“Yes, I’m proud to see our children in the same industry as us, but not just because they do the same job as their father. As a parent, I’m happy to see them where they belong, because they found what they love doing. There is a 100% probability that I will cry when I see them walk into the flight deck together.”
A memorable takeoff
« Dans ma carrière, il y a quelques moments dont je vais me souvenir pour le reste de ma vie : voler avec mon père, avec mon frère… Mais quand mes enfants ont annoncé qu’ils voulaient être pilotes, je me suis dit qu’un jour j’aurais la chance de voler avec les deux en même temps. C’est assez spectaculaire pour moi de voir ce rêve prendre vie aujourd’hui » .
“In my career, there are a few moments I will remember for the rest of my life: flying with my father, with my brother… But when my kids announced they wanted to be pilots, I told myself that one day I’d have the chance to fly with both of them at the same time. It’s quite spectacular for me to see this dream come to life today,” says Patrice with emotion.
While it’s common for Patrice and Terry to run into colleagues who sing Élizabeth and Olivier’s praises for their professionalism and kindness, operating a flight all together was, until now, just a dream.
“We are truly a tight-knit family. We all live less than 10 minutes from each other, we see and call each other every day, we have dinner together several times a week… Moments during which we talk a lot about aviation, obviously!” says Olivier. “We have all worked with one another over the years, but everyone together, at the same time, is truly a first. It’s a really special moment for our family.”
As the plane left the Montreal ground, it wasn’t just a seasoned Air Transat crew taking the controls, but a family united by a shared passion, ready to write the most beautiful chapter of its history.
From the entire extended Air Transat family, Happy Father’s Day to Patrice, and to all the dads who inspire their children to always aim higher.
