Sauk Centre Pilot Makes Airborne Prom Proposal

Less than three months after getting his pilot's license, Carter Ricard took off from Sauk Centre Municipal Airport to undertake one of his highest-stakes flights so far: asking his girlfriend, Olivia Kompelien, to prom. Ricard is a junior at Albany Area Secondary School and lives in Albany.

Flying is a big part of his family. His father, John Ricard, is a crop duster, and his mother, Cindy Ricard, is a commercial pilot for Endeavor Air, an American regional airline that operates for Delta Air Lines. Cindy is also a flight instructor. She taught Carter how to fly. Prior to getting his license Jan. 3, Ricard studied and trained extensively to complete both written and practical tests.

"The main part is a lot of studying for the knowledge test. That's probably the hardest part," he said. "There are a lot of questions they can ask you, and you have to know almost all of it. Then, you've got to get a bunch of hours for solo flight as well as duo at night and during the day; there's cross-country hours, and once you get all those, you've got to take an exam, like a check ride."

Ricard had known Kompelien, also from the Albany area, for a long time, and they started dating in October 2021.

Once he got his pilot's license, Ricard knew exactly how he was going to ask Kompelien to the 2022 prom, Saturday, April 23, at Albany High School.

His plane of choice was a Bellanca Citabria, a light, single-engine and two-seat aircraft. He then got a "PROM?" sign printed and applied it under the Citabria's tail. Since the lowest he can fly in a non-congested area is 500 feet, Ricard performed a March 13 test flight to make sure the sign was legible. "My dad flew over, and I videoed it to make sure you could see it," he said.

March 14 started cold and overcast with a heavy layer of snow on the ground, but by the time Ricard and his dad got to the Sauk Centre airport, the sky was blue, the breeze was light and the runways were plowed.

Because it is illegal for a pilot to text and fly, Ricard messaged his girlfriend before taking off, asking her to go outside her home in about a half-hour. Then, he was off. After landing back in Sauk Centre, Ricard got a reply from Kompelien. She said yes.

Editor's Note: Ben Sonnek is a staff writer at the Sauk Centre Herald. He can be reached at (320) 352-6577.