[aspike]

Am visiting Vacouver in summer 2017. Want to do a couple of seaplane flights (with an instructor - not bothered about getting a rating), maybe landing away at some 'local' lakes. Ideally in a DHC2 Beaver. Can anyone recommend clubs/flight schools to do this?
Thanks.
Andrew

[mick w]

Michael P might help .

[Morten]

A Google on "Vancouver seaplane school" seems to give a decent number of options...

[Richard Dastardly]

I'm going out in September to do the same thing - applying for a Temp Airman Cert - just in case I can get a rating - can't wait

[MichaelP]

You can probably fly a Beaver with Vancouver Seaplanes from Pitt Meadows.
For training there is Fort Langley Air, C180, and Island Coastal at Pitt Meadows, C172.
John Crawford at Ft Langley, and Tom Drybrough at Island Coastal, both very good.

[Richard Dastardly]

I've recent;y been in contact with Tom Drybrough at www.islandcoastalaviation.com - seems as good a place as any - but will take recommendations.

[MichaelP]

I know Tom well, you'll be looked after.
I don't know whether he will take you into Widgeon Lake in the 172, you should ask. Other beautiful places are Fire Lake, and Thomas Lake.

You can also alight on the south arm by Vancouver Airport, dock at SeaAir, and go to the Flying Beaver pub for lunch.

There's a dock at Harrison Hot Springs, with plenty of restaurants and an excellent ice cream shop too.

Seaplane flying is something I miss having left BC.

A friend of mine has a Maule on amphibs, and is always up to go to beautiful places. I see he has a job in the interior so he might not be available, but if you like I can pm his number if you're willing to share the fuel cost.


Another former student has a SeaRey amphibian too. There's a lack of people to share flights with in BC so many are willing to share with visitors and make the flight more worthwhile.

[mick w]

Mark is a smashing chap & as Michael P says , happy for you to pay for the Fuel .

[MichaelP]

To fly a Beaver, contact Peter Grimm:

Info@vancityseaplanes.com

[aspike]

Many thanks to all who responded so quickly to my query about seaplane flying (ideally a Beaver!) in Vancouver next summer. Much appreciated - lots of ideas there for me to explore.
Andrew

[MichaelP]

Good luck, you will have a lot of fun.

[yappmeister]

Following this eagerly as am in Vancouver in 2 weeks time. Spending 10 days over on Vancouver Island so hoping to be 'let off' for a day to do some seaplane flying. Found this outfit http://pacificseaplanes.ca/ and intending to give them a prod to book a few hours.

Any other suggestions/recommendations on the Island, preferably north of Victoria as that's where we're spending most of our time? Would be nice if whoever I end up flying with has a Instructor rating so can log some dual hours.

So far just been looking at google so found:

http://pacificseaplanes.ca/
http://oceanair.ca

TIA

J

[MichaelP]

Yes, the possession of an Instructor Rating is important. You can still log dual with a CPL with fifty hours on seaplane type, but this can't count towards your own CPL (or PPL), but all experience is worth having.

[aspike]

Yappmeister - have a great holiday; hope you get to do some great flying. Would appreciate a post when you get back about where you flew.
Michael P - thanks for the tip about instructor/ CPL I'm just looking for a couple of 'experience' flights, rather than getting a rating, but ideally in the left hand seat.
Andrew

[yappmeister]

As requested @aspike

Queried a few schools, charter companies etc while I was over on Vancouver Island (at the time we were staying on Quadra Island). We had a day spare so plan was to find somewhere between Campbell River and Victoria to stop off and spend an hour or two in the air. If needing to we could B&B on the way so sent emails to places In Campbell River, Comox, and Port Alberni.

Got a reply back pretty quick from Sealand Flight (http://www.sealandflight.com) who happened to be in Campbell River. Some emails back and forth and their instructor agreed to take me up for 2 hours in his C180 - agreed 2 hours but he was free all day so we could work around any timings. The school usually has a C172 on floats but it had just gone offline for a change of floats. So $50 /hour for the instructor and $300 for the aircraft. Not far off the price of a normal rental in the UK so pretty happy. Considering the cost of some of the airborne sightseeing trips advertised it was a bargain. So far so good and with only 48 hrs notice.

The plan was we'd spend half the slot doing sight seeing (wife came with) and rest of it trying to teach me to land on floats. If she got bored we could drop her at the lake and she could watch from the shore. Got picked up from the ferry and they took us to the spit where the operate the float planes. They have a site on the airfield nearby as well (come to that later). As I was getting the ferry over had begun to think this was all being a bit too easy but hey ho, was on holiday and what was the worst that could happen.

BEST DAY (...flying...) OF MY LIFE!!!! The instructor (Greg) was a true gentleman. The aircraft was a vintage C180 that was full of character. The weather was perfect and we got to fly over the mountains (takes some time climbing to 7000 in a C180 with floats), around the islands, and then an hour massacring some landings on a lake. Wife loved it and all.

Chatting with Greg on the transit and it turned out the company also made parts for Viking Aircraft, so as an aeronautical engineer I got all excited (sad eh...). Afterwards he gave us a tour of the factory where they were making (amongst other things) elevator, ailerons and rudders for the new Twin Otters and some funky looking conversions of Beavers. Then it turned out easiest way to take card payments was at the airport base, where they happened to have just received a DeHavilland Rapide. Wife's interest had started to wane but the excuse of heading over there to make the card payment held and so Greg then gave us a tour of the Rapide and other 'stock'!

Brilliant day flying. Talented (and patient) instructor. Would happily recommend.

Particular highlight was climbing in the mountains and being told to "Tuck in under that cliff there, don't worry you can get right next to it, no wind today eh".............. 10 secs silent consideration from me followed by an apologetic/exasperated.......... "Greg, I thought I was f***ing tucked in"

Flying in Canada is the best!