Flightseeing

Aerial Sightseeing Tours 

Whether you are a visitor to the Lower Mainland, or have lived here all your life, you will be thrilled by the view from the air.  As soon as your airplane lifts off the runway, the world unfolds underneath you like a map. You look down on the city, farms and ocean, and the mountains seem so close you could reach out and touch them.

These tours start from Boundary Bay airport, in Delta, B.C. If you call the flying club for a booking, please ask for Robyn.
Duration

Tour Description
The descriptions of the longer tours are deliberately vague, because I will completely customize your tour to your wishes before we file our flight plan.
0.7 hour
Downtown Vancouver
Turn north from the airport to cross over the Fraser River to the downtown core.  The North Shore mountains form a scenic background to the north.  You will see Vancouver Harbour, the Burrard Inlet, Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, and part of Richmond before returning to land at Boundary Bay.
Downtown Vancouver
1.0 hour
Local East
Fly east from the airport over White Rock, Cloverdale and Langley. If you live here we'll find your house. On a clear day you'll also be able to see the North Shore mountains, the Gulf Islands, Mt. Baker and downtown Vancouver, but you'll have to choose a longer tour if you want to see them close up!
Send me a photo, if you have one!

North Shore Mountains - Grouse Grind the Easy Way
Climb up over the city of Vancouver, then cross the Burrard Inlet to the North Shore. See the Capilano River from far above the suspension bridge, and reach the top of the renowned Grouse Grind hiking trail without even breaking a sweat. We'll probably return to Boundary Bay by flying right over Vancouver International Airport.
North Shore mountains
1.4 hours
Around Mount Baker
Fly over White Rock and continue climbing up and around Mt Baker, an active volcano just south of the border in the United States. From ten thousand feet you'll be able to see Seattle and the San Juan Islands, as well as being close enough to the mountain to see steam issuing from its vents.

This trip is easy to combine with another tour because it takes a while to get down from 10,000'!
Mount Baker seen from the northwest
1 to 2 hours of flight.
Fraser River Tour
Two of my customers suggested this tour. Fly from Boundary Bay over the Massey Tunnel, then follow the Fraser River as far as you want to go.

The photograph is taken on the grass landing area at Hope, about one hour from Boundary Bay. Unfortunately I can't offer you the stop at Hope: avation law forbids stops at other airports as part of a scenic tour. You'll have to take flying lessons for that.
Landed on the grass at Hope Airpark
1.6 hours
Glacier Tour
Weather permitting, we leave the Fraser Valley and fly up between the mountains, for a close-up look at glaciers and forests. Dress warmly, or bring a good coat, even in summer.
Glacier reflecting in aircraft wing near Garibaldi
1.5 hours
International Islands
Tour the Gulf Islands & San Juan Islands from the air. We could also detour over downtown Victoria or Nanaimo.
Gulf Islands
4 hours
Volcano Tour
We'll fly south along the volcanic mountain range, including a close up view of active volcano Mount Baker, and a flyby of Mount St. Helens, which erupted violently in 1980 and was transformed from a picture perfect volcanic mountain, to an ash-covered mountain with a huge crater at the summit.

Pictured is Mt. Shasta, much further south.
Mt. Shasta, much further south in the same range, but the only picture I have of this range

Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Design your own adventure aloft. See your home, your business and your favourite spots from the air. Plan which way we'll go, how long we'll spend and what you want to see. We can fly for up to four hours, but may not make stops at en route airports. You can fly the airplane yourself, if you wish.

There are not a lot of rules governing where we can fly, so if there is something you want to see, e-mail me and find out that it's possible.
Rainbow near Mackenzie, BC

Cost

The current sightseeing price is $165 per hour. That hourly cost represents the cost of the pilot, airplane and fuel, regardless of the number of passengers. Based on three passengers in the four-seat Cessna 172, that is $55 per hour each.

The time is charged only while the engine is running, so a half hour flight will include approximately ten minutes on the ground and twenty minutes in the air. 

Tell me where you would like to go, and I will estimate the time and cost for the tour.  I love flying scenic flights, so I would be happy to do a little research for you.

Aircraft

The usual sightseeing airplane is the Cessna 172.  It seats four, including the pilot, and can fly for about four hours before it must be back in Boundary Bay for refuelling.

If you are by yourself, you can book a tour in the two-seater Cessna 152, for a lower hourly cost.

What is it like in the airplane?  The air is a little cooler higher up, but we'll turn on the heater if it's not comfortable. If there is likely to be turbulence during your flight the pilot will advise you, and give you the chance to reschedule for a less bumpy day. 

Pilots

All tours are flown by experienced commercial pilots who are also licenced flight instructors. There are two complete sets of flight controls, so the front seat passenger can receive a free flying lesson during the tour.

Excursions

Sometimes I organize "flying road trips" to events such as concerts or airshows.   If you'd like to come along, or have any ideas for of a good event to attend, please contact me. There may be more information here, if I have a plan in the works now.

For Safety and Legal Reasons

This is not an air transport service, so landings at other airports are prohibited. If the members of your group average over 200 lbs each, including clothing and baggage, load limits may restrict the number on board, even if there are empty seats. All flights depend on suitable weather and aircraft availability. The pilot will not start or continue a flight if there is a doubt about any factor affecting safety, and the pilot's decision is final.

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This page written 7 October 2002 by Robyn Stewart.  Last revised 21 July 2004.