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.
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0.7 hour
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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.
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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!
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Send me a photo, if you have one!
|
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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. |
|
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'!
|
|
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.
|
|
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.
|
|
1.5 hours
|
International Islands
Tour the Gulf Islands & San Juan Islands from the air. We could
also detour over downtown Victoria or Nanaimo.
|
|
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.
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|
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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.
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|
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. |
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