Float Plane Trips - Banff area

[MIKECR]

Can anyone suggest any companies or contacts for a float plane trip around Canmore, Banff area?? Will be staying in Canmore with relatives for 2 weeks later this year. Always fancied a trip on floats, and Canada seems the perfect place to start!

[Canadapilot]

Don't think floats are that big here in Alberta...try a bit further west in the Okenagan (Kelowna i know have some) or the hub of float planes, Vancouver

[Scooby Don't]

Not sure the national parks people would want aircraft landing in the their glacier-fed lakes...

[rotornut]

Sccooby is right. I think there may be restrictions on landing on those lakes. Having been out there a number of times, I've never seen a float plane on any of the lakes in the national parks.

[MIKECR]

Thanks for the replies. Looks like a trip further afield than Banff area is required.

Out of curiosity, are there any recommended flying clubs/charter(apart from float stuff) around Banff area? Any GA type really. Im not looking for any self hire, just simply an hour or 2's pleasure flying with a local instructor.

[Scooby Don't]

Not sure about the Calgary area, but up near Edmonton there are float planes. Cooking Lake may be worth a google search. That would be about a 4 hour drive from Canmore.

[India Four Two]

Mike,

As everyone has said, Southern Alberta is not float plane country and landings are prohibited in National Parks.

My recommendations would be, in order of preference:

1. Do a mountain checkout with an instructor from one of the operators at Springbank (CYBW) - about 1 hour's drive east of Canmore. You'll pass Springbank driving from Calgary to Canmore when you arrive. It's not on floats but really cheap by UK standards and you'll get a great airborne tour of Banff Park and learn some interesting stuff.

2. Go to Golden for a Beaver float plane sightseeing trip or a C185 skiplane trip including glacier landings. Golden is about 2 hours west of Canmore and the mountains (Bugaboos and Purcells) are not in a National Park. Google purewest alpenglow, but I suspect they may not be in business. if that's the case, check with Golden Visitor Information Centre (1 800 622-4653) for other options.

3. Less interesting but more convenient - take a helicopter tourist flight from Canmore.

If you want to do some serious float flying, you need to go to Vancouver or Victoria.

I42
(ex-Calgary)

[MIKECR]

Thanks very much, most helpful. Option 1 looks like the best bet so far. I can hopefuly borrow my relatives car and get myself mobile. Typical though, I go to visit family and spend my time flying!! I havent been to Canada so really looking forward to the trip. Thanks again for the info

[Canadapilot]

Mike if you end up at Springbank and need any help let me know...i moved to Canada from England a year ago, currently doing my instructor rating here and will be happy to help you out. Best to fly in the morning around Banff area this time of year...unless you like thunderstorms and turbulence!

[whiowhio]

Mike
You are just going to love Canada and with you floatie interest even moreso when you travel to Vancouver (Coal Harbour and Fraser River South Terminal), Victoria, Naniamo etc etc but the West Coast will wow you generally.

None moreso perhaps than flying the mail-run in a DHC-2 with Vancouver Island Air or Corilair from Tyee Spit, Campbell River,....

ENJOY!

WHIO

[Neo_RS14]

I must admit, I've always wanted to get in on some float plane action out in BC, looks like you're in for an amazing trip MikeCR. Some great tips/info here:ok:

[RatherBeFlying]

You may want to look up Soar the Rockies (http://www.soartherockies.com/) in Invermere BC South of Golden on the Trans Canada.

[kingoftheslipstream]

you could try alpine helicopters, based right in Canmore they fly all around the area.

[Pogie]

I've landed on a number of the national park lakes in Southern Alberta a couple of hundred times and nobody complained! Could have had something to do with the load of water I was scooping to put out their fires, though. Absolutely stunning landing on the blue-green lakes like Minnewanka near Banff! Didn't see a floatplane the whole time I was out there, or boats for that matter. I might have seen a few canoes!

If you want floatplanes, head to Northern Ontario. Red Lake, Kenora, Sioux Lookout, Pickle Lake, etc... That's floatplane central in that area. Beautiful in the summer, too!

[EC-YKA]

:ok: WHIO

... not much compares to a steep drop into Inner Harbour Victoria and overflying the Southern Gulf Island on a clear and sunny day!
Yes, for me it's definately the West Coast, too!