Victoria Flying Club - feedback please

[aged]

Hi

I've done a search on this but haven't found any recent information so would appreciate any comments.

I'm a UK PPL holder and am wanting to come to Canada next year to get some quality hour building. I have looked at a few websites and VFC on Vancouver Island is currently first choice. I am keen to get some mountain flying as well as general navigation exercises etc.

Questions:
Is it a good area to fly in and is the weather reasonably reliable? I am thinking of going in March or April.
Is it a good school to go to to learn mountain flying?
Any downsides or other places that would serve me better?

Apperciate any feedback

Thanks
aged

[PaperTiger]

Since nobody else has bothered....

I have no connection to VFC except sharing the circuit with them, seem quite competent based on that. New(ish) Cessnas.

Spring weather in Victoria will be similar to Southern England, or perhaps a bit more benign. I may be biased ;), but the flying around here is magnificent.

For mountain flying I'd probably consider somewhere a bit closer to the rocks. Can't advertise or vouch you know, but do a google on Squamish +"Mountain Flying" and see if it fires your imagination.

[lostav8r]

Take a look at High Alpine Air Service (http://www.highalpineair.com/) out of Nelson, BC. Gorgeous spot

[Big Pistons Forever]

If you want to fly in March or April I would not recommend flying out the interior of BC as the weather is pretty variable and you are in serious rocks. (Nelson CZNL elev 1756 has a 5mi obstacle clearance circle as fol NE 8000' SE 8300' SW 8200' NW 7900')

I am biased as I keep my airplane at the Victoria Flying Club and have been a member for 26 years. I think it is an excellent operation and Victoria gets more VFR days than Vancouver. You can also go North South along the coast or East into the rocks.

[Diamond 'katana' geezer]

aged,

I have been planning a trip that sounds very similar to yours; hour building, mountain flying and the like.

I'm going to be in Seattle, Victoria, Nelson and Alaska. It’s a lot of places but I have been so very spoilt for choice.

There are many many schools offering bush and mountain flying, I would advise really looking around. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of little operators that are happy to show you their trade and take you into the mountains.

I have a large-ish list of schools/instructors if you want to pm me.

Geez



:cool:

[cessnafloatflyer]

Have a look at www.vfc.com and www.oceanair.ca... good luck!

[pgelinas]

I rented a C172 at the Victoria Flying Club last June while I was vacationing in the area. I was impressed with the quality of the organization, and the aircraft were in excellent shape. I also wanted to take a mountain flying introduction course, but I was only there for a few days and the weather didn't allow it (low ceilings in the Fraser valley, etc.) I went with an instructor to practice some of the mountain flying techniques in the Victoria area instead. There is certainly no lack of interesting flying in the area!

[airtids]

Hi there! I'm the President, Chief Pilot, CFI of High Alpine Air. Thanks for the endorsement lostav8r! I happen to agree with you!
I completed a bunch of my training many years ago in Victoria, where I flew as a medevac pilot for several years before moving out here to Utopia! No doubt, VFC runs a great show. Benefits here at High Alpine include training by actual working pilots, an absolutely spectacular environment, float flying, mountain courses, walk to town, and our 'Mountain Flying Holidays' partnership which gives you and your family (?) access to the adventures offered by other local tour operators. Send the family sailing or kayaking for the day while we go flying if they're not so keen to join us. Take a look at the website. Any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
As far as the weather goes, Big Pistons is partly right. Weather is extremely variable through the winter. Part of the challenge with flying in mountainous terrain. However, we don't get anywhere near the same number of overcast, rainy, typically English Wx days here as we did on the coast. When the sun does shine here, the flying is absolutely outstanding: light singles really like the cold temps!! Things really start to turn around in March, and the floatplane will be in the water beginning of April.
Once again, any questions, don't hesitate to drop me a line.

[Tonic Please]

I have done 90 hours and my licence at VFC. I know the place extremely well.

Well organised, good staff, nice planes, not expensive to me, but £ - C$ is good ;)

Graham Palmer was the CFI when I was there and he did my flight test. Scenery is wonderful with chances to go down to Seattle and various little islands. Id be happy to share my maps and I even have hours and hours of video camera footage of Victoria and the surrounding areas :)

Dan.

[aged]

Many thanks for the feedback, I will check out High Alpine as well. Sounds like weather around April will be a key factor but if I can avoid typical British weather it will be a bonus! When would be a fairly reliable time to come to High Alpine? May?

Mountain flying is key, hence I'm not interested in Florida etc, I would like to get some "quality" hours in in grand country including some good long X country. Are High Alpine happy to rent to a UK PPL after mountain training?

I've flown out of Queenstown in NZ and that was awesome but a bit far to go for a couple of weeks.

Cheers
aged

[airtids]

Aged,
May would certainly be no problem here weather wise. Like everywhere else, we get systems coming through, but typically, the weather's pretty good by then. Even April is pretty good; has been our busiest month in years past! Floatplane will be in the water by the end of March, possibly sooner.

Absolutely love to rent the plane upon completion of a Mountain Course. You will need a license Validation Certificate, but we can deal with that as the time gets a bit closer.

Take a look at the website, and see if any of the accomodation or other adventures tickle your fancy. We can make any arrangements you would like. Our goal is to be a full service aviation destination. Ainsworth Hot Springs is 30 minute drive away, great place to soak away the rest of the world.

Here's a little teaser:
http://www.highalpineair.com/images/hanging2.jpg

Hope to speak with you soon.

Merry Christmas everyone!

[aged]

An update on this for anyone who's interested.
I finally got to Nelson in September, just back 2 weeks ago and can only say that it was a cracking place to fly.
The location is amazing - look at this:
http://www.discovernelson.com/htdocs/airfield.html
The school, instruction and planes were all excellent and I would recommend it to anyone to go and fly in the area. It is a step above your normal area and you will certainly learn a lot - or just enjoy the challenges of the area, including some of the smaller strips around with their one way approaches and departures.
Add to that, apart from the flying Nelson is a great wee town, very friendly with plenty of good bars, places to eat and other diversions for the days you don't fly. I didn't get round them all but I reckon I found a couple of the better bars in town! I also got accomodation at about C$32 a night, about 16 quid with private bath which is pretty good I reckon.
If anyone has any questions let me know. I plan to go back next Spring or early summer if they'll have me again so that must count for something.

Aged

[airtids]

We'll have you ANYTIME!! Thanks for the endorsement, and from what I've heard, seems you made it to every bar in town. Who are you trying to kid!:D

[Chuck Ellsworth]

For whatever it is worth I can reccomend Juan Air, Highalpine air and Oceanair.

Chuck Ellsworth