Seaplane Rating - Vancouver

[On the Spot]

Has anyone any suggestions and experience of seaplane schools in the Vancouver area please ?
Any thought smuch appreciated.

[Ridgerunner]

Don't know if you'd find any ones in Vancouver itself, I know that there are plenty about Seattle, but I think the city harbour etc is pretty much just used by the floatplane operator companies, Harbour Air, West Coast Air, Baxter Air etc, but you'd be best to check in the Canadian forum of this site to be sure. There are plenty on Vancouver Island

www.parallelaviation.com

www.air-hart.com etc seem to be promising, but for a better opinion I would check the Canadian forum again.

I personally think Parallel Aviation look excellent, not just for the float flying, but for the bush flying. Would be a dream summer to spend time doing that sort of flying in that part of the world...mabye after Uni.

Ridgerunner

[Wunper]

I did my float rating on a C185 with Cooper Air in 2002 at Pat Bay near Victoria on Vancouver Island. I don't think they exist any more but I recommend the location and I see an outfit called PBA run training from there now.

Tremendous fun in a stunning location.

http://www.patbayair.com/floatplane_training.html

W

[martinidoc]

My wife and I did a day of float pane instruction last year from Vanvouver with Oceanair (http://www.oceanair.ca/). We were staying in Vancouver itself, so got the instructor to fly over and pick us up from the float terminal at Vancouver International. Hopped in and out of small lakes etc in their Super cub. Had found a small isolated lakeside restaurant for lunch. We decided to stay one night on Vancouver Island and took the A/C into Vancouver Island harbour, fabulous "mini Kay Tak" like approach. We got off and walked across to our hotel, instructor reeturning A/C to base for estimate of fuel cost.
Didn't bother doing rating, as couldn't see the point based in the UK, but can be done easily with a little forward planning.
Sadly couldn't pursuade wife (PPL) to have a go , but she was happy seeing me put through the mill in the front!
Returned the following evening having "done the island" on the commercial helicopter service, because wife had never been rotary. Very noisy but interesting.
Had an absolutely fabulous day unreservedly recommend it.