Flying in Edmonton, Alberta
 

I'm off for to Canada for several weeks in June and would love to do some mountain flying round the Rockies. I'll be based in Edmonton, but could hire a car to drive west if necessary. Does anyone have any contacts around this area, or a flying school they can recommend?

You would need to go quite a long way further west to British Columbia for this, but I've heard good reports of a chap called Michael Peare, a Brit who used to run the Condor Club, at an outfit in Delta, BC, near Vancouver: http://www.proifr.com/team/index.php?teamcatid=3

I am very jealous, as I have long wanted to go wilderness float flying in Canada (also, one day I must fly around the CN Tower in Toronto, which has very relaxed airspace, and an airstrip on an island in the lake). Don't get eaten by bears.

PS; I think that Chuck Ellsworth operates somewhere around Vancouver.

I had a flight with an instructor from Centennial Flight Centre in Edmonton about four years ago when I was in Edmonton for an IT Training Course. They were very friendly, helpful and accomodating. I had a great trip, but had trouble spotting the field as we came back because I was looking too far from the city for it. The airport is only four or five blocks from the first skyscrapper!

They have a website at http://www.centennial.ca. They also have some photos from a mountain checkout ride, so it looks like Mountain Flying is possible from Edmonton, although I just went out into their Local Training Area.

FNG - I would love to do some float flying too, but it's out of the question this time.
Tacpot - Thanks for the link. I've emailed them about the mountain course and will keep my fingers crossed I can afford it!

Aerbabe,

Can't help with any flying info, but just to say if you havent been to Edmonton before, it is a cool place. I spent ten months in Canada a few years ago and about three weeks in Edmonton. Old Strathcona is a really nice part of the city and Whyte avenue is the seriously cool for nightlife. I wouldnt bother with the West Edmonton Mall (The largest in the world) - its pretty boring if you ask me - a lot of hype about nothing!!!


Hope you have a good time

Foz2