Comments 176 to 224 of 224
Bounday Bay Airport (CZBB)
Boundary Bay is a Canadian training airport located in southwest British Columbia, about 15 miles south of the city of Vancouver. There is no FBO, just a small terminal with minimal services. Renting a car to drive to Vancouver would probably be cheaper than taking a taxi. Public transit isn't very frequent, only during business hours, but is inexpensive. For schedule information, call 604.953.3333
There are two rivers, about seven miles east of the airport, the Nicomeckl and the Serpentine, not the Nickel as a previous poster suggested. The best resouces a pilot can have for flying into or out of any Class C airspace like ZBB are a current Canada Flight Supplement and the Vancouver terminal area map (VTA). The latter is printed on both sides, showing arrival and departure routes and reporting points. All airspace is clearly marked. "Unfamiliar with the area" should get the attention of ATC. Both maps may be purchased from Pacific Flying Club, Professional IFR or several other flight schools. Pay careful attention while joining the circuit (Canada's terminology for the pattern). Scan for aircraft that are on the crosswind leg, turning to downwind. RWY 25 circuits are right hand, as are circuits on rwy 30, for noise abatement. It is important to realize that Vancxouver is a busy airport and it is possible to inadventently stumble into the wrong airspace. The aaispace east of CYVR is the primary departure route for a multitude of heavy transport aircraft.
VFR traffic from the south will probably make initial contact at Point Roberts, either as first contact or after being passed of by the terminal area controller. Traffic from the southeast will probably use the Whatcom VORTAC (113.000), then report to Outer Tower at the railway trestle, near the east end of Boundary Bay, for landings on rwy 25. Northbound traffic will probably use Point Roberts for initial contact, also on outer tower. From the southeast, be cognizant of a small airspace corridor near near the Whatcom Vortac and the White Rock NDB, which serves as the inital approach fix for the approach to Abbotsford airport, about 20 miles east of ZBB. VFR traffic MUST be below 1500 feet in that area. Aircraft arriving from the east will also use the Trestle as their first reporting point. The floor of the terminal area is just 1500 ASL soget low early to avoid extra frequency changes. A smaller airport, Delta airpark is about four miles east of the airfield. Stay at or above 1000 feet until west of that airport.
Key frequencies: ATIS-125.5; Terminal-125.2; Outer Tower-127.6; Inner Tower 118.1 Ground-124.3. ARCAL is 118.1, type K. Not sure whether it requires 5 or 7 clicks to operate it.
The IFR runway is 07, with a DME arc approach, using the Vancouver Vortac (115.9). Approach/departure are with Vancouver Approach, on 132.2. Runway 07-25 is 5000 feet long; rwy 12-30 is 3755 feet. This airport has basic approach lighting and has no PAPI or VASI on any of the four runways.
-AV8R
Need to document the history
I am from the Dog Creek reserve and have been looking for history on the Dog Creek airport. Other than what my grandmother has told me, I haven't found anythingon the internet - i will change that!! I plan to do something, not sure what, but I will get something on the history of this airport!
Runway 26A = taxiway A
According to the Canada Flight Supplement (AIP), runway 26A is actually part of taxiway A, available for VMC day departures only, when runway 26L is active. Apparently, that means smaller aircraft are allowed to take off straight from the taxiway instead of waiting in line for the big runway. There's no corresponding 08A, but if the wind's almost always blowing in off the ocean on a VMC day, it wouldn't be that useful anyway.
re: SkyTrain Service
Reply to @YHZ: Great news! Now if only Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, etc. could follow suit and link their light rail to their main airports.
SkyTrain Service
As of August 17 2009, SkyTrain service now connects YVR with downtown Vancouver. Yay!
about the aiport at Squamish
there is nothing there
Hansen Airfield
I was into Hansen Airfield on Cortes Island on August 03, 2009. What a great place to fly into. The runway is in fine shape and there's plenty of room for parking. Jim Hansen supplies tie downs and you won't find a friendly airport anywhere. If you're looking for a new place to fly try Hansen Airfield. It's in the Canada Flight Supplement and is an easy flight from the lower mainland of BC.
airport
Nice air conditioned lounge area. Clean washrooms, cold pop. Friendly glider pilots.
The Hansen's and thier airstrip
Super nice people and a wide and long airstrip. Jim and Diane go above and beyond being hospitable and thier home (lodge) is unique (very cool) which is located right at the end of the runway or beginning.
It's 2600 feet long and Jim continues to lengthen and widen it.
Barry & Kim
Airport info
Roughly 2800 ft grass and gravel airstrip. Nass Camp cafe within walking distance.
Field info
2800ft grass strip with some small bump. wind sock midfield
Pilot info
grass air field 1900ft, north south facing, wind sock at south end, power lines mid field clearance 70ft.
Runway info
gravel strip 2000ft slight up hill runway 78 & 256
Contact info
Lester or Patt Witwer phone # 250-842-6193
burrage creek air strip
very nice hard pack gravel about 4500ft and about 400ft wide
Houston B.C. Airport
Not much there, watch out for funny winds off of the river.
Springhouse Airpark
Great place! Super friendly people, Judy and Larry are top drawer people.
Scheduled flights from Vancouver
Orca Airways flies daily between the South terminal of Vancouver International and Tofino. They use Piper Navajos; 2 pilots on board plus 7 passengers maximum. Everyone gets a window seat!
Friendly airport
Salmon Arm airport is a great place to visit they have a club car for rent you can set up a tent under the wing, the clubhouse has a shower or you can use the clubhouse to rest.
cbz9
Good paved strip a long walk to town, most locals dont even know it exists
Wrong ID?
Gordon Plews data has 'CAB5' assigned to the Abbotsford Hospital
Tofino
I drove to the airport out of curiosity, when I was vacationing in the area, in 2003. A Canadian Forces team was there running tests on a UAV.
Tofino
Beautiful run coming in. Take a bike and ride to Long Beach Lodge for extremely fine dining and an even more phenomenal beach... great surfing destination
Arriving at CZBB
While knowing the procedures at CZBB is a great thing, if you are coming from elsewhere and don't have the CFS or terminal chart, you will be OK. Get the ATIS well outside the CZ and call up with your position (I am assuming you have the VNC). Say you are unfamiliar and the tower will treat you well. From the south it's best to approach via Pt Roberts.
Just make sure you stay out of Terminal Class C, if you weren't already in it that is. If you were you will be handed off appropriately.
The one other thing is - if you approach from the east, stay 1000' or higher to avoid Delta Airpark. Ask for descent instructions.
re: My Home Base
The are several important reporting points:
South: Point Roberts
North: Alex Fraser Bridge (on Hwy 91)
East: 99 and the Nickel river (barely south of the hwy 99 and king george hwy interchange), 99 and the serpentine river (west of King george airpark; i'd recommend calling up over the airpark though when inbound), the gas pumps (intersection of ladner trunk and hwy 99)
That said, there are several unusual procedures in place, RH circuits on Rwy 25, and inbound/outbound traffic procedures to avoid interference with Delta Airpark to the East. I highly recommend getting a hold of a CFS and looking at the traffic flow maps in there, for first time visitors CZBB can be very confusing. That said, the southbound dep/arr is pretty straightforward.
re: My Home Base
Hi Intheclag,
I'll be flying up from Renton (KRNT) next Saturday (4/19) around noon to land at KZBB.
I don't have a CFS, just the VFR chart. Can you elaborate on the reporting points - tell me which ones to expect and their lat/longs? I plan to fly over Pt Roberts, and will be on Flt Following.
Thanks,
nice airport
Good coffee friendly people
Gorgeous
Another one of my Favs!
Bronson Creek
This gravel strip is still in great shape and the camp is alive and well in the summer months (Summer 2007). My favourite airport ever.
TSB final report for Caravan crash
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has released its final report on the Cessna 208 Caravan that crashed in January 2006 while trying glide to the Port Alberni Airport after an engine failure (five out of eight occupants survived):
http://www.tsb.gc.ca/en/reports/air/2006/a06p0010/a06p0010.asp
Nothing
There's nothing there, so it's a great place to make an unlikely pit stop between Penticton and Prince George when the weather is down at Williams Lake and you've had too much coffee for breakfast.
Effectively a 1-way strip
100 mile house's runway has a favourable gradient for landing eastbound and taking off westbound. This combined with a big hill to the east makes it effectively a 1-way strip. Watch out for your density altitude as the hot summer days can reach > 30 degrees C regularly. If your runway length is tight, you can begin your takeoff roll on the ramp as only a very slight turn is required from there to line up with the runway. The airport itself is quite scenic, and it's close to the town - either a medium-length walk or a very short cab ride.
Short and interesting
The runway here is quite short (1520ft) and has ravines at both ends, plus downdrafts. I went there with an instructor from Victoria and he told me nobody got it right on the first approach. I didn't either. Backtracking to take off, he showed be tire skid marks that went to the edge of the pavement, then disappeared in the bushes down the ravine...
Just driving by!
That was my comment above. More photos of Chilko Lake and vicinity can be found on my Virtual Tourist pages for this area. (Darby2)
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/3bd31/de3dc/
~Darbs
Just driving by!
I made a trip by road this summer to Tsuniah Lake via the back road from Chilko Lake as I have done several times in the past. The fishing in Tsuniah was fabulous as usual.
There were two planes parked on the turf nearby.
YVR
Possibly the world's nicest city, and a very efficient airport.
Maybe it doesn't count
I've done the PAR and the missed but not actually landed.
They paved it.
That's it. They paved it. It used to be grass. I guess there were people who said that when they paved what is now Pearson.
Good Fuel Stop
Dease Lake is a good fuel stop along the Cassiar Hwy with cheaper fuel than Whitehorse, Watson Lake or Smithers. Jim and Sharon of Pacific Western Helicopters run the only fuel concession at the northeast end of the field. They can help you get a room nearby, too.
deaselakebase@pwh.ca
250-771-5911
ASOS 128.7
Abbotsford Airport
Did my training here. Great training airport and excellent tower staff that were very facilitating and patient. Good place for IFR training too.
golf
Golf course and resort short walk from field. Services and 100ll available
Prior permission required
Great little airport, watch out for extremely strong crosswinds on some days. Prior permission is required, but is usually given if you have business at either of the two nearby ranches.
Feet Wet!
Beautiful part of the world if you are willing to make the long overwater flight in a light single. No 100LL available so fill up before you make the trip. Nice little motel with a great pub adjacent to the terminal building. Rental cars also in the terminal if you want to explore the Islands.
Delta Heritage Air Park Website
Check out http://www3.telus.net/airpark.
Delta Heritage Air Park WiFi Service
Delta now has WiFi service at the Coffee Shop. Bring your laptop and do your flight planning on line at the Coffee Shop!
My Home Base
Boundary Bay is home base to my little Piper Archer. It's a very busy GA airport about a 30 minute drive south of Downtown Vancouver.
Runway 07-25 was recently restored back to it's original 5000' length. There is no proper FBO here, just a managment company that runs the field and sells the fuel and acts as landlord to the many flying schools and other aviation related businesses. Services are minimal and the fuel price tends to be one of the highest in the region, no self serve, truck only.
Still, this is a reasonable option if you are flying yourself in to Vancouver. No landing fees and it's the closest airport to downtown other than YVR itself. It's a Canpass airport if you are coming from the US, but note that the Canpass hours are limited, typically 10:00PM is the latest you can arrive.
Transit here is poor, a few buses a day, so plan on arranging a rental car to be delivered or take a taxi. Be warned the taxi fare will be well over $50 and in rush hour there can be significant traffic.
There's a Nav Canada PIK (pilot information kiosk) in the main terminal building, and if you hang out near the Pacific Flying Club building you can usually log in to their WiFi.
Because of the intense flight school traffic and the proximity of this field in and under the airspace for Vancouver International, you need to study arrival and departure procedures in the CFS with great care, and if possible enter the VFR reporting points in to your GPS. The tower expects you to know these procedures and fly them accurately. Pay special attention to the various airspace ceiling heights, they are a bit unusual.
Victoria Flying Club
The folks at the local flight school, Victoria Flying Club, are nice and competent and their aircraft are very well kept. Very nice area to fly around if you're visiting.
Great beach within 5 minutes walk
If you park on the western ramp, there is a path that takes you through a campground and then accross the road to a beautiful footpath through the woods and a fantastic beach. Beautiful place. I'm jealous of all these west coast folks.
re: Need to document the history
🔗 Fri, 20 Nov 2009
— Anonymous Flyer at Dog Creek Airport, Canada
well what do you know? from satellite images it looks as though it was at one time quite substantial? Was it for the war? How long was it in operation?