Sightseeing Tours
Sightseeing (Picture BC photo)
Excellent thermal conditions make Hope Regional Airpark a home base for gliding, or soaring as it is often called.
When the westerly winds from the Fraser Valley hit the local mountains, and in particular Mount Hope, they create strong upward columns of air which can keep a glider in flight for hours.
Gliding Flights
At the weekend, members of the Vancouver Soaring Association take to the skies and invite would-be enthusiasts on 20- to 30-minute orientation flights April through October. Get there before 9:30am to be ahead of the "let's try this" line-up and be prepared to get into the groove.
The atmosphere is uber casual with entire families camped out in tents, trailers and car top canvasses for a weekend of fun and flight.
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There are no diners nearby so be sure to bring along a snack and something to drink; the centre includes a full kitchen, lounging area and sheltered picnic tables.
Helicopter Tours
Valley Helicopters also operates out of Hope Regional Airpark, offering a couple of tours of the area's breathtaking scenery in between the mountains and across the valley. More adventurous souls can ask to be dropped off atop a local mountain where they are left to enjoy a picnic lunch in the silence of sky-high wilderness overlooking the Silver Skagit Valley.
FlightFest
The Hope Airpark has one of the best grass landing strips in the Pacific Northwest, and at 1,400m/4,600ft, it's certainly one of the longest in Canada. Its length and size is the main reason why it is able to host FlightFest, an annual extravaganza of vintage aircraft, radio-controlled planes, helicopter and glider rides as well as skydiving formation demonstrations.
Although the airpark's lengthy strip is capable of landing of a Boeing 737, this is not available for commercial aircraft other than small, privately owned or chartered planes.
Hang-gliding & Paragliding
For hang-gliding and paragliding, head to Bridal Falls. It has multiple landing zones and two well-groomed launches, both of which require four-wheel drive vehicles to access. For those who are parachute bound, Fraser Valley Sky Diving is headquartered in Chilliwack.
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