One of the highlights of my stay in Vancouver was, without doubt, a brief flight with a seaplane. Luckily for me, the weather on that specific day was particularly nice, with clear skies, sunshine and good visibility. The flights, operated by “Harbour Air” – an airline that mainly works to connect Vancouver with Vancouver island and other places at the & near the BC coast – take off and arrive in the harbour of Vancouver.
Harbour Air Website and the Vancouver Panorama Flight
It’s a thrilling feeling to speed up on the water and eventually lift off, and if the wind is right, flying quite low over the iconic Lion’s Gate Bridge makes it just that extra bit better.
As anyone who has flown in a small plane before knows, it is very different than being in a large commercial aircraft. One of the big benefits on this sort of flight is that you can quite easily look out of the windows on either side of the plane.
And it is very much worth being able to see out of all the windows – because the views on the landscape of British Columbia and the vast Pacific off its coast is simply stunning and can only be described as breathtaking.
You not only get to see some of the southernmost fjords in North America (though there are still some fjords in the Puget Sound in Washington State that are even further south), but you also get a very good view of downtown Vancouver as you loop back, ready to come in for the landing.
Speaking of coming in for the landing: the landing is also quite an experience. Landing a seaplane is quite different from landing a plane on a runway, as the pilot has to consider the direction of the waves and the currents as well, as to not risk tearing off the floaters that keep the aircraft from sinking. And the approach to the Vancouver Harbour Flight Center itself is rather spectacular.
About an hour after you board the plane, you will find yourself back at the dock – and you will also find that you are very glad that you doled out the roughly 90 CAD for this truly incredible flight (disclaimer: not a sponsored article).
