Flying over the Skeena River is no walk in the park. It’s much more relaxing and tranquil.
On Friday, Inland Air invited me on my first float plane flight overlooking the North Coast.
Despite my natural impulses, I was speechless. Mountains, waterways, islands and more, the scenery is enough to make any critic smile.
The flight I tagged along for was a round trip to drop off three campers to a remote site about 25 minutes by plane, east of Prince Rupert.
Accessible only by boat or float plane, the tiny dock would be missed by most unless you knew where to look.
I was envious of their weekend away with no phone reception. However, the flight back was invigorating as I took in all of nature’s beauty.
Not only was the aerial view interesting on its own — we came across some hard news too.
On our return flight, we could see the huge plumes of smoke billowing up from a brush fire that was ablaze near Port Edward. As we circled the fire, one quickly understood the magnitude of it and why water bombers were needed to be called in from Kelowna and why nearby homeowners were forced to evacuate.
As I’ve only been on the North Coast for a week, it was quite neat to receive a bird’s -eye view of the area. It is definitely a must-do for anyone looking to soak up the beauty of the North Coast.
The spectacular views aside, what made the trip that much more enjoyable was Ben. The Inland Air pilot was nothing short of accommodating and professional. Especially his landing, which felt weightless in the beaver — such an iconic Canadian aircraft.
Next on my North Coast must-do list, the Khutzeymateen Valley and, hopefully, a glimpse of the famed grizzly bears of B.C.