West Coast Help

[Light Tech]

Hello folks.
I have been following av Canada for a couple of years but have never posted. I need some advice regarding a trip to Victoria.
I will be working in Victoria at the Canew trade show for four days and have a problem to solve. I need to travel from Victoria to Vancouver departing Victoria around 1700 and returning from Vancouver around 2200hrs. My brother is having surgery during the day in Vancouver and my only options are evening travel. I have looked into Harbour air and this wont work. Can I rent a plane with an instructor to fly to and from Vancouver? I have a CPL but no flight time on the west coast. Is is feasible to have a plane sit on the tarmac while i spend three hours in Vancouver. The ferry is a option but time restraints are a problem. I need to be in Vancouver for about three hours and return to Victoria the same night.I cant leave the show during the day to travel. Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated.
Light Tech

[xsbank]

Helijet?

[flyinthebug]

Try West Coast air`s schedule to and from YVR. They have several departures times daily.

http://www.westcoastair.com/HTML/vancou ... dule1.html

[Light Tech]

Thanks. Harbour Air schedule dosent work. I may consider a Helicopter but sitting for three hours for my visit would cost me a ton.

[modi13]

Float planes, whether HA or WCA (same company anyway) won't be of any use if you have to return at 2200; they can't fly in the dark. Pacific Coastal is actually cheaper, if you can get out to YYJ. Renting a plane could really add up, not only for rental and possible holding charges, but also because the landing fees at YVR are exorbitant, and FBOs will either charge you for using their ramp, or charge you for some of the most expensive fuel in Canada. Check out Jazz, WJ and Pasco out of YYJ; it's far cheaper, and there are usually lots of flights.

[Tiny Voices]

WestJet doesn't operate flights between YYJ and YVR.

[eddyb123]

Look at Air Canada web page. They have flights to and ftom every hour or so, looks like your times are there.

[goldeneagle]

Outbound options are easy, lots of departures at that time of day from the harbour. Take your pick, helijet, harbour air, west coast air. For the return, Air Canada to the airport is the only real option, they have two departures after 2200. Plan on spending $400 by the time you have the tickets, and the cab fare back to town from the airport.

If that's to spendy, then ferries the only way, but, not gonna work well if you dont have a car.

Ferries wont work well for you thru schwartz bay, latest return is 2100. But, if you have a car, then there is another option for a much later return on the ferry, take the tswassen->duke point return ferry at 22:45 (except saturday), and once off that ferry shortly after midnite, it's about an hour and a half driving back to victoria. For the trip over, ferries out of schwartz bay run on the odd hours headed north to yvr. Car and driver will be 60 bucks and change each way. The hour and a half on the boat makes it seem like a much longer trip than flying, but, after you factor in the 'arrive an hour before departure' at the airport, yadda yadda, it's actually only going to take you about half an hour more on the ferry than on the plane if you leave from the airport. If it's later in the week, and you are trying to hit that 5pm ferry out of schwartz bay northbound, definitely spend the extra 15 bucks on the reservation.

One thing I've learned since moving to the island, while I sure get home late, that 10:45 sailing from tswassen to duke point means I can do evening meetings in yvr, and still get home the same night, many times it's impossible to make the 9pm sailing to schwartz bay, but the 10:45 to duke point is easy to catch.

[dieselbro]

What about Orca Airways or Island Express Air?

[CanterburyTail]

Do you have to go back to Victoria that night? As if not it may be cheaper and easier to stay in Van overnight and get a commuter West Coast Air or Helijet over in the morning.