It’s no wonder people choose flying as a career, seeing the world from above is quite unlike anything else. When pilots aren’t flying, they're usually thinking about it. We’ve scoured the globe to bring you some of the most jaw-dropping pilot holiday destinations. Add them to your pilot bucket list, and forget the fly-drive holiday and think fly-fly holiday. #1 Floatplane experience in British Columbia - CanadaAlthough this holiday doesn’t allow you to get hands-on, it does give you two Floatplane flights to see some impressive scenery in British Columbia. The trip organised by ‘Discover the World’ lasts 7 days and highlights include a Whale Watching cruise and a trip on Whistler's Peak 2 Peak Gondola. But of course what we are interested in, is the flying. This package gives you two scenic flights; one around Vancouver, the Gulf Islands and Victoria Harbour, whilst the other 45-minute flight glides over Garibaldi Provincial Park, Black Tusk, Shannon Falls and the fjords of Howe Sound, before landing on one of the world's most famous harbours. #2 Learn to fly a Floatplane or Skiplane in AlaskaSticking with the Float Planes, many pilots say they would like to try and fly a Floatplane. Well, why not combine your holiday with learning to fly one in arguably one of the world's most beautiful regions. The check rides don’t take long and once you’ve completed the check you can fly an aircraft solo around Alaska. Alaskafloats.com offer a training package that comprises of 3 nights lodging, up to 5 hours of flight time, A/C & Instructor, Up to 6 hours of ground school. You will be training on the many remote and beautiful lakes that surround the base at Christiansen Lake in Talkeetna. 20,310 foot Denali will dominate the skyline as you fly in this beautiful area. Training will involve 2 days flight and 6 hours ground with the check ride on the 3rd day. It is not uncommon to stop and catch a trout during our flight training, or see moose & grizzly bears on the river. Alaska floats also offer a Bush Pilot course and a Winter Ski Flying course. #3 Fly a Floatplane on Lake Como (the last Floatplane one - we promise!)Lake Como is one of the most beautiful areas in Italy and is very popular with tourists. It tends to get very busy around the lake, especially in places like Bellagio during the summer, so why not beat the crowds and take a Floatplane. With a very warm summer climate, breathtaking views and often light winds in the area, it is the perfect place to learn to fly. Como flying club offer training packages and experience flights giving everyone access to see Como from the skies. The club has 9 aircraft in the fleet with both modern and vintage aircraft on offer. www.aeroclubcomo.com #4 African Safari (by air, of course!)An African safari is something that is undoubtedly on most people's bucket list. And bush flying is something that many pilots will have on theirs. Combine these two things and we have a self-fly African air safari. There are a few options out there and we recommend that you do your research to ensure the best deal. African Flying Adventures are a company that offer many packages, including this 3 week tour through Swaziland, Krueger National Park, Zimbabwe and Botswana. This 3 week trip includes options for both pilots and passengers, pilots will have arrangements in place to convert an FAA or EASA licence into a South African PPL where as non flyers can request details for a company that would provide a pilot. Highlights include:
#5 Fly the sunshine stateFlorida is a very popular destination for for pilots to fly, not only is it usually basking in the heat of the sun, but it is also considerably cheaper than much of Europe. Whether you are looking to build some hours or just simply want to see Florida from the air then perhaps ‘Pilots Paradise’ has the answer for you. They are based from Sebastian Airport in Florida and can give you access to an aircraft, a holiday villa close to the airport and an instructor for your FAA licence conversion. The list of suggested destinations includes NYC, Niagara Falls and New Orleans. A recommended 7 days option would be to ‘fly the keys’ giving you around 10 hours flying and includes flying past Venice Beach, Key west and Miami. #6 Scotland beachesThat’s quite enough of sunshine destinations, time to grab your coat as this experience will take you to the beautiful Scottish Highlands. Highland Aviation, based in Inverness offer both mountain and beach flying courses. Considering Scotland is the home of the only commercial beach airport in the world, it would be rude not to have a go at landing there. Barra Airport on Barra Island is off the west coast of Scotland and has around 10,000 passengers per annum. The Highland Aviation beach flying course includes 3 hours of flying and a 1 hour classroom briefing. Once you have tried your hand at beach landings you can either rent an aircraft or a car to continue your scottish holiday, ensure you visit the beautiful lochs and try their world renowned whiskey! #7 American road tripOur final pick isn’t based around flying, but it does involves aeroplanes. Ever wondered where aircraft go when they reach the end of their lives? The USA is littered with ‘aircraft boneyards’ and they can be a truly impressive sight. The boneyards of the USA are located in the deserts of California, Arizona and New Mexico. Many of these boneyards are still operating airfields as serviceable aeroplanes will be flown in to pick up spare parts. check out The points guy for their ultimate boneyard road trips. **Aileron is not a travel agent and has no affiliation to the holidays and companies featured in this blog. Ensure you research any trips and select a provider that is part of a worldwide travel association. Shop the Aileron RangeTrending now
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2/15/2022 18:01:51
This package gives you two scenic flights; one around Vancouver, the Gulf Islands and Victoria Harbour, Thank you for making this such an awesome post!
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