Pacific Flying Club

If you've been outside in the Lower Mainland lately, you've probably noticed the sky hasn't looked quite right. BC's wildfire season is active again this summer, with smoke drifting in from fires around Pemberton, Vernon, Boston Bar, and Clinton. ☁️

For most people that just means checking an air quality app. For a flight school, it means something more specific — smoke changes what a pilot can actually see, and visibility is one of the most basic requirements for safe flying.

Here's the tricky part: a day can look pretty clear standing on the ramp and still be well below visibility minimums once you're in the air looking toward the horizon. That's the difference between fog (which sits in a clear layer) and smoke (which spreads unevenly through a much deeper part of the sky).

So how do we handle it at PFC? Same way we handle any other weather call — check current conditions and how they're trending, watch our live weather cams at Boundary Bay, and decide whether a lesson flies as planned, gets shortened, or shifts to ground school or sim time instead. Smoke tends to change hour by hour, so the goal is always to keep training moving whenever it's genuinely safe to.

It's also a good real-world lesson for our students — learning to recognize when a "clear-looking" day isn't actually flyable is exactly the kind of judgment that matters for the rest of a flying career.

We put together a full breakdown of how smoke affects visibility, how we make the go/no-go call, and what it teaches new pilots. Worth a read if you're curious how a flight school actually handles BC's summer weather (not just the easy, clear-sky days):
https://www.pacificflying.com/wildfire-smoke-flight-training-bc/

Ever wondered why the plane you learn to fly in is called a Cessna? It goes back to a Kansas farmer named Clyde Cessna, who taught himself to build and fly aircraft with zero formal engineering training. His first flight attempts ended in a ground loop and a stand of trees — but by December 1911 he'd pulled off a five-mile flight and landed safely back where he started.

That stubborn, self-taught spirit turned into a company that's been putting people in the air for almost a century. The Cessna 172 alone has been in continuous production since 1956, with over 44,000 built — more than any other aircraft in history.

We fly both the 172 and the 152 in our training fleet here at Boundary Bay, and this piece digs into why these "old" designs are still some of the best training aircraft around.

Read the full story: https://www.pacificflying.com/history-of-plane-called-cessna/

How do you actually choose the best flight school in Canada? It's not always easy to find guidance that goes beyond the basics.

So we put together a real, practical guide covering what actually matters when you're comparing flight schools:

✈️ Transport Canada FTU designation (this one's non-negotiable)

✈️ Fleet size, aircraft age, and avionics — glass cockpit vs. traditional gauges

✈️ Instructor continuity, and what the Class 1–4 rating system actually tells you

✈️ Training environment — controlled vs. uncontrolled airspace, and why it matters

✈️ How to compare costs fairly when schools quote rates differently (wet vs. dry, bundled vs. billed separately)

We also talk about two things people tend to weigh too heavily when narrowing down their options: location and price alone.

Check it out here: https://www.pacificflying.com/how-to-choose-a-flight-school-canada/

How to Choose a Flight School in Canada: What to Look For | Pacific Flying Club Fleet size, instructor continuity, Transport Canada approval, airspace environment — here's what actually matters when comparing flight schools in Canada.

Is there really a pilot shortage in Canada? The answer is more interesting than you might think. ✈️

Yes, the federal government rates pilot employment as a "strong risk of shortage" nationally through 2033. And yes, airlines are actively struggling to hire. But the shortage isn't evenly spread across the country — job prospects are rated "Good" in Alberta, Ontario, and the Northwest Territories, and "Limited" right here in BC.

What that means in practice: most of our graduates don't end up flying in BC. They go where the work is — up north, out east, and into the regions where operators are actively hiring.

There's also a real debate happening inside the industry. ALPA Canada argues it's not actually a shortage of pilots — it's a shortage of employers willing to pay competitively. That's a perspective worth understanding before you make any decisions about flight training.

We put together an honest, no-hype breakdown of what the data actually shows, where the opportunities are strongest, and what the early years of a pilot career realistically look like.

If you or someone you know is thinking about getting into aviation, this is a good read before taking the next step. 👇

https://www.pacificflying.com/pilot-shortage-canada/

Thinking about becoming a pilot? Here’s exactly what happens after you book a FAM flight.

You confirm your booking.
You arrive at Boundary Bay.
You meet your instructor.
You get a short pre-flight briefing.
Then you get in the pilot’s seat and take the controls.

No pressure. Just a clear first step.

If you’ve been considering flight training, this is where it becomes real.

Book your FAM flight:
https://www.pacificflying.com/recreation/what-is-a-fam-flight

You don’t need everything figured out to start flying.

You just need a clear first step.

Most people overthink the process.

In reality, it starts with a simple path: medical, ground school, first flight, first solo.

The fastest way to know if this is right for you?

Start with a real flight.

Book your FAM Flight here:
https://www.pacificflying.com/recreation/what-is-a-fam-flight/

Most pilots today train on glass cockpits.

But many still start on traditional gauges.

So which one actually makes you a better pilot?

Understanding both isn’t just helpful. It shapes how you scan, think, and react in the cockpit.

In this article, we break it down clearly:

• What glass cockpits do better
• Where traditional instruments still matter
• How does training on both affect your flying long-term

If you're starting flight training — or already flying — this matters more than you think.

Read it here:
https://www.pacificflying.com/glass-cockpits-vs-traditional-gauges/

At Pacific Flying Club, students train with both systems from early on. That balance builds stronger, more adaptable pilots.

The first milestone in aviation is the Private Pilot Licence.

The Private Pilot Licence is where many pilots begin. It is the first step that allows you to take control of an aircraft, build real flying skills, and explore the sky on your own terms.

At Pacific Flying Club, training combines ground school, simulator time, and hands-on flight instruction with experienced instructors. You will learn navigation, aircraft control, weather awareness, and the decision-making skills that every pilot relies on.

For many students, the PPL is the start of a lifelong passion. For others, it becomes the foundation for a professional aviation career.

Learn more about the Private Pilot Licence training program here:
https://www.pacificflying.com/recreation/training-private-pilot-licence-course

Don’t just think about becoming a pilot. Take the first step.

If flying has been in the back of your mind for years, this is where you start.

You don’t need experience. You don’t need to commit to a full program yet.

You just need to begin.

At Pacific Flying Club, you can:

• Book a Familiarization Flight
• Meet instructors
• See the aircraft
• Understand the training path
• Ask real questions

From there, you decide what comes next.

Read how to get started here:
https://www.pacificflying.com/recreation/getting-started/

You wake up early for your flight lesson. / Coffee. Quick breakfast. One last look at the weather.

Low ceiling. Marginal visibility. Winds are picking up. Then the message comes in: Cancelled.

If you’re training to become a pilot, this will happen. More than once... We wrote about it here:
https://www.pacificflying.com/weather-delays-in-flight-training/

If you’re in the middle of training, this one’s for you.