ACTIVE, BUT UNCONGESTED AIRSPACE

The airspace around Kelowna International Airport is busy enough to provide the necessary challenges related to becoming a good pilot, but without having to wait for slot times or fight for safe airspace to practice maneuvers. Multiple, uncongested training areas exist within ten minutes of flying time, and because of our excellent relationship with ATC, we can even conduct training right in the control zone!

GEOGRAPHY

Kelowna is at the center of the Okanagan Valley, surrounded by farms, orchards, lakes, hills, mountains and plateaus. The different geographical areas provide for some of the most unique training available in North America. Our students spend time flying in mountain valleys, visiting the Rocky Mountains, travelling out over the Canadian Prairies and even flying in the only desert area in Canada.

AIRPORT VARIETY

Kelowna is home to the Kelowna International Airport. The airport is busy enough to challenge our students and let them operate from an International Airport with many different traffic types, but quiet enough to be safe and allow efficient training. Just to the north are two completely uncontrolled airports in Vernon and Salmon Arm, a partially controlled airport to the south in Penticton, and many other small airports in the area which allow for exposure to every level of controlled and uncontrolled environment a pilot might encounter in an aviation career.

METEOROLOGY

Kelowna also provides exposure to all four seasons when it comes to our weather. Our winter allows students to learn the challenges of operating in colder environments with snow and fog, but it's short enough as a season that it doesn't hamper our ability to finish training in a timely fashion. The wet spring season, hot, dry summer and cool fall finish off exposure to all possible seasons. Our Meteorology program was developed by a retired Environment Canada meteorologist who helped create and still updates much of the actual weather documentation used by NavCanada and pilots today.

EXPERIENCED STAFF

Our staff consist of a full range of experience to draw from.  Ground, flight and simulator instructors are active in, or retired from, various aviation disciplines: airlines, charters, freight, medevac, water bombing, arctic, desert, Antarctic, corporate, skydiving (jump planes), aviation management and other facets of the diverse aviation industry.

MODERN EQUIPMENT

Our fleet of fixed wing and multi-engine aircraft have a mix of technologies, from the very basic right up to the most modern Glass Panel aircraft with features comparable to airlines. Our full motion MCX Multi-Engine, Multi Crew simulator, complete with accurate visual system, emulates various aircraft and equipment with a database that allows the students to experience flying anywhere in the world.