The B737 is a rather old aircraft, with vacuum gauges just like in my Cherokee! There is only a single new piece of equipment that looked "electronic", and that was the new TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System). It’s a small round (4" diameter) screen, coupled with external radar that listens to other aircrafts’ transponder signals, and displays the results with indicators that include relative altitudes (eg. +2000’, -1000’).

When the captain asked what I did for a living, and I mentioned the word "computers" in my answer, he immediately launched into a million questions about Windows95, and the new computer that he just bought, and on and on. I spent about half an hour talking about computers, then gently turned the conversation around to flying. We spent the rest of the time talking about airplanes.

Later in the trip, Phil and I had arranged to rent an airplane at Boundary Bay airport. The choices were a Cessna 172M, or a Grumman Traveler. Phil and I decided on the C172, and arranged to be at the airport for 0800 local for our check rides. We were told we could keep the plane until 1300 local. (Incidentally, we were told that the Grumman is owned by an airline captain, who leases it back to the school so that the plane gets used when he’s unavailable to fly it. This Traveler was rented by our own Billy Lowe on a previous trip to Vancouver, which is why we chose this particular rental place of the 5 or so rental places on the field at Boundary Bay.)

We arrived at Boundary Bay (CZBB), very close to the appointed hour (slightly late due to ground traffic, but not too bad). The instructor was already there, waiting for us, with C172 questionnaires, and other routine paperwork. As we were talking, and filling out the answers, we found out the instructor has actually spent some time in Toronto, and was familiar with Buttonville. It’s a small world.

The check rides went very smoothly. I went first. He asked me to do three landings: the first one any way at all, the second with full flaps, and the third with no flaps. All of this was done in the circuit. I also handled all of the radio work. I tried to be very conscious of the aircraft registration ("Hotel November Victor"), but habit overcame me once and I replied with "Quebec Echo Romeo", but quickly corrected myself.

Phil’s checkride went just as smoothly. Better, in fact, since his radio work was perfect, and he never said "Tango Uniform Sierra".

Having successfully completed the checkrides, we asked the instructor where we could go for some good sightseeing. The sky was 2000 overcast, so our original goal of flying up to Whistler was shot. We thought next about flying over to Victoria, but the clouds in the channel were even lower. Eventually, we decided to follow the Fraser River inland, and go to Chilliwack for pies. (The restaurant at the Chilliwack airport is world-famous for their home-made pies.)

If you’ve read my previous Vancouver stories, or Phil’s, you’ll know that Phil and I have flown this territory before. Previous flights have included:

- sightseeing around Mt Baker, in Washington state, at an elevation of over 11,000 feet

- a trip to Tofino, which is on the beach of the Pacific Ocean, on Vancouver Island

- orbits of Vancouver Harbour and Stanley Park

- north over the ski mountains at 7500 feet, and more!

After much discussion, we decided that I would fly first, do the harbour, and go to Chilliwack. Phil would fly the return leg. We departed CZBB, and headed north for the harbour. We stayed below the cloud deck, which was conveniently also below the Vancouver TRSA. We checked in with them just before being handed off to the Harbourmaster. Because of the volume of air traffic in the harbour, there is a separate harbour control tower, situated on top of one of the buildings in downtown Vancouver.

While flying over the harbour, Phil and I discussed visiting the harbour tower after our flight. There wasn’t much traffic in the harbour when we were doing our orbits, so I asked the controller, by radio, if we could visit later in the day. He gave me the tower phone number, and told me to call once I got back into the city. I thanked him, and we flew on.

The flight to Chilliwack was uneventful. Neither Phil nor I had brought our GPS units, so we were back to good old maps. Actually, we try and keep our skills sharp anyways, so there was no problem using a map. In fact, we used the Fraser River as our guide.

The restaurant at Chilliwack was crowded. So crowded that just after we sat down, there was a lineup for a table. The restaurant looks out over the ramp area, so we were able to keep an eye on our bird while we ate. Just as we were finishing, a Canadian Forces Labrador SAR helicopter landed. Phil and I looked at each other knowingly, and silently agreed to go in for a closer look.

We paid the bill, and headed out to the chopper. Most of the paramedics had already gone inside for food, but the flight engineer and the pilot were still nearby, attending to the fuel and other paperwork. We approached, and asked a few questions before the flight engineer finally took us inside the big helicopter.

He explained about the two engines, located overhead in the rear. Then, during the explanation, he took out a screwdriver, and opened the overhead panels to show us the engines. He carefully explained the gearbox and transmission system, and the chain that keeps both front and read propellers in sync (the blades of the two props actually intertwine, so it is important that they are both spinning at EXACTLY the same speed!).

Then we walked through the medical area in the center, and peeked into the flight deck. In all, we spent about half an hour inside, on a personal guided tour. We also asked about the new Cormorant Helicopters, and were told that everyone is really looking forward to the new machines.

Back in our airplane, Phil took the controls, and flew us back to Boundary Bay, again navigating by the Fraser River. The scenery was beautiful.

With freshly minted stamps in our logbooks, and smiles plastered on our faces, we returned the flight bag, extra oil, and life jackets to the instructor who had checked us out. He asked about the flight, but I can’t remember a thing I said. I’m sure he got the full message, minus the details, from the warm glow emanating from our faces.

I also spoke to the new owner of the flight school. David Jackson of Professional Flight Training Centre said that he is implementing lots of big changes for his little operation. They are adding more computers, new airplanes, more instructors, and upgrading all of the facilities. He encouraged us to tell all the BFC members that he will arrange special rates for any club members visiting the Vancouver area. He suggests that we call a day or two in advance to ensure we get the aircraft of our choice, and mention that we are from Buttonville.

Later that day, I decided to visit the harbour control tower. I called the number that the controller had given to me, and it was the same controller who had given me the number hours earlier. He told me which building he was in, and how to get to the top.

(The elevator goes up to the 28th floor, but access to the stairway is prohibited from there, so you have to take the elevator to the 27th floor, and walk up three more flights of stairs from there!)

Needless to say, the view from there was spectacular. By now, it was 1730 local, and the sun was just going down, so I had about half an hour to visit before the tower closed for the night. (Helicopters continue to fly at night, but they just use a traffic reporting frequency. The tower is only staffed from sunrise to sunset.)

The clouds had dissipated, so the ski runs at Grouse Mountain were clearly visible to the north. The harbour was below us, and behind us to the south was the rest of the downtown core of Vancouver. It is equipped like every other control tower, including the slanted windows. But the biggest difference between this tower and others, according to my host, is that during the lunch break, the elevator takes him back into the heart of Downtown Vancouver, whereas most other controllers never get to leave the airport for "real food".

He showed me the radar systems, the radios, and we talked about the Vancouver Area Control Center, which controls overseas flight to and from Canada and the northwest corner of The United States. He encouraged me to continue to visit control towers and area control centers to familiarize myself with the "other side" of the equation. I explained to him that I do take every opportunity to visit "their side", and, to hold up my end of the deal, I to take controllers for flights, to show them "our side" of the equation.

The eastbound journey was on a Canadian Airlines DC-10. It’s much larger than the B737 that bought me to Vancouver, but not much newer. It also had a new TCAS, but everything else was old-style instrumentation. And, it was also completely full of passengers. Even the flight deck was full: the two "front seaters", plus a training crew in the jump seats.

I still asked for permission to visit, but was only allowed to stay up there for about 20 minutes. Both crews seemed really busy, so I just watched for a while, trying not to disturb them. During a lull in the activity, the captain and I talked about flying small planes and large planes, and I mentioned that I rent airplanes everywhere I go, including in Boundary Bay on the previous day. He asked if I had seen a Grumman Traveler sitting on the ramp, because that’s his airplane! I explained to him that I did see his airplane, and that I knew someone who had rented it last summer. Of course, he remembered Billy (who doesn’t?!?). Aviation is such a small world!

Yes, I went for a computer conference, but the aviation-related activities were the real score!