Yesterday I took a flight lesson with Sea To Sky Air in Squamish. We flew a Cessna 172.¹ I’ve been in a seaplane before, but that felt enormous compared to this tiny thing. Room for four and nothing more. Still more legroom than WestJet though.

It was a windy day, and in the small plane you could tell. Takeoff and landing were bouncy affairs. Our pilot Ryan handled this part of the flight. I offered to give it a go but he politely declined.

Once up in the air it was smooth flying. We went for a spin around Howe Sound, over Gambier Island and past Anvil Island. We saw Echo Falls and Shannon Falls in the distance. On the way back we passed The Chief close enough to see hikers recuperating at the top.

Ryan explained the basics of ascents, descents, and turns before handing the controls to me. The yoke is more sensitive than I expected. A slight pull or push is all it takes to pitch up or down. Rotating left or right to roll feels natural. Very satisfying.

I’m brainstorming ideas for my call sign.