To fly is to be a bird without being terrorized by roving bands of teenage birds with pierced beaks and brass knuckles. Learn to fly freely with today's Groupon to Trade Winds Aviation located at the Reid-Hillview Airport. Choose from three options:
- For $180, you get an Executive flight package, which includes an introductory flight lesson in a Cessna 172 and a Private Pilot Ground class (a $429 value).
- For $160, you get an Economy flight package, which includes an introductory flight lesson in a light-sport aircraft and a Private Pilot Ground class (a $379 value).
- For $125, you get the Private Pilot Ground class, which consists of 12 three-hour-long lessons (a $250 value).
Executive and Economy flight packages operate every day of the week, depending on the weather and the availability of airplanes and instructors. Private Pilot Ground classes are scheduled once a week for 12 weeks from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and are available on the following dates:
- Every Monday from May 16 to August 1
- Every Tuesday from June 1 to August 17
- Every Saturday from June 18 to September 3
Trade Winds’ experienced flight instructors teach budding barnstormers the fundamentals of defying gravity's notorious grapple. Take off into the great blue yonder with an Executive or Economy flight package, which includes an introductory flight lesson comprised of 20 minutes of ground instruction and 40 minutes of flight instruction in addition to the Private Pilot Ground class described below. Under the guidance of an expert pilot, executive aeronauts navigate the heavens in a four-seat Cessna 172, while economy sky captains sail the atmospheric seas in a two-seat light-sport aircraft. Groupon holders opting for the Executive flight package are welcome to bring along an aerodynamic friend or a supportive Amelia Earhart cutout to sit in the back seat for an additional $40 charge, weight permitting.
The 12-session Private Pilot Ground class covers the crucial topics needed to pass the Federal Aviation Administration's written knowledge test, a required step toward becoming a private pilot; topics include airplane systems, aerodynamic principles, navigation, and conversations with clouds. With class sizes capped at 15 students, the Trade Winds Aviation ground course allows for individualized instruction, thoroughly preparing you to begin your transformation from penguin to eagle-riding penguin.
According to the FAA, you must be at least 17 years of age to obtain a private-pilot license.
Trade Winds Aviation
It was a clear afternoon in Mission, British Columbia, when Walter Gyger climbed into his friend's Cessna 172. He’d spent his childhood constructing model airplanes and dreaming of stepping into the pilot's seat of a real one. The two lifted off, the ground dropping smoothly away, and soared on into the evening, finally touching down on Vancouver Island. That experience spurred Walter on to seek out his pilot license. Years later, after taking classes at Trade Winds Aviation, he bought the company. Walter now works with a team of FAA-certified flight instructors to give budding pilots that same push he received to pursue the dream of flying and pilot certification.
Trade Winds two-runway Reid-Hillview airport and adjacent training area sit surrounded by ridges splashed with watercolor blotches of green, which pilots-in-training survey from wide cockpit windows as they follow the official Cessna training program. Students set their own pace as they progress through lessons in cross-country flight, night flying, and navigation, all augmented by online training, practical flight sessions, and heckling from birds. When not guiding pupils through the valley's consistently clear skies, the staff help maintain Trade Winds' fleet of Cessna and Remos aircraft, many of which have features such as satellite radio, autopilot, GPS maps, and spare commas for absent-minded skywriters.