Flying Grouse

Grouse Mountain Resort, just 15 minutes from downtown is Vancouver’s premier attraction. Breathtaking panoramic city, ocean and mountain views unfold as the Sky-ride whisks guests to The Peak of Vancouver. You can visit two orphaned grizzly bear cubs as they explore their natural habitat at the Wildlife Refuge. Take part in year-round recreational activities, experience the Theatre in the Sky and enjoy casual fare to fine dining inside the Peak Chalet. The hiwus feast house offers a unique First Nation’s dining and cultural experience.

Grouse Mountain Resort is a privately owned ski and summer resort, and through the long-term relationship with the Grouse Mountain Flying Team (GMFT) they allow approved PG pilots to fly from their mountain. When we fly we are colorful entertainment for the hundreds of thousands of visitors that come up Grouse every season.

We land at Cleveland Park, a sports field at the base of Grouse Mountain. The GMFT arranges with the District of North Vancouver to use the field and pilots pay a user fee, just like the soccer and baseball players that also use the field. The GMFT has exclusive use of the field during the summer when there are no sports games booked.

Grouse Mountain has delegated the management of all non-commercial paragliding to the GMFT and expects the directors of the club to ensure that everyone who flies at Grouse has an appropriate skill level, suitable equipment and valid insurance from the Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association of Canada (HPAC).

Click here for a video showcasing flying at Grouse Mountain!

 

Local pilots who wish to join the GMFT should apply here.  Guest pilots are only allowed to fly while accompanied by a GMFT member.

In order for a local pilot to be added to the guest list, he/she must fulfill the following requirements:

• • P3 (Intermediate) Rating
  • Current HPAC Insurance
  • Endorsement from two GMFT members who can confirm that the candidate possesses adequate launching skills (especially in light/no-wind conditions) and that he/she is known to use good judgment and fly responsibly
  • Pay a $30 guest membership fee which helps to cover the annual permit costs for the LZ
  • Glider appropriate to skill level and to the limitations of the flying site (e.g. no speed gliders or hang gliders), reserve parachute and helmet

After flying for one year as a guest incident-free, a guest pilot can apply for full GMFT membership. In order for a guest to become a full-member, he/she must fulfil the following requirements:

• • P4 (Advanced) Rating
  • Current HPAC Insurance
  • Pay a $30 or $60 full membership fee (depending on your WSCC/OSA status) which helps to cover the annual permit costs for the LZ
  • Glider appropriate to pilot skill level and to the limitations of the flying site (e.g. no speed gliders or hang gliders), reserve parachute and helmet

After consideration, GMFT is now allowing qualified out-of-town pilots to fly Grouse by invitation only from a current member of GMFT.  For the moment, such pilots may only fly Grouse as guests, not full members.  Please apply here.  In order to fly Grouse in this capacity, he/she must fulfill the following requirements:

• Rating equivalent to HPAC P3 (Intermediate) Rating
• Current HPAC temporary insurance
• Invitation from one GMFT member, plus an endorsement from one additional GMFT member who can confirm that the candidate possesses adequate launching skills (especially in light/no-wind conditions) and that he/she is known to use good judgment and fly responsibly
• Pay a $30 guest membership fee which helps to cover the annual permit costs for the LZ
• Glider appropriate to pilot skill level and to the limitations of the flying site (e.g. no speed gliders or hang gliders), reserve parachute and helmet