Capture a sunset, Ride with the wind.
Taste freedom only the eagle has known.
For yours is the freedom of knowing you have flown.
The Event
- When: <Postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic>. Check-In times begin at 8:30 AM and end at 12:00 PM approximately. Pre-registration required.
- Where: The Abbotsford Flying Club (click here for a map). Actual event will be next to the airport fence to the east of the clubhouse.
- Cost: FREE! No charge.
- Registration: TBD.
- Details: Click here for specific event details for those who’ve registered.
Who can Fly
- Age – Children ages 7 to 14.
- No Previous Flying Experience in a Small Airplane or Helicopter – Children who have never flown before in a small light airplane (e.g. Cessna, Piper, etc.) or helicopter are eligible. Having flown in a big jet (e.g. WestJet, Air Canada) before is ok as we don’t consider their big jets small nor light.
What’s Included
- Ground School – The children will receive a short ground school session where they will learn about flight safety and the basics of flight in a fun and easy way.
- Flight – The children (no parents/guardians) will be flown for approximately 15 minutes locally over Abbotsford and surrounding area. The flights will be done by friendly, experienced and fully-licensed pilots in small light aircraft.
- Certificate – The children will receive a certificate printed with their name and their pilot’s signature after their flight.
- Pictures – Pictures of the children with their pilots will be shared after the event.
More Information
- Event Details – more information for those who have already registered.
- Liability Waiver – Please read prior to the event. Parents/Guardians will be required to sign the waiver at the event before their children can fly.
- Event Poster – please post wherever you can to help us promote our event.
- Please bookmark this page and check back for updates to ensure you have all current information.
Contact Us
Please contact us if you have any additional questions using our e-mail address below:
Event Pictures
- 2019 – Children, General
- 2018 – Children, General
- 2017 – Children, General
- 2016 – Children, General
- 2015 – Children, General
- 2014 – Children, General
- 2013 – Children, General
- 2012 – Children, General
- 2011 – Children, General
- 2010 – Children, General
- 2009 – “100 First Flights for Kids” – Children , General
Past Event History
- 2019-06-15 – 115 kids flown. Thanks, everyone!
- 2018-06-16 – 145 kids flown. Fantastic job, everyone!
- 2017-06-17 – 119 kids flown today. Great job, everyone!
- 2016-09-11 – 109 kids flown in the event. Well done everyone.
- 2015-06-06 – We flew 132 kids today. Awesome job, folks!
- 2014-09-06 – We gave 125 children their first flights today. It was very fun. Thanks to everyone!
- 2013-06-15 – We flew 137 children today. That makes if over 500 children flown in the last 5 years. Massive thanks to everyone involved!
- 2012-06-09 – Over 100 children flown.
- 2011-06-11 – Another 100+ children flown. Thanks to everyone involved!
- 2010-06-12 – The event was another success with over 80 children given their first flights. Thank you to the volunteers and pilots donating their time and money. Thank you to the parents/guardians for allowing us to share our love of aviation with your children. Pictures will be available soon.
- 2009-06-13 – The event was a huge success and 106 children were given their first flights. The club hopes to repeat the experience next year. Check back to the club website periodically for more.
Our two girls had a wonderful experience with this program. It’s truly amazing the volunteering that happens for this event.
Thanks so Much!
A happy dad
Thank you so much for the wonderful event! Loved the flight school time – it was so educational for both my kids and myself. The crew, organizers, and pilot were so kind. Thank you for all the time and effort you have put into this event. We feel very blessed to have such an amazing opportunity at such a young age!
Thank you so much! You may have inspired a future pilot today! My son cant stop talking about it.
Such an AMAZING and well organized event! My boys were so excited and thrilled. Thank you for providing this wonderful experience – this was definitely memory making!
The most amazing experience and beyond amazing! My son is still talking about his flight! I can not express enough just how well organized this event is – from sign up to on site registration, flight school and finally the flight itself! So fun to see how the happiness on every single kid’s face after climbing out of their planes!
Beyond Amazing!
Thank you so much Abbotsford Flying Club!
Thank you so much for the wonderful opportunity you gave my son! It was wonderful that you took your Saturday to volunteer for so many kids to have an amazing experience.
You can’t imagine how much you have inspired our son! He beamed the whole day after his flight. We could barely pull him away from his flight simulator the rest of the day. He just wants to fly! Thank you to the pilots who gave their time, their planes and their money to share their passion for flying. And thank you to all the volunteers who also made this day a success.
Thank you to the pilots in the AFC that make is event possible. My boys really enjoyed their experience and wish they could go again. We really appreciate how you open up the skies and possibilities to them.
Thank you for a great flying experience for my daughter. She was nervous at first, but said afterwards that Pilot Bob is a good pilot and that it was fun!
Our son Teddy had an amazing time at your first flights day! He has been telling all of our friends about how much fun he had! Thank you AFC and all of pilots for your generosity!
Leland had an amazing time! This was his first time ever flying and needless to say he was thrilled. Thanks so much for the opportunity. All the effort you all put into this event really shows. Very well done, great job. He looked up the plane (piper warrior) on the web as soon as we got home.
Thanks again,
Debbie and Leland
Hi Mark and pilots,
Thank you so much for the very amazing experience for my boy.
It was a huge thrill for him and please pass on a special thanks to pilots and volunteers from 861 silverfox cadets.
Our family really appreciated all the work that went into this day.
Cheers!
Ami , Anand, Vyom &Vismay Sanghavi
Thanks to all the volunteers who worked so hard to make today’s event a truly once in a lifetime one for many kids. My son loved his time up in the Cessna 140 and appreciated what the pilot taught him. Thanks again!
I hope to try flying
It is hard to express how grateful we are to AFC and all the volunteers and pilots for organizing this event. The forethought, kindness and generosity of all those involved is overwhelming and we are so thankful for this opportunity. Danae could not stop smiling and talking about the amazing experience she had. Please extend our deepest gratitude to you all.
Thank you for this wonderful program and opportunity for the kids to see a small plane first hand. My girls had a wonderful time and were very excited about their first flight in a small plane. My little guy who is 2 1/2 years is waiting for his turn. I hope this program will run for many years.
Thanks again to everyone who’ve helped and made this a great day.
First of all a huge thanks to all that made this day possible for us. As a mother who does not like to fly I was so happy that our girls first experience in a plane was a fantastice one. Both of them got off the plane wanting to go to Hawaii. Ŧhanks again for a wonderful day.
I would like to express my deep thanks: my children had an amazing experience today thanks to your generosity!! It was a chance of a lifetime.
The Club did a fantastic job in organizing this event and the care you showed towards nervous parents. I am blown away by your professionalism, enthusiasm and devotion. And all this as volunteers!
Thank you, again.
Thank you very much to the pilots and Abbotsford Flying Club volunteers for giving our son an incredible experience. He loved his flight in the “Virus” and says “Thanks for an awesome first flight in a small plane!”. The pilot made him feel very comfortable and he hasn’t stopped talking about it!!
Thank you so much.You were awesome with the kids and our kids had the fun of their life!
Abbotsford Flying Club was an amazing experience & learn about small plane in class & outside plane. Lukas had a great time & felt so proud that he was a co-pilot helped pilot fly & land the plane! Aircraft GSPA, with pilot Alex Burton. He wrote: Lukas was an awesome pilot on his certificate. Thank you to A.B. We wanted to say thank you so much to Mark & Ron for the event, it was a pleasure to meet you. And to cadets & volunteers, thank you. One more to IGA thank you for support & donated to feed kids & thank you to volunteers with great cooks. 🙂
Again thank you. See you at the Air Show in Aug.
Erdna, Mike & Lukas Pummell
A huge thank you to everyone today who shared their time, knowledge and airplanes with my daughter. She had an amazing experience flying and feels so lucky to have been able to participate.
Thank you so much for blessing our family 🙂
Thank you for the free flight. It was really fun!
Was such an amazing opportunity for my daugher to take part in. Many thanks to the volunteers for both their time and financial contributions to make this happen. A unforgettable experience.
What a great event for kids! They really enjoyed the ground school, flight and hot dogs! So well organized! Thanks!
thank you flights for letting me on a plane. my name is isaac i was flying with bob
My girls had a fantastic time as co-pilots! Thank you to the AFC for volunteering your time and for a truly memorable experience. The event was very professional, with a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. My girls were thrilled and still get excited every time they talk about it. Very much appreciate all the time and effort involved in the event.
Thank you so much for providing such a wonderful experience for our 2 boys! The process went smoothly and the ground lesson and hot dogs were added bonuses. They will never forget the exciting ride they had!
Hi, Eventhough it’s been a couple of weeks since I had my free flight, I have not forgotten how fantastic it was! I liked the Ground School with the little plane, but I especially liked flying! I even got to fly it sideways! That was my favourite part! We also got to fly over my home! Cool! Thank you so much Pilot Randall (I think that was his name.) Now my older brother wants to join flight school and I may too.
Hi Mark and pilots,
Thank you so much for the very amazing experience for my girls.
It was a huge thrill for them and please pass on a special thanks to pilot Marty!
Our family really appreciated all the work that went into this day, and the time and financial sacrifices that were made.
Cheers!
Julie, Jordyn and Sarah Thiessen
My son had such an amazing experience and very much enjoyed it. He told me he felt a little nervous taking off but that changed to feelings of excitement when the plane left the ground ! He took an excellent picture from the air, with his DSI… Thank you to the entire Flying Club, the pilots, cadets and other volunteers who made this so memorable for Brendan and his family… ! I have been telling everyone about this… The generosity of time given, to create a great memory for so many kids is very much appreciated and really awesome!
Both of my kids had such a wonderful day! Thankyou so very much for all of your time and effort as a whole group, and as individuals. It was wonderful to see a group of people this dedicated to childrens education and happiness. Neither of my kids will ever forget their experience with your club, and I cannot praise your efforts enough. Thankyou from our whole family.
I just wanted to say thank you to all who participated to make this happen for the children and even adults. It was fabulous to see the perma-grin on my daughters face. She had a wonderful time. This is very generous of all involved. again thank you for all of your times and efforts.
Just a note to let you know I appreciate all the time and effort that goes into planning and executing this event. Everyone was very friendly, professional and organized, making it a great day for everyone.
My daughter, Chelsea, really enjoyed her first experience in a small plane with a great pilot (Randy). Thank you for making this opportunity possible. It will be something she will remember for a lifetime.
Thank You to all the volunteers, cadets ,pilots & sponsors , they did a tremendous job . evryone involved was happy and upbeat ,giving the boys a thrill of a lifetime. Special thanks to Mark for keeping me up to date on lthe late registery. Now what to do with all the paper airplanes floating around the house …… 🙂
I had so much fun! Thanks for my pilot Jim! I got to video and it was awesome. Love Jack.
Thank you SOOOOO much! It was great learning and feeling what yah, thrust and lift felt like. My Mum says thanks too!
My son had a wonderful time. He was smiling from ear to ear all day long. Thank you all who gave their time in this event. First Flights for Kids is an excellent experience for kids. Keep up the good work.
The wyatt’s
My son was very happy and had a excellent first flight experience. Thank you all who gave their time to put on this event. My son didn’t stop talking about until he went to sleep. Thank you again
The Wyatt’s
We want to send a gigantic thanks for allowing our boys to be a part of your First Flight event yesterday. It was a truly life changing experience, and has locked in their desire to become Air Cadets.
We were all blessed by the generosity of your club!
Chris
Thank you so much for giving Aidan the experience of a lifetime! It was a great day, and he absolutely loved it! Thank you again!
Thank you for the well organized fun family event. This is one of our first experiences at the Abbotsford Airport and it was fantastic. The ground school instructor was informative, interesting and age appropriate. The flight is a once in a lifetime event and my daughter really appreciated the opportunity. She came home and told all her neighbourhood friends.
What an amazing and generous opportunity for our local kids to experience. Thank you so much to all the volunteers, staff and sponsors that made it possible. It was a well organized event, a great atmosphere and all the kids came back from their flights with huge smiles on their faces. Our 3 children thoroughly enjoyed themselves (thank you to the pilots who let 2 of them actually fly!)
The Rodermond family
Wow, thank you for the awesome opportunity. It was a magical experience. Everyone was so friendly and informativeness.
Thank you Mark, and all the AFC members and the air cadets for giving my daughter such a memorable event.
Andrea & Ashley Cameron
Thank you SO much for the opportunity that you gave our kids to have this privilege of flying with one of your pilots. They had a wonderful time. We are very grateful!!
I had three kids fly today and each one had fantastic stories to tell when they landed. What a rush! Totally Amazing! …. and i think the roller coaster is making me sick! Each one was in a totally different type of plane and have talked non stop all day! Thank you to all the pilots and volunteers for making this an amazing and unforgetable day for so many kids. Mine have their flight certificates framed with their pictures already.
Only problem is the youngest (age 7) wants to know how soon she can be a pilot..
Thank you to all the people of AFC and the volunteers for this wonderful opportunity they give to the children that otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford. Helping children dreams come through, what a wonderful thing to be part of.
My kids this year had that opportunity and they enjoyed every minute. the class session was absolutely informative, my children had a million questions for their teacher, he was great.
The flying part was outstanding.
My children and I are so very greatful to have this ones in a life time experiance. I will make sure for next year to let as many children as I can to take advantage of this event.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, Angelica, Chris and Nikki Fischer
Our comment is THANK YOU so much for the absoultely wonderful experience!!
Thanks,
Glen & Rachel & kids
Thanks so much for a great experience! My son thoroughly enjoyed his flight with Gerry Visser and we are so grateful for this once in a lifetime opportunity!!
This event was incredible and I can’t say enough how grateful we are for all your generosity. Thank you AFC (including the volunteers) so very much for an amazing morning. My son was so excited for this opportunity; he dreams of being a pilot one day and now is begging me to look into Air Cadets. Who knows, AFC may have helped to shape his future. 🙂
I would like to give a HUGE heart felt thank you to all that make AFC possible.
My eldest daughter had the opportunity to take part in this fantastic event and enjoyed every moment!
After she landed and we were sitting on the blanket feasting on hotdogs she finnished her mouthful, layed back on the blanket, placed her arms behind her head and said “Ah, this is the LIFE! A fabulous flight, hotdogs, and a nice cold rootbeer!” She didn’t stop talking about how much she enjoyed her experience with AFC!
Thanks again for realizing a child’s dream.
Amber, Kalysta, & Ivory Schellenberg.
Dear mark and the First Flight Team,
Thank you very much for putting this event on. My 3 children had a wonderful time from the beginning waiting for the Ground School to the actual flight itself. 2 of my children were old enough to fly and they loved it! They can’t wait to go again next time and my toddler was very vocal in that he wants to “GROW” up so he can go too.
We had Ground school quiz all the way home to Vancouver. Thanks again!!
Angelina
Hello Mark and the First Flight Team,
I wish to thank you all for this wonderful opportunity that you have provided to the kids. My sons enjoyed the it very much! It was a great experience for them. Thank you so much for all your efforts to put it together!
Roop and Arshdeep’s mom.
Dear Mark and the First Flight Team ,
We wish to thank you and the entire team for this wonderful endeavour which had truly remarkable results .
Just to see that look of wonder and glee in Yoshita’s eyes was something . We are sure that the same look was in the eyes of each lucky child who flew that day .
The classroom session was most thoughtful since it gave a beautiful insight to the child , regarding the functioning of the airplane .
I must say that all of you are doing something wonderful in abbotsford , and it shall be a previlege to be able to volunteer for this cause . Please let me know .
regards
Vishey and Piyu
Vancouver
I just wanted to thank you all for the effort you put in to organize such a great event – and even the weather cooperated! My girls thoroughly enjoyed themselves (even my daughter who was very pensive) and got some great pictures. Thank you to the pilots who gave of their time.
D. Siemens
Thank you and team Abbotsford flying club for the delightful experience my child had today. It was a beautiful summer day made memorable by the unique experience he had.
Thank you again.
Warm regards,
Purabi Ghosh
Thank you so much, you got my kids completely hooked on flying. They had the time of their lives. Please pass on the thank you to the pilots Gerry Visser and Jim Spentzas.
Regards
Corinna Landsberger
hi
i was fantastic experience for both of my kids they really loved and i am glad they got this opportunity of life time to experience so from bottom of my heart i want to say thank u for being so wonderful.
bal
My son had such a good time yesterday. It was a great opportunity for him in a fun environment. We really appreciate all the volunteers’ efforts and hope you run it again next year – I have a six-year-old waiting with great anticipation!
Special thanks to Jim for being E’s pilot!
Hi,
I thought it was sooooo cool to ride in an aiplane! I got to drive it for a while and be a co-pilot which was awesome! Really fun! Thank you so much for the amazing opportunity!
~Jalmeena Gill
Hello,
Thank you for the great opportunity we had with our children today! It was fabulous and very much appreciated. Thanks to all you staff and help the day was a great success.
Jarrel and Scott Pizzey’s Mom!
Thank you so much to everyone who stayed longer than expected, to give my son Steven another chance to take part yesterday. He was so disappointed to miss out due to a rescheduled baseball game, but it really made his day that he was able to fly anyway. Having a turn at the controls was a thrill of a lifetime for him! He came to me this morning (with a grin still on his face) to inform me that flying yesterday made him want to become a pilot even more! His 3 younger brothers: David, Tyler, and Daniel, all enjoyed their flights very much as well…they are all still talking about it with much excitement. Thank you again to everyone for making this such a special day for so many!
Thank you Abbotsford Flying Club for giving this amazing opportunity to our children. I watched with delight the expressions and excitement of the children as they returned from their flights. The whole day, from the flight school, instruction about the planes to the actual flight was well presented and gave the children a complete day about the wonder of flight. Again, thank you for sharing your passion with the youth!
It was awesome and soooooo cool!!!!!!!!! The best part was our pilot made up a roller coaster and this is how he did it. He goes really up and then he goes really down. It was sssooooooooooooooooooooooo much fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We just want to say what an AMAZING time our kids had at First Flights. They learned a lot and LOVED flying over Abbotsford. Their pilot was so informative and fun!
Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!!
It was awesome I really like Gerry Visser and the ride I recived in his plane I still can,t wipe the smile off my face because it was so awesome thank you so much
Brenden Williams
My son had a memorable experience, which he can’t stop talking about. He wants to repeat it soon, and also become a pilot. Thanks so much AFC. It was well organised and everyone was helpful. The cadets were wonderful, as well as all the people who involved on that day. We were very pleased.
I just wanted to say thank-you for a wonderful day yesterday.
My daughter really enjoyed it seeing it was her first time on an airplane.
It is great that there are people are willing to take there time and give a child a wonderful experiance.
Thanks again.