Instructions
It is critical to read this entire page so you can understand our process. Do not skim through nor skip any topics, because occasionally someone misses their flight, gets lost, or drives out when the day has been cancelled! That’s because they didn’t follow these instructions exactly, or phoned for a weather check just a couple minutes too early and did not hear the latest updated message. Don’t let that be YOU!
Without a secretary, the pilot usually can’t answer the phone all day when teaching or flying, so if there is no answer BE SURE TO LEAVE A MESSAGE. Don’t make more than 1 phone call nor leave more than 1 voicemail per day because it is normal to wait 24 hours for a return phone call after a busy flying day.
Voicemail acts as a “secretary” for most of the communication between us, so you usually don’t have to wait to talk to a live person. Instead, the daily message will list the flying dates still available for the upcoming week since the website schedule doesn’t reflect fully booked days or recent changes. On a flying day, the message is updated several times to relay up-to-the-minute schedule changes in case we have to postpone or cancel your flight at the last minute with just 50 minutes warning before your scheduled time!
Be sure to PRINT all the important INSTRUCTIONS IN BLUE listed at the bottom of this page for each person in your group. It contains 5 steps that you must follow so you remember what you are expected to do on the day of your flight.
Upgrade your Adventure!
If you have our basic 1000 foot Co-Pilot flight, you can get more “Bang for your Buck” by upgrading to our more Adrenaline-filled “Fear Factor” Aerobatic Adventure, or double your airtime with our best, longest, and highest “Extreme Altitude Mile High” Experience.
On a Co-Pilot SkyRide, you will cruise around the countryside gently at 1000 feet enjoying the Scenic view for approximately 10-15 minutes (plenty of flying time for the timid). But perhaps you want your first bucket-list flying experience to be the best ever!
To get the Spine-Tingling Chills & Thrills you desire, upgrade to a Fear Factor SkyRide where we double the altitude to 2000 feet (since 1000 feet isn’t high enough when we dive at 2000 feet per minute)!! You will defy the force of Gravity and pull some G’s as you pick up speed to over 100 kph in less than 4 seconds (that’s faster than most drag race cars can accelerate), followed by many weightless stalls, straight down dives, climbing wingovers, and spiral spins! Its better, higher, and faster than any ground-bound Roller Coaster you have every experienced!!! Its just $40 extra for so much more! Its best to upgrade in advance by phone with a credit card when you book your reservation so we can spend more time flying with you. You can upgrade at the last minute before your flight (or even during the flight if you gain some courage once in the air).
If you like to take everything to the MAX, then go for our best Extreme Altitude Mile High SkyRide to 5,280 feet with 25-30 minutes airtime! It’s so high that you will probably get above the clouds see the most incredible 360 degree view of the countryside all the way to Lake Winnipeg over 100 km away! Above the clouds you will feel the smoothest air for the best hands-on control, plus you can choose to experience the wildest and longest aerobatics possible (because the aerobatics in our “Fear Factor” flight may be over too quickly for the most adventurous who can truly handle it)! So up-size your SkyRide to EXTREME for just $80 (that’s just $20 per thousand feet extra altitude). You will be rewarded with 2-3x longer airtime, 5x the altitude, 10x the view, and 100x more excitement! WOW!! We prefer that you upgrade at the time of your reservation since we will arrange our day’s schedule to spend more time flying with you, and to make sure you bring warmer winter-weight clothing. Sometimes we may be able to accept your upgrade before your flight only if we have enough spare time that day.
Bring your Friends
Help spread the word in advance of your flying date and you can qualify for a FREE Picnic to enjoy with your family and friends!! Don’t just show them photos of you having a stellar time without them. It would be a ton more fun if you bring them to join your time slot and share this incredible experience. Tell them to phone with a credit card to be added to your booking date and time. Plus, if there’s 4 total in your group (just 2 couples), we will provide a free BBQ of Hot Dogs and Drinks to enjoy afterwards! With a group of 8 or more we will offer free upgrades to our Fear Factor Flight, plus a Delicious Gourmet 6-course meal of Ribs, Steak, Chicken, & Veggie options so you have a full-blown party for an experience you will all talk about for years to come!
Spectators: You can bring as many family or friends you wish to witness your adventure. The curious are also welcome to come have a look around if we are open. So it is important for spectators to also phone 50 minutes in advance to find out if we are still open that day, or it is best to phone the day before so I can set up a specific time to meet you when I am not busy with other guests. Otherwise there will be nobody on the ground to show you around, the aircraft will be in the air, and you will not be able to see anything. When you arrive, the day’s information will be posted on the office door upstairs in case we are still up in the air or out for lunch when you arrive.
Cancel a Reservation, Re-Scheduling
You can cancel by phone up to 24 hours in advance and we will remove your reservation from the schedule with no penalty so you can book again some other time with no expiry date. However if you don’t show up for your appointment and haven’t left a cancellation message 24 hrs in advance (so we can book someone else in your slot), then you have forfeited your flight. But in the case that something unexpected happens, we will offer to sell you another discounted flight that is $100 off the regular price. That way our expenses will be covered to have an empty slot, and you can still fly by purchasing another time slot at a discounted price.
We may have to cancel your reservation within 50 minutes of your scheduled time due to bad weather or equipment maintenance to make sure that you have a perfect day to enjoy your flight in safety and comfort. You may be rescheduled as often as is necessary, or even postponed to fly next season without any penalty or expiry of your credit.
Instructions for Students taking Lesson Packages
Pilots taking Lessons must booked more than 48 hours in advance, in 2 hour slots during the mornings at either 7am or 9am, or evenings 2 hours before dusk (varies seasonably). During the winter, we have smooth conditions all day long, and since we are not as busy as summer you can book anytime during the day. If you have not purchased a lesson package yet, then just select a package and call to make a reservation for your first day, and pre-pay with a credit card to get the discounted price. Lessons are held based on your personal schedule, so you can book any date or time not on the online schedule as long as we don’t have any personal appointments or family obligations. For last minute reservations less than 24 hours in advance or to check for cancellations, then please phone and leave a message, do not use email since I only check email once every 2 days, but phone messages are checked every evening.
Instructions to PRINT & follow the day of your SkyRide/Lesson:
1. Print a Map: It is difficult to find our hanger as there are 2 airports in Steinbach, 2 entrances to our airport, and our building is behind a row of other buildings. You have to find your own way since the pilot can’t answer the phone to give you directions when he is busy flying. Do not use GPS or Google – you must print out OUR map and directions by clicking the “Find Us” tab.
2. What to Bring: Dress for the temperature on the ground, but realize that it could be as much as 20 degrees C colder up in the air PLUS a 60 kph wind chill (so it could be below 0 degrees at altitude with wind-chill even in July & August when the temperature is warmer than +20C on the ground)! So in the summer (June-Sept) you must bring your very warmest wind-breaking Fall Jacket warm enough for a very windy 0 degree day, a Fleece/Sweater to wear under the jacket, a pair of good wind-breaking Ski Gloves, Runners or Sandals with a heel strap (NO FLIP FLOPS), and Sun Glasses. During Fall, Winter or Spring when temperatures on the ground drops below zero overnight, you must bring extra clothing as if it was the middle of a very cold winter. Even if the ground temperature heats up it will still be very cold in the air! Extra clothing required (October thru May) includes your best Winter Parka/Ski Pants or a Snowmobile Suit, LongJohns, Warm Socks, Insulated Boots, and a thin Balaclava to wear under the helmet. If there is any doubt, bring everything and we will tell you what you need to put on just before your flight.
3. Bring your Voucher & pay the GST: All flights must be pre-paid. If you have an online voucher or a Gift Certificate, you must bring it with you to redeem. We can scan an online voucher code directly from your cell phone. Gift Certificates have been fully paid for, however online vouchers have been purchased without any GST charged, so you will have to pay the GST by exact cash (preferably to save time) or credit card before flying to cover 5% of the amount you paid.
4. Phone for a Weather Check (please make just one phone call the day of your flight): It is necessary for everyone (SkyRiders, Students, & Club Pilots) to phone just once exactly 50 minutes before your scheduled time as you get ready to leave home to hear the latest updated message to ensure we are actually going to be open for flying. Since the automated weather stations update at 5 minutes after the hour, and we need another 5 minutes to record a message – that is why you are expected to call at 10 minutes after the hour and no sooner! We can’t have the phone ring because we use the phone apps to check the weather and we can’t have the phone ring interrupt while recording your message, and you will be listening to an older recording not intended for you. If you live farther than Winnipeg (70 km or more from Steinbach), then you must tell us when making your reservation to arrange a special time for you to phone. Otherwise you will get the wrong message and you could arrive after we have already postponed your reservation or cancelled the rest of the day as wind increases and thunderstorms develop. So the only reason you should be calling sooner than 50 minutes before is if you need to cancel your reservation at the last minute. (Example: You live in Winnipeg, so you should only call once no sooner than 9:10am for a 10:00am booking). It is ok if you arrive a few minutes late as our flying tends to run late throughout the day and so you will probably have to wait for the previous group to finish.
Even with a confirmed reservation, your booking will not be finalized until the pilot hears the phone ring and sees your name and number on the call display 50 minutes in advance. The pilot lives in Winnipeg and so he will not leave home to drive all the way out to Steinbach until the phone actually rings to confirm that you are also on your way out to Steinbach! Please don’t call en-route, because the pilot needs the full 50 minutes to get there as well. Sometimes the pilot may answer the phone, but if you don’t phone then the pilot assumes that you have some medical problem or personal difficulty and so by assumption you have cancelled your reservation by not following these instructions, and so nobody will be there when you arrive without phoning first.
5. When you arrive:Our office is the Magenta color room on the 2nd floor of the hanger immediately to the right at the top of the stairs. If a class is not in progress, then you can come into the room at your scheduled time or later. But if you are early, you should wait by the pool table or play a game while waiting for your reservation time to begin. DO NOT knock on the door if a lecture is in progress, nor interrupt the pilot if he is busy with previous customers before your scheduled time! If the room is dark and the door is locked, then see if there is a message on the door when he is expected to return. If there is no message then you probably arrived before the pilot that is also driving from Winnipeg and could be delayed in traffic, or out getting fuel. Just like an Air Canada flight, in aviation there are always delays so there is never a punctual schedule due to un-foreseen weather holds, maintenance issues, or delays caused by the late arrival of previous guests. It is normal that your reservation may start 5-30 minutes later than expected, so you don’t have to rush to arrive before your reserved time slot. You should wait on the 2nd floor by the pool table until the pilot returns so he can recognize you as a SkyRider because there will also be 10 or more SkyDivers who also use the same facility.
Unfortunately, we are forced to cancel about 1/3 of our reservations due to bad weather, equipment malfunction, or if the pilot or his family is sick. So it is common to make 2-3 reservations before having a suitable day to fly. We want to make sure that you have a perfect day to enjoy your flight in safety and comfort, so you could be rescheduled as often as is necessary, or even postponed until next season without any penalty or expiry date.