I Finally Flew on HARBOUR AIR!

Harbour Air Seaplanes is perhaps one of the most well-known seaplane operators in Canada, and flies a fleet of over 40 airplanes out of Vancouver, British Columbia.
They're an airline I'd been meaning to fly on for a long time, and I finally got the chance to do just that in August last year on one of their Turbine Otters, flying from Vancouver to Victoria!
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FLIGHT INFORMATION
Airline: Harbour Air (YB)
Aircraft: De Havilland Canada DHC-3T Otter (DH3T)
Flight Number: YB2019
Seat: Co-pilot
Livery: Standard
Engines: 1x Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34
Registration: C-GOPP
Route: Vancouver Harbour (CXH) to Victoria Inner Harbour (YWH)
Runway used: No
Date filmed: August 2023
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Outro song - "Take Flight" by Nyhtian: • Nyhtian - Take Flight ...
© Alex Praglowski Aviation 2024
This video is the property of Alex Praglowski Aviation and may not be used for any purpose without prior permission. Contact me at the email in the "About" section of my channel for usage.

[@AlexPraglowskiAviation]

Hi! Been a while, hasn’t it? 😅 For my first actual upload of the year, I thought it was about time I flew one of my most requested airlines! Thanks for your patience, lots of good stuff coming down the pipeline in the next few weeks!

[@Useroon]

Yeah

[@thayeeboi890]

wait, i thought you already flew them

[@planeguy7777]

Hi alex!!!!

[@7.62x39mmr]

You should make videos on the recent WestJet route announcements!

[@welshtransportguy]

Been a month I’ve been dying to see a new video

[@jo3ywils0n39]

Being able to go downtown to downtown is what keeps harbour air in business. My mom is a frequent business traveller from Victoria to Vancouver, and she says there is virtually no other way for her to make it to Downtown Vancouver for an early morning meeting or conference without staying the night before. If she flies Harbour air, which she does often - She can sleep in her own bed and take a short flight in the morning and then usually walk to her meeting from the seaplane dock @ CYHC. So much more convenient.

[@sdot5389]

I’ve taken it lots of times for work too, the only is issue is their visual flight rules.

[@JeffPedlow]

I do the same on the regular. Copilot seat on the turbo otter is the best.

[@88porpoise]

Helijet is the other option. Its a bit more expensive but not that much not sure if there is much difference in the flights otherwise although I feel better on a plane than a helicopter.

[@57Jimmy]

My wife and I took HA from Maple Bay to Vancouver Harbour in September. We got to the dock good and early in the still quiet of the morning for the first flight of the day. Perfectly calm. Off behind the boathouses came the most beautiful sound, the turning over and startup of the iconic Radial cylinder engine! That DHC-2 Beaver coming out from behind the boathouses in the low rising sun, the sound of each cylinder firing in sequence as it grumbled up the harbour is truly the absolute BEST experience to witness! About 100’ off the dock the pilot kills the engine, again hearing every mechanical motion of each cylinders piston, connecting rods, valves and lifters winding down and then the quiet gurgling sound as the water slips past the pontoons on the way in, all these sounds go directly to ones soul! Take off and flight was just as spectacular. The takeoff run starts oh so slowly as he nudges the throttle bit by bit, cross checking the engine instruments carefully for the first critical engine check of the day. Finally he goes ‘balls to the wall’ and the ol’ beauty springs into life with its iconic deafening roar, lifting up onto step then becoming airborne! Does it sound like I’m excited and want to relive this experience every single day?👍💕🇨🇦

[@dmacpher]

Love that the single Otter has the single pilot exemption from transport Canada, I used to commute daily on Harbour air and loved riding shotgun.

[@chrissyo25]

I remember when I was 11, my dad took me on a harbour air flight whilst on vacation in vancouver. It was just a 45 minute flight on a seaplane near the mountains and back, to tour the area. Now my name is chris, and the pilots name was also chris! The pilot gave me the most unforgettable experience as he let me sit in the co-pilot seat for the entire flight! Since it was just him flying, I was allowed to sit in the right seat for the entire flight and wear the headset. We got to talk and I listened in on his ATC conversations. My dad was also taking videos of me the entire time from the back lol. I ended up extending the flight to about an hour before we landed and the pilot gave me a little captain pin to remember it. I don't think I'll ever forget this experience as it was truly special to sit at the controls to an airplane as a kid and talk to a pilot. I would 1000% fly with them again for a tour!

[@naturallyherb]

I went on their Twin Otter in March 2021 and January 2024, and it was definitely one of my favorite flight experiences ever! Love their well-designed lounges and complimentary coffee. I've also filmed the uncut full flight between Vancouver and Victoria on their planes!

[@JoeTourist]

Living on Vancouver Island most of my life means I've flown seaplanes a lot. It's great to see you share our beautiful area with your audience. Next flight in this area I would recommend would be Vancouver to Tofino, where you have two choices: Harbour Air seaplane (harbour to harbour) or Pacific Coastal, where take off is from YVR's South Terminal and you get to land on an old air defence airport which happens to be right across the road from Long Beach!

[@jayladusterhoft737]

I love going to the Flying Beaver in Richmond just to watch the floats take off and land ❤️

[@keithjellis2038]

Sunset with a beer in the pub on the river. Amazing place

[@88porpoise]

My old office building had meeting rooms overlooking Vancouver Harbour. Watching the planes take off and land was a godsend in those tedious meetings and calls.

[@barbaracameron5610]

I watched the flying beaver planes take off 20 yrs ago at their place near the airport I was crew from US airplane.very cool

[@H3dgeh0g12]

Harbour Air is also a leading force in electric aviation, the retrofitted a 1956 DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver with a 750hp motor from magniX with the hope of using it for passenger flights in the future and as a proof of concept.

[@Hoovie9596]

This could be your best video yet ! Excellent!

[@wilfstor3078]

Vancouver Harbor Flight Center does technically have defined runways, as they have airport charts and predetermined approach patterns, and they have buoys in the water to roughly mark the place for planes to take off

[@freedomforever6718]

I have flown in a De Havilland Beaver on floats in Alaska several times and it is by far the best aircraft experience I've ever had.

[@Rocker-1234]

thats one think i cant give De Havilland enough credit for. dude filled his niche so perfectly that hes now got companies making new builds of twin otters to fill the growing float plane market decades after we were all told seaplanes and flying boats were a dead industry.

[@pilotleader]

Wow Alex, one of your best ever! No doubt, a once in a lifetime with the best seat and perfect weather - a home run for an aviation journalist!

[@rogerhiggs3495]

Alex, that's a truly sensational video, thank you. I flew Harbour Air (excellent all-round) Vancouver to Victoria twice last summer, in a Twin Otter. Also Vancouver to Gabriola, and immediately back to Van, in the co-pilot seat, my first time in a glorious Beaver at last (I'm 70), C-FOCN, across the Georgia Strait at 500 feet and 100mph coming back! That flight, with the outstanding 'Gulf Island Seaplanes', was magnificent; 'threading the needle'' through the narrow pass into Silva Bay is especially exhilarating. You'd LOVE it. Yours are the best aviation videos on the internet. Best wishes from Roger Higgs (in England).

[@stanleovart]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="90">1:30</a> - terminal and all that airplanes looks SOOO COOL!

[@kornibel9565]

at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="414">6:54</a> you can make out a the beautiful vortex that the propeller is making

[@maxenloteyro]

it honestly looks amazing

[@KaratedudeYT]

Flying Victoria to Vancouver in a seaplane as a kid is one of my favorite childhood memories! I love watching them too

[@10lauset]

When I lived on Protection Island in Nanaimo Harbour, I took the airline to go to Vancouver Airport where it had a landing on the Fraser River and transportation to the main terminal. Totally convenient without the hassle of ferries, direct from home (by boat) to YVR. Thanks for this video. I also chartered them for a flight when I brought back two mastiff puppies (carried in a box) along with four other friends, two adults and children from the Sunshine Coast back to Protection Island (Nanaimo). Cheers.

[@SuperRede4u]

Alex, I hope that when Harbour Air gets the certification on their EV (or should that be EA- Electric Aircraft) Beaver that you can be onboard the inaugural flight. That would really be something.

[@davemacmurchie6982]

Yes! I was just about to suggest that.

[@ruthmauel3195]

This is an EXCELLENT documentary and commentary of Harbour Air, the history of the specific plane, the stable and slow videography and the educational information. Thank you. We are sold and will be taking this flight in the near future. Thank you very much.

[@ShrekWasp]

Thank you for this video. I had an email telling me a YVR to YYJ flight I had booked for the summer had been cancelled this morning and none of the other WestJet or Air Canada flights had times that worked. Saw this and thought I'd check Harbour Air website and they had a flight at the perfect time. Wouldn't have thought to check them otherwise.

[@user-el1lj8up4x]

The fact that you sat right next to the captain is so fascinating to me

[@aidanmouellic5919]

Harbour Air rules. Always ask to sit next to the pilot! It’s an amazing experience I’ve done twice in the past year and the pilots are so cool and professional. Could not recommend Harbour Air more. I feel very blessed to have been able to experience their service.

[@belarussamsun9962]

This is by far the best video ever made. I like to try this someday.

[@FunkMasterJunk]

Nice video. Only one thing missing about the HA experience. A pint at the Flying Beaver!

[@jonathanscott550]

This was actually quite entertaining. Yes I always thought of wheel based airline's, but pontoon's I now see are another way of air transportation commercially Thanks Alex

[@Mazerage2023]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="409">6:49</a> those vortices look sooo cool

[@Warmachine_23]

Wow what an awesome flight that was, I'm super jealous. Thanks for sharing it.

[@rookietrucker-vi]

I love Harbour Air, I have fond memories being flown out to Vancouver one time to visit my mother when she worked there. As a 12 year old, it was a surreal experience being given the opportunity to sit up front in the cockpit during the journey. Definitely a core memory for sure.

[@RedwoodGeorge]

Such a wonderful airline! I once took a trip to Victoria from Northern California in what turned out to be an all De Havilland trip: We took a Dash-8 from Santa Rosa to Seattle and back, then a Harbour AIr DHC-2 Beaver from Seattle to Victoria, day tripped to Vancouver on a Turbo Otter both ways and then flew a Twin Otter back to Seattle. The most exciting leg, by far, was on the Beaver, which is quite a piece of history - and I got to sit in the co-pilot seat!!! While Victoria and Vancouver were beautiful, it's the planes I remember the most...

[@Blogzer]

Back in the 70s, I was a ramp rat in Vancouver Harbour for (not Hughes) AirWest -- predecessor to Harbour Air. I can say the newer terminal is a giant step up from the facility back in the day. Sadly, however, the Air Affair disco no longer sits in an adjacent hotel overlooking the float plane docks! :) If you want excitement, be the one docking a Turbo Goose, with the props sitting way forward as one tried to loop the nose cleat. More excitement of deicing the wings of the float planes in winter walking atop frosty wings spraying deicing fluid! Summers were grand, though. Happy memories and very sad memories (crash) from those days. I still remember that "Twenties" (20 gallons in forward and aft tank) was the usual fuel order for a Twin Otter flight to Victoria harbour.

[@ao8]

Absolutely love Harbour Air, now you gotta go for flights on their Twin Otter and Beaver!!

[@mikee9065]

Thirty years working in the forest industry on the British Columbia coast I've had opportunities to ride Harbour Air and many other seaplane operators airplanes. Always very professional with excellently maintained aircraft I'd fly with them again, anywhere. BC coast, still my home, the most beautiful place on the planet.

[@PeterNGloor]

I flew with them, also in a Turbo-Otter, got a front seat, great view. Super service.

[@robscott9414]

Passing over the Lion’s Gate must have been soooo cool! Looked like a perfect day for a low alt flight!

[@JeffPedlow]

I fly this route a few times a year, it's fantastic. If you get the right seat, you're in for a treat. Sometimes pilot is more than happy to have a chat while cruising along. Would highly recommend.

[@shawnbell6392]

Nothing like a sunny day in Vancouver! You should also fly this route on Helijet Airways in their 12 passenger Sikorsky S-76 helicopters. They also depart from Coal Harbor.

[@claudenormandeau9211]

Beautiful ride Alex. I am surprised you didn't mention their electric driven aircraft.

[@barontaylor7139]

The Hullo ferry to Nanaimo operates from the same dock in Vancouver as Harbour Air

[@timward2001]

My favourite airline (since the demise of Air UK). We always find an excuse to go for a ride with Harbour Air when we visit BC.

[@benjaminhdavies]

Love flying on the floatplane. I think HA just added an electric floatplane to the fleet. The flight from downtown Vancouver to Comox is great!!

[@DarthFurball]

Great video capturing this magical route, Alex! If you're lucky, you can sometimes catch pods of orcas or humpback whales from the air too.

[@TheRealJazz359]

there’s a really small seaplane airline in Elliot Lake, ON called Glassy Bay Airways. you can charter out an entire aircraft for like, $500. it’s really nice, and the scenery is ABSOLUTELY stunning. really nice video, though!!!!

[@stefanschneider3681]

We had the luck to fly on seaplanes several times in the Maldives. Their base in Male might be just as busy, it was always great fun!

[@ruthbickerstaffe1915]

Alex, of all your videos I think this is my favourite. I know of Harbour Air but have never travelled on them. Usually using AC from Vancouver to Victoria. It was really nice that you got to sit up front and see and hear everything first hand. I was delighted to hear the history of GOPP which in its self was so interesting. Great to know that at 60+ years it is still in demand. Thank you 🛫

[@felixtheswiss]

Reminds me of my Mailflight with CorilAir out of Campbell River BC. The most fun flights of my life.

[@BryanW22]

that's so awesome that they let you sit in the copilot seat

[@XxXNinjaFanXxX]

before i became a tower controller at YVR, i actually did my on the job training at CXH (the harbor atc tower alex mentioned earlier). i loved it there, i always got so many looks when i scanned my badge to go to the tower, i was barely 20 years old and some of the older people that worked in the office buildings in floors below always gave me the wtf look lol. it really is a unique experience working in that tower, most of the people in that tower were nearing retirement, some of the nicest people you could ever meet, lots of cool war stories (most of them transferred to civilian atc after the wars). i always go back from time to time now, but man was that a unique job.

[@knarf_on_a_bike]

Stunning! Thank you for sharing.

[@88porpoise]

I have flown on Harbour Air twice. The first time it was in weather than was barely good enough to allow us to fly. It was brutal with me needing to literally hold onto my seat. The person I was travelling with swore she would never get on their planes again. The next time was a crystal clear, perfect day and i got the copilot seat. It was bloody awesome.

[@ionut8256]

I did a "mail run" on the Otter and the Beaver in 2022, flying from Vancouver to Salt Spring and Maple Bay. Super cool experience, and a beautiful part of the world

[@HOWNDOG66]

Now you need to add the Beaver bar, Nanaimo, Tofino, ..... etc to your bucket list. Recommend a radial DHC2. My usual and preferred travel around home on Vancouver island

[@jamesunger8433]

I have the highest admiration for floatplane pilots. Landing on a moving runway you transition from a plane to a boat and have to deal with the variables of current, waves, other water craft, and have to glide into the dock..no brakes! No designated taxiways though there are designated corridors for taxiing to the terminal. I flew a wheeled 172 over Vancouver Harbour many times on the way up the coast and it's a special experience (after over flying YVR mid field and watching the big boys approaching and departing. THAT was an experience in and of itself! Wonderful video and I hope those nervous fliers find this video re assuring: Float pilots are a CUT ABOVE THE REST! they are truly stick and rudder pilots.

[@maxl5528]

Hi, I flew Harbor Air in 2018 to Victoria and it was very fun. Will definitely do it again.

[@67sontop]

Yes! I've wanted to watch this for months! Great video Alex!

[@alexlehman3522]

I also had the privilege of sitting up fron last summer. When I was planning a trip out west, I knew Harbour Air had to be in the TO-DO list. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did :D

[@mrwhosenotheboss]

Love it Alex! You never complain about anything and I love that about you!

[@stevebeschakis9775]

I did it a couple years ago. It was fun...kinda loud, but spectacular because we stayed low all the way to Victoria and back to Seattle. Victoria is a great town for aimless strolling. We saw a parade ...with Mounties! heh

[@Big_blue]

Amazing video, Alex. Well done

[@jaquigreenlees]

There is one more nearby Seaplane line, one that has a reputation for rebuilding Beavers with custom pontoons and windows: Kenmore Air on Lake Washington in Seattle. They make a "bubble" window that gives slightly better views near the pontoons and make amphibious pontoons with electric-hydraulic wheels that cab be lowered to let the plane drive up a ramp after landing, or land on a runway after taking off from water and visa-versa.

[@donstravelsandrants.]

I flew on one of them in September 2022. It was fantastic. 👍😊💙🇮🇪🇨🇦

[@MrKmarken]

This is one of my favorite videos that you have done. And I love them all! That so great that you Alex got to sit up front! I was happy for you. Well done!

[@rudyhachey7440]

that was incredible !!!! thank you Alex, much enjoyed....

[@adifferentkennybaker]

Great video. Well done.

[@howi]

Beautiful BC indeed! Also great to learn about the little history about this very airframe. Thank you for sharing this trip!

[@mikes6221]

Fantastic report Alex. Amazing scenery and you captured it beautifully.

[@HoggerCaptain]

Another great video, Alex. Awesome flight and some beautiful scenery to take it too.

[@mothmagic1]

I hope you enjoyed your flight with them. A great little airline. I made the same flight with them back in 2002 and would love the chance to fly with this friendly operation again. When I made that trip we actually flew ove YVR

[@kitscotygal]

We did a tour from Salt Spring island back in 2017 with them. It is one of my top favourite flight stories. We were there for a wedding and we organized it for the family, my mom dad and I to do on one of our free days.

[@Wyliedawg]

What an incredible view Alex, that was a fantastic video Sir!

[@jonweigand3712]

Best video yet!! Feels so much more interesting when we are flying lower.

[@cbrbird]

The best way to get across Georgia Strait for sure, until the weather turns. Then its a scramble for ferries or the regular planes. I've made dozens of Turbine Otter flights with Harbour Air. I've sat in the right seat when we had to abruptly climb over a gull on short final into Richmond (a woman in the back screamed); been on their amphibious planes from both Langley and Pitt Meadows to Victoria; done the same run you took so many times (usually in a Twin Otter), but I've never seen condensation off the propeller tips like you experienced. Great Video...

[@mikejackman4416]

Great video (as usual) great catch on the front seat,,,,definitely on our bucket list thanks for this one

[@denault3985]

Interesting video and such a smooth landing on the water. Of course, great 4k photography!

[@mojavebnsf1623]

Great video Alex. You couldn't have picked a better day for the flight. Stunning scenery.

[@cskvision]

Wow, this is an awesome experience, thanks for taking us along for the ride Alex! Maybe there's similar flights up in Alaska too

[@friendlygiant2502]

Did a sightseeing tour back in 2014 and 2016. Love the whole vibes of the seaplanes, vancouver city, the scenary around. All so beautiful and such great memories!

[@FinnTheCanadian]

Godsh Harbour air is definitely one I need to try next time I need to go to the mainland, These scenic views never get old

[@nicknelson6229]

It’s a great airline and the views in summer are nothing short of stunning anywhere on the coast. Loved this video.

[@kyle604]

Better late than never! Glad you finally got to give our best west coast air experience a try and on such a beautiful day too!

[@jcbaily5559]

What a great video. It reminds me of flying on Alaska Coastal and Ellis Airlines back in the day down in SE Alaska as seaplane travel was a major way to get around then. You really picked a fantastic day for flying and I hope you can fly more with Harbor to other communities over time. Take care and stay safe!

[@captaingonzo3335]

Great Video! I remember my first time flying Harbour Air's twin otter. The best flight experience of my life!

[@egpx]

I’ve flown with Harbour Air a few times and it is a wonderful experience. In fact I had one of the best days of my life when I did the ‘Milk Run’. That was a series of flights, Vancouver Harbour-Ganges (Salt Spring Island)-Maple Bay (Vancouver Island) and return. The Ganges-Maple Bay-Ganges legs were in a Beaver and only lasted a few minutes as the two are only six miles apart! The other flights were in the DHC-3T, one of which was the same aircraft Alex flew on here, C-GOPP. Then, to cap it all, I then got one of the scheduled flights to Victoria Harbour where, like Alex, I sat in the copilot seat in another DHC-3T. The weather was much the same as Alex’s flights, absolutely glorious. Every flight with Harbour Air is memorable, to do five of them in a day was fantastic.

[@DavidM2002]

I've lived in Vancouver for almost all of my 69 years but have never flown on Harbour Air. I see their aircraft flying overhead all the time. Glad you made it. Decades ago, there were 4 fuel barges; not just Chevron. I don't recall them all but they were essentially the 4 big name oil companies at that time IIRC. Home, Shell, Texaco, and B/A ??? . And, to go further back in history, what you see behind and to the left of the Chevron barge is / was HMCS Discovery which was a Canadian military training facility ( yes, they used the HMCS moniker ). My father did some of his World War II navy training there in 1943.

[@michaelphillips4455]

Great video. Brought back great memories of our flight in July 2008 from Coal Harbour.

[@jessemillington5988]

Loved this video! well done and nice scenery shots! Almost at 100k subscribers! keep it coming folks, best aircraft youtuber on the net for real in-depth aircraft content!!

[@hancin993]

I used them once from seattle to vancouver, they were the cheapest option, and the little fishing shack they have in the harbour for customs is adorable! The view from this altitude, lower passenger count, and direct downtown access is phenomenal.

[@Dbodell8000]

Love the flight from Vancouver harbour to Nanaimo harbour so beautiful.

[@nybotor1]

Excellent video! I always find it interesting how foreign the concept of a seaplane airline is outside of the west coast.

[@theundeniedhugo]

Nice video alex!

[@gcorriveau6864]

Living near Departure Bay in Nanaimo, I have used the Seair services several times to get to downtown Vancouver and also to the Richmond Seaplane base connecting to YVR. I highly recommend that service as well. Nice video - thanks!

[@ronchecora5266]

Excellent videography!

[@HughBenham]

Alex, What a great video showcasing one of the most unique and special airline companies in the world. Next time take the "puddle jumper" through the islands! I had the distinct pleasure of the flying Harbour Air many years ago between Vancouver and Saltspring Island. I too am an airplane geek just a different kind. Turbulence to me is a rush as I got to fly in small seaplanes as a youngster over Lake of the Woods as well as a been gliding a few times. Then many moons ago I did my first solo jump out of a perfectly good airplane. Time to get airborne again!

[@thomasmcmanus6575]

Awesome 👌 video.

[@rachelehrenberg9231]

I am so glad you got to make this trip. At the Richmond terminal they are adjacent to my local pub...the Flying Beaver. So cool my tall friend.

[@KensHobbies409]

This was so amazing to see & great commentary. You just filled Me in with a little more great information about Our Beautiful Province of British Columbia. My time down in Victoria, I was so tempted to take a trip with Harbour Air while I was there, but just could not afford it.

[@abroadjoel9478]

Very interesting Video as always Alex thanks for making interesting content and I did not even know that harbour air existed

[@sherylsmith4324]

Love this!

[@rjirwin497]

Definitely On My Bucket List ❤

[@michaelbruchas6663]

Thanks!