YVR, YYC, YWH, YCLQ

Posted on by cassmob

My 2025 A to Z theme is Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with. I’ll be using IATA codes where they’re available. My inner travel agent emerges at this point as I’m the FTO (family travel organiser) and now, the online travel agent.

YVR     Vancouver International Airport, Sea Island, Richmond, Vancouver, Canada

We were very excited to finally get to see Canada and this was our gateway in 2017, after RootsTech in Salt Lake.

I liked their use of Indigenous art to welcome people to Vancouver, British Columbia, and the nation.

What I remember most about the drive into Vancouver city, was that the housing was different from what I had expected. Somehow I’d been thinking the houses would be stone or brick, but on further thought, it made sense that timber would be more likely.

This artwork was in our hotel’s foyer – I had to have a photo of our neck of the world, including Australia’s Top End and Papua New Guinea.

YYC      Calgary International Airport, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

It was a pretty miserable, overcast day with thick cloud cover as we drove from Banff to Calgary. I kept thinking of the fact the Calgary Stampede is on our daughter’s wish list. (I’m 100% sure her family would not be keen on seeing winter weather).

Calgary airport under snow.

While I don’t recall any details of the interior of the airport, we were both mesmerized by the de-icing of the aircraft before we could take off. We’d never experienced this before and it was fascinating to these sub-tropical people. I wanted to add a video of the de-icing but couldn’t get it to work.

Starting the de-icing process.

On the other hand, once we were airborne, the skies were clear and the views magnificent.

En route Calgary to Vancouver

YWH   Victoria Inner Harbour Airport, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

I mentioned under CHX how we’d planned a sea-plane flight from Victoria Island back to Vancouver’s Coal Harbour. We could see the aircraft from our hotel which added to our anticipation of the flight. Of course, the biggest trick is ensuring you have minimal luggage with you, so we’d left most of our heavier luggage at the hotel in Vancouver.

The “airport” at Victoria Harbour.
Happy birthday to my other half (and a treat for me).

What amazing fun it was to take this flight! We both loved it and relished the opportunity to view the scenery in a completely different way from our trip over in the ferry. I’d do it again in a heart-beat. And if we don’t get back to Canada we will have to look out for other opportunities.

Between Victoria Inner Harbour and Vancouver’s Coal Harbour.

YCLQ   Cape Leveque Airstrip, Cape Leveque, Western Australia

We took a small plane flight from Broome in 1997 so that we could see the Horizontal Waterfalls. At the time, the flight also gave you time at Cape Leveque, which is no longer used for flights apparently. I remember the scenery, but I also remember the green tree frogs en masse in the toilet bowls – not uncommon in the tropics.

Cape Leveque. P Cass 1997

We enjoyed the Horizontal Waterfall section of the flight and would likely do it again if we got a chance, after all it’s nearly 30 years since we were there. I can’t see myself doing the speed boat trip through the Falls, which may be a good thing since it’s being discontinued in 2028 as the local Indigenous people regard it as a sacred site.

Horizontal Waterfalls from the air. P Cass 1997

Canada is popular with Aussies. Has anyone been to these places in British Columbia? Have you seen a plane de-iced?

The Horizontal Waterfalls are off the beaten track for most but I wonder if any of my readers have been there? Does a speed boat ride through the Falls appeal to you?

24 thoughts on “YVR, YYC, YWH, YCLQ”

  3. Our flight to Canada landed in Anchorage and we left by ship. I wish we had gone to Victoria when we stayed with friends in Seattle but too late now. Our flight to Horizontal Waterfalls took off from Derby WA. It was a memorable flight, especially landing by seaplane on the water. The boat trip was fun but not quite what I expected. I have heard it can be dangerous.

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  5. We love Canada. Our son had a fellowship there so we made a couple of trips, arriving at YYC – Calgary, to see the family and did quite a lot of touring the western states while there. We haven’t forgotten the east and flew into Montreal – YUL, spent a few days and then cruised to New York.

    We also flew into Victoria – YYJ. I had forgotten about YWH, the seaplane port. We also made a last minute decision to ditch the ferry and fly across to Vancouver. So pleased we did, it was a spectacular trip topped off by seeing our cruise ship waiting in the Harbour for us.

    We managed to attend the Stampede and several associated events and had a ball. Such a friendly time in warm weather.

    I also mention YUL – Yulara, I wish we would have flown there but the long dusty road trip from Darwin was interesting.

    Yes we have been through the Horizontal Falls in a speed boat, just prior to the accident which shut down that service for a while.

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    1. Seems we’ve been to some similar places in Canada though I would really like to have gone to see the eastern towns (reading Louise Penny books). The stampede would be a ton of fun! Our daughter flew into YUL to meet us for the Uluru trip.

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  7. My sister Helen lives in Nova Scotia so I hope to go there one day! I have never seen de-icing done that way but I know metal planes did (perhaps still do) have inflatable rubber strips near the leading edge to break off ice build up in flight…

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    1. Ooh, I would LOVE to visit Nova Scotia…it was on my bucket list but sadly no longer possible. I didn’t know anything about de-icing, so that extra bit of info is intriguing.

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      1. My sister used to live in Alberta and she and hubbie naturalised as Canadians then. They came back to UK for a few years before moving to Nova Scotia…

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  9. Have not been to any of those places but my husband certainly knows about ice and planes. He flew a Pilatus Porter in the Antarctic for the summer season in 1977 -78. Had to attach the wings first when they got the plane off the Nella Dan. Ancient history now, still trying to get him to write about it.

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  10. I like your pictures of the First Nations decorations at the Vancouver International Airport. I was there perhaps 15 years ago and I noticed those decorations too and thought they added personality to the airport.

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