THE THRILL OF A BACKCOUNTRY HELICOPTER LANDING
Resident Brian Dickinson, 82, of Chartwell Lynnwood Retirement Residence
in Chilliwack, BC, had a dream: he wished to experience the excitement of
a unique adventure he was unable to complete some 40 years earlier.
Thanks to Chartwell’s partnership with Wish of a Lifetime Canada, Brian’s
wish became reality when his helicopter landed atop a snow-covered
mountain with Vancouver Island and volcanic Mount Baker in the distance!
“This made me realize what
a wonderful world we live in.
The entire experience was the
highlight, from start to finish.”
Brian grew up in London, England and during his time in the navy,
he developed a strong admiration for the
maintenance of lifeboats. One of the
cadets Brian had instructed and
befriended was a member
of the Great Yarmouth
Lifeboat Crew. It was
this cadet’s invitation
to participate in a
lifeboat exercise
with the Royal
Air Force that
later became
the catalyst
for Brian’s
wish of a
lifetime.
After being
outfitted
in
full
survival
gear and taken
to the (theoretical)
site of a sinking yacht
for the training exercise, Brian
learned that he was to be cast as a
survivor who would be airlifted from the water by an
approaching Royal Airforce helicopter. Just as the maneu-
ver was about to commence, something unexpected
happened—the operation was cut short and the helicopter
was called away to an actual emergency!
In June, Brian and his companion flew by helicopter out
of the Sky Hangar at Pitt Meadows Airport. Under beautiful
skies, they cruised over the west coast to see magnificent
waterfalls, alpine lakes and glacier peaks. For an added bonus,
the crew performed the backcountry landing Brian had always dreamed of.
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RENDEZVOUS | WINTER 2018/2019