Give Hope Wings Plans Northwest Expedition

The BC Aviation Council is a proud affiliate of Hope Air and its work.

In June/July 2019, Give Hope Wings will take to the air again with a three-week, 12,000-kilometre flying expedition across British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Alaska.

The flight is comprised of three aircraft owned by Dave McElroy, Steve Drinkwater and Ian Porter. Pilots McElroy, Drinkwater, and Porter will take off from Abbotsford, B.C. on June 15, 2019. This is the second major Give Hope Wings expedition to raise awareness and funds for Hope Air, Canada’s iconic charity which provides free flights to Canadians in financial need who must get to health care far from home.

But Give Hope Wings – The Northwest Expedition is much more than a fundraiser: It’s an idea stemming from the passions of four pilots, these three men plus Lise Ash – all four of whom have passions for generosity, flying and comraderie.

In early 2018, McElroy and two other partners flew around South America as Give Hope Wings, raising over $500,000 for Hope Air. In September, soon after McElroy had presented this remarkable story to a crowd at Abbotsford Airport, he was approached by Lise, a recently-minted pilot. She asked if Give Hope Wings was considering another flight and pledged her support as a major sponsor if this were to come to pass. Bingo: Give Hope Wings – The Northwest Expedition was born. Since that time, Drinkwater and Porter have joined the project with their aircraft, and this exciting expedition is now well along in its planning: logistics, operations, website, fundraising, etc.

The mission