Weather on your Flight Day
 
Weather Confirmation
 
When you book your flight, you will be asked to provide a telephone number. This is where you will receive a message (6 to 12 hours before your flight) about weather.
 
If your provide a cell #, you will receive a text message. If you provide a land-line, you will receive a voice message (from a computer).
 
Weather Safety
 
Nothing effects flight safety more than weather. So we take the weather decision very seriously. Your pilot will get a forecast from an aviation meteorologist - then send out the go/no-go messages. Sometimes the forecast is good, but the flight day turns out different - so again your pilot will get a local briefing minutes before the flight. Please understand if we have to cancel after you get to the airport - this sometimes happens when the forecast and reality don't end up in sync. Safety comes first.
 
If your flight is cancelled due to weather (or maintenance) you will always be re-booked for another flight.
 
But it's raining!
 
You and your pilot look at weather very differently. What looks like a beautiful day to you, might be a frightening day to fly. And what looks like a terrible day to you, might be a perfectly safe flying day. In fact, it is sometimes this gap between perception and reality that gets inexperienced pilots into trouble with the weather.
 
Your pilot and meteorologist will consider what types of clouds are in the air, at what altitudes they are based, what kind of wind and pressure gradient exists, visibility factors (mist, fog, smoke, haze, dust), and many other items which they don't talk about on the Weather Channel.
 
Also, our earth-bound view of the weather can sometimes trick us into confusing very local weather conditions for a general pattern. Your pilot has a lot of weather training and experience. He (she) also has access to expert resources at Environment Canada. Trust him (or her) to make the correct decision.
 
Who cancels.
 
Image if you show up for an Air Canada flight to Toronto - then decide not to go because you don't like the weather. If Air Canada feels it's safe to go, and you don't, good luck asking for your money back.
 
Of course you're not our prisoner - and are free to cancel your flight at any time. But if we cancel due to weather, you get another flight. If you cancel for weather (when your pilot says it's ok) then you forfeit your flight. Fair?