Demo Flights

Demo Flight

The Challenger is best experienced in its natural environment - the sky.

We are pleased to offer prospective customers a scenic discovery flight of at least one hour in duration that will explore the majority of the flight envelope of the Challenger: including (and respectful of your wishes of course):

Pre-Flight Inspection, Warm-Up, Run-Up, Taxi and Takeoff
Cruise Flight
Slow Flight and stall characteristics
Normal turns
Steep turns - you just pick an interesting spot you'd like to orbit and we'll do the rest.
Water take off and landing (conditions permitting and assuming our floats are installed)
Snow take off and landing (conditions permitting and assuming our skis are installed)
Cruise and slow flight at lower levels (but always at safe and legal altitude and proximity)
On hot summer days when there are appropriate thermals, and appropriate terrain available, if you wish, we may shut the engine off and show you the Challenger's soaring capabilities.
On occasion, field conditions permitting, we have been known to land and take off at our farm en-route if we happen to be in the vicinity. We are not likely to put down in just any old field, however. It tends to annoy the farmers!
Landing (this maneuver is a required element!). If we're favoured with a cross wind, you'll get to see just what an incredible airplane the Challenger is.

Our airplanes are equipped with headsets and a two place intercom so we are in constant communication with you, and you can hear us on the radio to airport and en-route frequencies. We explain what we're going to do before we do it, so there are no surprises, and so you feel comfortable and are aware of what we're about to make the airplane do.

Bring your camera - the view is awesome!

While the Challenger is quite at home in rough air, wind, etc., and we're happy to fly in this kind of weather, we generally prefer to do demo flights on calmer days. Calmer air makes the experience that much more enjoyable for you and for us because we never really know in advance of a flight just how much light airplane experience folks really have. Some folks are just prone to bravado, and only fess up once they have slipped the surly bonds!

So while we're happy to crank and bank in the roughest air, we prefer to do it when there isn't a new flyer in the back seat turning green!

Demo Flight Pricing

Demo flights need to be booked in advance and require a non-refundable deposit of $140 on a Challenger. We have to drive for almost an hour each way from/to our farm and the airport, and we have a few expenses for airplane fuel, engine allowance, etc. so this is less than cost recovery. If you buy a kit from ChallengerWest within one year of the demo flight, we will happily apply your demo flight deposit towards the purchase price.

Flights are always subject to weather and we can't guarantee mechanical cooperation. While we've only had to cancel one demo flight in about 3 dozen due to mechanical issues (a starter failed and I didn't have a spare on hand) it does happen - even to the commercial airlines.

Welcome to aviation. Sometimes you want to go, but the airplane just won't let you!

Free Photos

If Tracy and I are both in attendance, which is often the case, we like to take some high quality digital photos of you in the plane before takeoff, takeoff, landing, and after landing. We'll email these pictures to you at no cost. We quite enjoy capturing and preserving what is affectionately known as the Challenger Grin.