Victorian takes flight to help medical charity
Bob Vance is going on the adventure of a lifetime.
In January, the 81-year-old Victoria man will be a passenger on one leg of an epic fundraising flight starting from Kelowna, around the tip of South America, then north to Florida. The journey, totalling 32,000 kilometres, begins on Jan. 2 and is expected to take 60 days, with 57 landings in 20 countries.
The trip is called Give Hope Wings because Vance and his friends plan to raise $500,000 for Hope Air, a charity that helps Canadians fly to get medical care. If the team reaches its goal, it will be able to fund about 2,000 medical flights.
“It’s about adventure. It’s about people who have been successful, who have done well in life and who want to help the less fortunate because they have enjoyed the fruits of life,” said Vance, a retired lumber executive.
He will fly to Panama from San Diego, a 4,000-km journey that’s expected to take about 10 days. The idea for the trip came in August 2016 when Vance’s friend of 40 years, Dave McElroy, flew to Victoria in his homebuilt VAN’s Aircraft RV-6. The two flew to Sechelt to visit a friend, then back to Victoria.
As Vance got out of the plane, he said: “Dave, if you ever want company on your next trip I would like the opportunity to join you.”
He knew he’d be in good hands. In 2014, McElroy, a retired woods products executive, raised money for two charities by flying a singleengine Piper Comanche around the world in 80 days. He had also made a two-week hop over Alaska, the Yukon and the North West Territories earlier that summer.
A week later, McElroy phoned and asked Vance to join him on a 60-day, 32,000-km journey. Vance said yes. McElroy thought it best for two planes to make the journey. He asked Russ Airey, a retired Chrysler Canada executive from Windsor Ont. who owns a homebuilt aircraft, to join them. Harold Fast of Spiritwood, Sask., was invited to be a third crew member.
But in December 2016, Vance became ill and was rushed to hospital. He felt listless and overwhelmed for several months and eventually called McElroy to cancel the trip. “Don’t worry, Bob. All will be fine. Get better,” McElroy told him.
The crew came up with the plan to offer Vance’s empty seat to donors willing to make a donation to Hope Air in return for flying on one of eight legs of the journey.
A relieved Vance, who was also feeling better, decided he was well enough to fly one of the legs closer to home. Reg Willick of Sooke has also signed up for one leg of the trip. So far, funds to fill the empty seat have topped $200,000.
“These planes are only 20 feet from wingtip to wingtip and from nose to tail,” said Vance. “These are very small planes. There’s no washroom so we won’t be drinking a lot of coffee. There’s only room for soft-sided bags.”
The aviators will be flying the planes about three to four hours a day, Vance said. There will be stops along the way for fuel, washroom breaks, food and a little sightseeing.
The planes will travel down the western edge of North and South America as far south as Ushuaia, the capital of Tiera del Fuego. From there, they’ll head north up the eastern side of South America through the Caribbean to Fort Pierce, Florida. Then, the planes will take different routes. McElroy will return to Kelowna and Airey will fly to Ontario.
“Hope Air has been around for 30 years. It does a good job helping people with low income get health care,” Vance said.