2010 Olympic Fees

Landing Fees

The increase in Olympic Landing Fees reflects an increase in security and personnel costs incurred by the games. These costs, while temporary, are significant and include an increase in the training and employment of ground crews, baggage handlers, dispatch, and security personnel, as well as an extraordinary increase in insurance costs. Additionally, an Olympic FBO/Security Screening Centre has been set up at the Whistler Heliport to separate passenger pick-up and drop-off areas from restricted areas. This initiative will provide a comfortable lounge for passengers and enable them to arrive early and help alleviate security lineups. It is our intention to ensure that all passengers and their luggage pass through security in safety, comfort, and in a timely manner, during this very busy period. Note that Olympic Landing Fees will apply only during the Olympic period (January 29 - March 24, 2010) and will not extend beyond those dates.

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FBO Information

The west end of the heliport will be occupied by the DND, while the east end is the site for the FBO, handling the itinerant heliport traffic. The space in between these areas will be used for Blackcomb Aviation operations. The large Municipal Landing Pad in the centre of the heliport is the approach & take-off point for all itinerant traffic. All traffic is required to hover-taxi to or from this point.

At the east end of the heliport, the helicopter landing pads are separated from the drive-way by fence. The only public point of entry to the airside is via the CATSA screening trailer located at the far east end of the heliport driveway. Upon CATSA screening, passengers will be escorted by FBO personnel into the waiting area and their screened baggage will be transferred into a secure holding area. Their baggage will be tagged and the passengers issued a tag stub. Once screened, the passengers will not have access to their baggage until they have arrived at their destination.

Upon arrival of helicopter transportation, FBO personnel will load passenger baggage and escort the passengers to the helicopter. If the helicopter requires fuel, this will be handled before passengers are escorted from the waiting area.

Upon arrival of a loaded helicopter, passengers and their baggage will be escorted directly to the pick-up area on the driveway via the Arrivals Gate on the fence. If the passengers' pick-up transportation has not yet arrived, they will be permitted to wait in the waiting area.

Prior to leaving their initial point of departure, itinerant operators are required to contact the Whistler FBO via telephone (604-966-2106) and provide the following information:

• Operator Name
• Aircraft Type & Call-sign
• Pilot Name
• Passenger Manifest
• Pick-up Transportation Details (Company/Vehicle Type)
• Estimated Time of Arrival
• If Fuel is Required

*The passenger manifests of larger helicopters (~more than six passengers) may be sent to the FBO via email at: whistlerfbo@blackcombaviation.com

With the information provided, the operator will be assigned a landing pad for their estimated arrival time. In the case that all pads are occupied for a particular time, the operator will be assigned a pad in the next available time slot. During times of heavy traffic, an itinerant helicopter is not permitted to occupy a pad longer than the slotted time and consequently hold up traffic (ie. waiting for passengers to arrive). The helicopter must leave the heliport to allow the scheduled inbound traffic to land. Please note that itinerant parking at the heliport cannot be guaranteed and will only be available during periods when heliport traffic levels are low. If an aircraft lands with intentions to park longer than the time required to drop off or pick up their passengers there will be a fee of $50 charged every fifteen minutes the helicopter remains on the pad. An alternate option for parking is the Pemberton Airport, just a five minute flight north of Whistler.

Once approaching the vicinity of the heliport, pilots are required to notify the FBO via the VHF UNICOM frequency (122.70 MHz). Pilots are also required to state their ground movement intentions on this frequency to the other air traffic at the heliport.

There will be no public parking available at the heliport. Vehicles transiting the heliport are limited to the pick-up/drop-off loop at the east end of the driveway.

Landing pads "Alpha" and "Bravo" are the only pads where fuel is available to itinerant helicopters. These will be the primary landing pads for traffic, with pads "Charlie" and "Delta" additionally available when traffic becomes heavy. Pad Delta is reserved for "Heavy" classed helicopters.

There are two "Port-a-Potties" located between the CATSA trailer and the waiting area. Inside the waiting area there is seating and tables and additionally water and coffee available. In the same building is a communications office; where the FBO phone and VHF radio will be operated by the FBO personnel.

At the heliport there will be a front-end loader on 24-hour stand-by for snow removal. Blackcomb Aviation also has a small tractor that can aid in snow removal if weather demands it.

Itinerant Operators

To request more information about FBO operations, landings, or to send passenger manifests, contact: whistlerfbo@blackcombaviation.com