KIDS TAKE TO THE SKIES AT THE FLIGHTFEST, JUNE 12-13

Hope's annual celebration, on June 12-13, of our little grass air field is
taking off to great heights this year, as organizers tie together the
finishing touches on the number of the free family events.

Hope Flight Fest committee hopes to welcome a number of vintage aircraft,
in the past even the red baron has been known to show up, delighting
audiences at the chance to climb into the cockpit, and step back into the
days of the biplane.

This year organizers have skydiving and paragliding demonstrations, or
check out the scale model planes and helicopters - they put on quite the show.

There's loads of food at the pancake breakfast and evening steak barbecue
planned.

Kids can also join in the art contest through their local schools, or make
a kite for a group fly-off.

Tempted to hit the skies yourself? Then join the range of aircraft offering
test flights at discounted rates.

A new addition to this year's event is the partnership of the RCMP DARE
(Drug Awareness and Resistance Education) program and the Hope Flight Fest.
The brainchild of Boundary Bay Flying Club and the Young Eagles Program, a
number of DARE students participating in a poster contest will be selected
from the Fraser Valley area and the Lower Mainland for a free flight to the
Boundary Bay airport and back to Hope. The theme for the poster contest was
"pilots fly high without drugs," says local DARE co-ordinator RCMP
Constable Erika Dirsuss.

The students will be taken on a tour of the Boundary Bay airport and
control tower.

"The idea behind all this is to promote the DARE program and what it stands
for-. And the partnership may just take off in the future, for the
possibilities are endless," added Dirsuss.

"This event also encourages the students to see what aviation is all about
and at the end of the day these kids get a certificate for being a 'young
eagle'."

Specially trained DARE RCMP officers head into classrooms one day a week
for ten weeks to educate young students about substance abuse and violence.

For more information on the Flight Fest check out hopeflightfest.com