Kelowna-area neighbours make history with Dreamliner landing at YLW

Local pilots make history

Photo: Bev Freathy

Photo of Kelowna pilots who flew the 787 Dreamliner from Hawaii to Kelowna. (L) Capt. Bruce Cunningham and (R) Capt. Brad Freathy.

It isn’t every day a Boeing 787 Dreamliner touches down at Kelowna International Airport, but for the two men in the cockpit, the historical landing felt like pulling into their own driveway.

The massive jet, chartered by Lordco Auto Parts to take nearly 300 passengers from Kelowna to Hawaii and back, made a splash at YLW on Jan. 24 and then again on Feb. 1.

While the sheer size of the aircraft — 40 feet wider than any commercial jet to previously use the terminal — had aviation buffs lining Old Vernon Road to watch it land, the real story was the two locals at the controls.

Captain Brad Freathy and training captain Bruce Cunningham aren’t just colleagues; they’re neighbours from the Ellison area, living just a stone’s throw from the runway they landed the big bird on.

“Bruce and I, well, we’re both longtime Kelowna guys. We’ve been here over 30 years,” Freathy said. “It meant a lot to both of us to do that, and it’s always kind of cool to do something like that in your hometown.”

"We're almost neighbours," said Cunningham.

The "Ellison boys" had to navigate a few local hurdles to get the bird on the ground. Because of the Dreamliner’s immense wingspan, YLW had to temporarily closed taxiways, and the plane required a tow to and from the gate to avoid clipping any infrastructure.

Freathy said the approach into the valley is a bit steeper than the arrivals in Vancouver, requiring more energy management.

“It was a bit of a challenge. It was a steeper glide slope than we’re used to,” Freathy said. “You just have to configure early. And so there was a bit of thinking there, definitely.”

Despite the technical demands, Freathy says the Dreamliner is the perfect tool for the job. The aircraft is built to fly higher than most, reaching 40,000 to 41,000 feet where there is less drag, which helps with fuel efficiency and passenger comfort.

“The way it’s built allows us to... lower the cabin pressure. What that does is, rather than being at the top of Big White, you’re kind of closer to the village elevation,” Freathy said. “On a long flight, you’re way less fatigued.”

For two pilots who usually spend their time flying to Singapore or Brisbane, seeing the familiar hills of the Okanagan through the Dreamliner’s windscreen was a career highlight.

Cunningham says seeing people lined up along Old Vernon Rd. when they returned on Sunday evening, brought a lump to his throat but they did not give their fans a wing tip.

"Old Vernon Road, it was just a parking lot... people coming down to watch the airplane. We were too busy concentrating on doing one thing, and that's getting the airplane down smoothly and safely," Cunningham says.

Both pilots had nothing but rave reviews for Air Canada for allowing them to take the pilot seats and doing all the logistics to make the flight a reality.

The flight marked a milestone for YLW, proving the airport has the "reach capability" to handle some of the biggest planes in the world.