08/18/2026
What a fantastic day at the 2026 Texada Island Fly-In! This year’s event brought together locals, visitors, families, aviation enthusiasts, car lovers, and community organizations for a full day of fun, connection, and celebration.
The Texada Annual Fly-In has been bringing people together for years. What began as a small community gathering has grown into a much-loved annual event at Texada/Gillies Bay Airport, attracting aircraft and visitors from across British Columbia.
From the moment the day began and people were enjoying their pancake breakfast, we were accompanied by the sounds of planes arriving and departing, creating the perfect atmosphere for a Fly-In. ✈️
There were plenty of prizes to be won at the Fly-In, too! This year featured fun-coloured Starbucks cups, a fancy first-aid kit, and, finally, the grand prize: the 50/50 draw!
There was plenty for younger visitors to enjoy as well, including a kids’ paper airplane competition with prizes and the interactive machines in the Texada Aerospace Camp building. It was a fun way to bring the aviation theme down to earth and get the next generation involved!
TACT (Texada Arts, Culture & Tourism) was also there throughout the event, helping represent and showcase the community.
And, of course, there were the vintage cars! Visitors could walk through the classic car display, admire the vehicles, and vote for their favourite. The winners were announced later in the day, adding some friendly competition to an already busy afternoon. 🚗
One of the biggest highlights came at 12:30 p.m., when we were lucky enough to welcome the Cormorant, a Search and Rescue helicopter from Comox. The aircraft flew in and hovered over the event before some of the crew demonstrated the skills and safety procedures used by search-and-rescue crews.
This year’s demonstration even had a fun Texada twist: instead of rescuing a person, the helicopter helped “rescue” burgers from the Fly-In concession, which was serving its delicious lunch at the time! 🍔🚁 It was an entertaining moment for the crowd and a great way to bring an impressive aviation demonstration into the day’s community atmosphere.
Looking back at the day, the 2026 Texada Island Fly-In was about so much more than planes. It was about community. The event once again succeeded in bringing people from all around together and gave them an opportunity to bond over their shared love for Texada, classic cars, and aircraft.
A huge thank you to all of the sponsors, organizers, volunteers, participants, pilots, car owners, and everyone who came out to enjoy the 2026 Texada Island Fly-In! Events like this take an incredible amount of time, planning, generosity, and teamwork behind the scenes, and this year’s success is a reflection of the people who put so much into making it happen.
Thank you for helping make the 2026 Texada Island Fly-In such a memorable day and for continuing to bring people together year after year.
Here’s to another great Fly-In and many more to come! ✈️🚗🚁
Texada Arts Culture & Tourism 19 Wing Totem Times
