I'm looking at my Jeppesen online flight planner right now, and between Revelstoke (CYRV) and Qualicum Beach (CAT4) there are a lot of IFR airways that one could file.

One thing that I do notice, if I plan a direct route between those two points, is that the pilot would have to cross a lot of high terrain. Some of it is pushing close to 8000 feet, with most of it ranging betwen 5000-6500 feet. For a Cessna 172, which is not pressurized, that doesn't leave a lot of airspace betwen the ground and the ceiling of of that aircraft.

Where am I going with all this? Well, if a VFR flight plan is required, as has been shown by the regulations that were posted, then we should be able to have a clear idea of at least what was his intended routing.

Now, there are plenty of reasons to deviate from your filed flight plan. Looking at the terrain depicted on the VFR chart, a pilot could be tempted to try and fly along one of the several valleys or canyons that he had to cross in order to escape weather. If that's the case, he could be literally anywhere. And if it was getting dark... err, well, this pilot is shuddering at the thought.

OK, so if I were to put myself in his shoes, where would I go if I had to divert to another location? Let's assume he made it to Salmon Arm. Looking at the terrain and the available airports, I have to tell you that Kelowna (CYLW) is looking pretty darn good. And it is a tower controlled field to boot!

Now, here's the rub. Along that new routing to Kelowna he only needs to follow this incredibly long lake (I think it is Lake Okanagan). Seems simple except that there are plenty of visual illusions that are created from the shoreline that can cause a pilot to crash into terrain, or even the lake itself, if he isn't careful.

I'm not a betting man, but I wonder if our plane isn't in the water or the rising terrain surounding the lake.

Hmmmm...

Greg