Search continues for missing helicopter and pilot

The chopper pilot who went missing near Hope during a risky flight Friday evening was highly experienced and had flown his planned route to Kelowna many times, says an airport manager from Langley.

A search for the unidentified 61-year-old man continues today, with about 10 civilian and military aircraft scouring the mountains between Hope and Kelowna, Lt. Trevor Reid of the Canadian Forces Base Comox says.

The pilot took off from Langley airport about 6:30 p.m. Friday without filing a flight plan with officials but he did have a “flight itinerary” said George Miller, Langley Airport manager. A flight itinerary is an unofficial safety measure consisting of notifying another person of your route plans, without having to check in with authorities after a safe landing.

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