Spend more than two seconds talking to Josh Ramsay, owner of Sunshine Coast Air, and his passion for flying will rub off on you. His head is in the clouds most days – quite literally.

First and foremost a pilot, Josh has never looked back since he followed his love of flying from Ontario to BC. Having flown for different operators over the years, he knows the coastline – and the airline industry – intimately.

Now, two years in, Sunshine Coast Air is taking the coastal commute to new heights.  Based in Sechelt with offices in Nanaimo, the floatplane service runs scheduled and charter flights connecting the Sunshine Coast to Nanaimo, Victoria, YVR, and Downtown Vancouver. Trips range from 15-20 minutes, saving clients travel time and offering up great views too. Sunshine Coast Air also runs flightseeing tours showcasing BC’s jaw dropping sights to both local and destination tourists alike.

“We sell time and we sell experiences,” says Josh. “I think it’s important that the consumer has choice. It’s a passion of mine and I didn’t mind taking it on and working every day to make it happen.”

The company  is growing quickly, with 12 staff, three pilots, and two Beaver floatplanes running seven days per week. With weekly scheduled passenger flights, and charters to just about anywhere a floatplane can land, Sunshine Coast Air is fast becoming the transport of choice for regular clientele who travel regularly for business from The Coast to Vancouver and Vancouver Island. With competitive rates, the “regulars” fly as much as twice per week, and take advantage of the Frequent Flyer program, where every 10th flight is free.

Knowing that there’s a growing demand for easy access to Downtown Vancouver, Josh and the team have their sights set on further expanding their service levels between Sechelt and Vancouver in the future.

The flight tour business is also booming. Sunshine Coast Air has partnered with West Coast Wilderness Lodge in Egmont to offer transportation to the resort from Sechelt. Additionally, they offer a variety of exclusive flightseeing and dining packages, including the Fly ‘N Dine, Phantom Lake tour, Princess Louisa Inlet tour, elopement packages, brewery tours and more.

But it’s not just the scenic tours that offer up magical BC moments. Even on regularly scheduled transport flights, clients could see orcas, seals, bears and whales from a whole new vantage point.

“You can’t go wrong with showing off this backyard,” he says. “It’s just so pretty here.”

Josh is proud to be based on the Sunshine Coast and is an advocate for supporting the local economy.

“We’re very proud to be 100% locally owned and we really push the fact that we’re trying to build a service for the local community,” he says. “The money that we earn gets spent here in the community.”

It just so happens that I’m giving away a Sunshine Coast Air Flight as part of my Test Drive The Coast Giveaway. The lucky winner will receive a one-night stay at the West Coast Wilderness Lodge, air transportation with Sunshine Coast Air and even more goodies.

Enter my contest by giving my Facebook Page a LIKE and commenting on the contest post. Good luck!

For more information on Sunshine Coast Air, visit them online at sunshinecoastair.com , download their mobile app or connect with them on their social media accounts Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Location: Hopkins Landing, Gibsons

Outdoor: Hopkins Beach

Social Recco: Gramma’s Marine Pub

Living in Gibsons is like being a kid all over again. During the summers, Morgan and Miranda Beall spend their afternoons running down to Hopkins Landing for a dip in the ocean – or hauling anchor and heading to Gambier Island for the afternoon in their powerboat. This. Is. The. Life.

The Bealls just celebrated their one-year home ownership anniversary on the The Coast. They moved to the Sunshine Coast from the Dunbar neighbourhood in Vancouver, where they were renting a tiny suite they’d nicknamed the “Bear Cave”. Their block was surrounded by newly built (and vacant) homes. When their landlady decided to sell, the Bealls knew it was time to search out a new community in which to lay roots.

After eight realtors and a house hunt that took them to Bowen Island, Vancouver Island and out to the Fraser Valley, the Bealls snapped up their 1,700 square foot home in Hopkins Landing within an hour of viewing it.

Their house, with amazing views of the ocean – and a living room so sunny you need sunglasses indoors – is a stark contrast to their former life in the city. The two bedroom main floor offers plenty of space for hosting dinner parties with their new-found friends and the sizeable backyard is perfect for gardening and lounging. Their one bedroom basement suite is sans kitchen so works as a mortgage helper for short-term accommodation through Airbnb. When it’s not booked up, it’s a comfortable space for visiting family and friends – of which they’ve had plenty since they moved here in 2016.

Miranda is smitten: “I love waking up to this. This is pretty incredible. We’re very proud of our home and being able to have our friends and family come over and have our dinner parties. We’ve met amazing people too. Like-minded people who’ve moved to The Coast as well.”

Both avid boat lovers, the Bealls dropped a mooring buoy into Hopkins Landing nearly the minute they moved in so they could bring their boat over. Gibsons is a convenient jumping off point to closeby islands like Keats, Gambier and Bowen.

As far as employment goes, Miranda has settled in with Sunshine Coast Credit Union in Sechelt. Morgan, also in finance, remained in his position at Vancity credit union and still works at their Vancouver headquarters. His employer has embraced his flexible lifestyle, allowing him to work from home twice per week. Morgan buses, walks or bikes to the Langdale ferry terminal each week and stays over two nights at their family home in the city, where he has the added bonus of remaining connected to family and friends.

“I literally can catch the bus at 6:30 and be in my office in Vancouver in an hour and 20 min,” he says “I eat and drink coffee on the ferry ride in. I have a nice bus ride. I check my email. I’ve even watched the sunrise.”

For the Bealls, being active participants in the community early on has helped them adjust quickly. Morgan is on a few community boards and is involved in the local marine Search and Rescue. Miranda, too, has found connection to the community through her passions and hobbies.

And then, there’s always the annual Hopkins Landing summer party – a fun potluck-style neighbourhood event with activities and music. Last year, they made an epic newbie mistake by showing up a week too early for the party. But, they have a lifetime at Hopkins Landing to redeem themselves.

Want to learn more about making the move to the Sunshine Coast?

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Each year, the Sunshine Coast welcomes new year-round residents who have unearthed the secret of “going coastal”. In this Making It Work On The Coast blog series, we’ll get to know our new neighbours, who are fast becoming part of the fabric of our community. I’ll discover their inspirations for moving to the Sunshine Coast, and the homes, lifestyles, and careers they’ve built in our amazing neck of the woods.