Opening day is here for this summer’s YVR Take-Off Fridays. Every Friday from today until August 28, the terminal will come alive with music, entertainment and family-friendly activities.

We stopped by to check things out, and we weren’t disappointed. Today’s event had a DJ, live musicians, caricaturists, balloon artists, mascots, face painting and more. You can enjoy these activities between 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Each Friday there will be delicious food samples and great deals from airport shops and restaurants. On select days there will be on-site activities with The Vancouver Aquarium, Science World, and the Vancouver Canadians.

For the aviation buffs, in the Public Observation Area there are interactive displays, quizzes, and behind the scenes videos. Tours are also available to learn about YVR’s history, art, and operations.

We’ll be back soon and hope to see you there too!

Here’s what you need to know:

WHEN:               Every Friday from July 3 to August 28,             9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

WHERE:             Vancouver International Airport, Domestic and International Terminals, Departures – Level 3

COST:                 Free event. Reduced parking rate available for $5 for up to four hours. Parking vouchers available at the Customer Information Counter, International Terminal, Level 3

ONLINE:            Website: www.yvr.ca | Twitter: @yvrairport | Facebook: Vancouver International Airport

#YVRTakeOffFridays

Elettra's Leanne Kedrosky has spent the fall at YVR providing tours to grade five students from around the Lower Mainland. In the following post, Leanne relates some of her favourite things about exploring YVR with a group of ten-year-olds.Navigating the Airport with Young Eyes

If you've been to Vancouver International Airport (YVR) recently, you may have seen streams of children being led throughout the terminal. Each year, from September to December, YVR hosts 60 Grade 5 classes for the YVR School Tour program, an educational experience were children learn about the airport's operations, history, and First Nations art. This year, I had the pleasure of navigating groups around the airport and sparking their enthusiasm for aviation. Each day provided new entertainment and lessons for me, as their tour guide. The following are some of my favourite experiences from the last few months.

Kids Say the Darndest Things

Did you ever watch the old TV show Kids Say the Darndest Things? These are some of my favourite questions or statements from this fall's tours:

When I asked that students what is a domestic flight? Answers included:

• Is it one that carries animals?
• Is it a very fancy flight?

Students also asked: Can you take a hippo on a plane? And If there were no lights on the runways, could they use fireflies to light it at night?

Favourite Moments

One of the moments that caught me most off guard involved a Grade 5 girl. All the children in this group were exceptionally engaged throughout the tour and ran to give me a hug when the tour was over. One small girl ran up last with her arms outstretched. Expecting her to behave just like the rest of the class, I continued a conversation with another student, but was shocked when I was suddenly being lifted into the air and carried off. This girl was carrying me like it was no problem, which was shocking considering her tiny size! Thankfully I was able to convince her to put me down promptly, and after the shock wore off I was very impressed with her strength.

Tour Take Aways

Leading the school tours was entertaining and enlightening in many ways. I learned more about Vancouver International Airport than I ever imagined. The Airport Authority is highly involved in the local community and I am walking away from this position with a new appreciation for everything the employees do locally. Not only is the School Tour Program fully supplied by the Airport Authority, they also donate $750,000 a year to the Greater YVR Community, making a big difference to non-profit groups across the Lower Mainland. We have a very special airport here in Vancouver, and I am thrilled to have been part of it and to spread the word.

- Leanne Kedrosky

Congratulations go out to the Vantage Airport Group.  Yesterday the Airports Council International announced the recipients of the prestigious 2013 Air Service Quality Awards, and Nassau’s Lynden Pindling International Airport has been recognized for Best Improvement in the Latin America-Caribbean region. The full list of winners can be found here: http://bit.ly/1eYn8mi

Vantage currently operates the airport and broke ground in 2009 on a $410 million dollar redevelopment, leveraging its expertise to build a world-class airport that would align with the expanding tourism industry on the islands. Two other Canadian firms, Ledcor and Stantec, were also involved in the construction and design of the redevelopment, which was completed on time and on budget.

The infrastructure project was one of the largest in the Caribbean and was officially completed in October 2013.   Improvements include:

• A 24% increase in airport size.
• Ability to accommodate 50% more passengers (now over 5 million).
• Upgraded and expanded options for food and beverage, retail and other amenities.

Sounds like a great place to start and finish a trip to The Bahamas!

Tour Guide training kicked off today for the YVR School Tour Program. Elettra Communications welcomes tour guide Anna Burk to the team, and welcomes back Jake Sobrepena who was an all-star YVR tour guide last year. Jake also spent the summer as YVR's Community Ambassador visiting community festivals throughout the Lower Mainland. Anna and Jake are both students in SFU's Communications Co-op program. Elettra is very proud to be working with the Vancouver Airport Authority on this program for the 4th consecutive year. Over the next 3 months, Anna and Jake will give airport tours to thousands of grade 5 students from across the Lower Mainland. There's nothing quite like the excitement of 10 year olds watching jets take off from the runway, so we're sure Jake and Anna are going to have a great time!

Jake and Anna are pictured here in front of a favourite stop on the School Tour - the Celebrating Flight totem in YVR's Graham Clarke Atrium. The totem was created by Haida carver Don Yeomans as tribute to humans – the only creature who has learned to fly without having its own wings. Check it out next time you visit YVR.