Oregon is famous for its breathtaking scenery – an taking those jaw-dropping landscapes in from above is truly an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
In this week’s Faces of the Northwest, our regular series featuring Q&A interviews with small business owners and tourism professionals in the Northwest, we’ll meet Corey Rust of Envi Adventures: Portland’s only year-round scenic flight operation based at the Troutdale Airport, which specializes in exciting flight adventures through the Columbia River Gorge, near Mt. Hood, and over Downtown Portland.
Can you tell us a little about your business?
Envi Adventures is a flight adventure business based at the Troutdale Airport with our primary focus being to showcase the Columbia River Gorge from the air. We also have flights that follow the Sandy River toward Mt. Hood, over the Mt. Hood National Forest, and downtown Portland!
Do you have any ‘insider tips’ you’d like to share?
Early morning when the air is calm and the light has that soft feel is a lovely time to go…and that’s true year-round. We love to fly any time of year, so there is no bad time to book. If you want to go, we want to take you (within the bounds of safety of course)! Using #FlyEnvi will give you 5% any flight adventure you choose, and we sometimes run promotions on our social media for followers to participate in.
How did you get started?
As someone from Troutdale, and someone who learned how to fly at the Troutdale Airport, I’ve always been astonished that no one has really had a go at doing something like this before. There have been options, but never really well advertised. So a few years ago I had the idea, and it never went anywhere. It wasn’t until I returned from a vacation with my wife to Iceland that I thought that it needed to be done. With so many people coming to visit the gorge from all over the world, it just made sense. Fast forward 18 months later and we’re making it happen!
Is there something about you or your company that few people are aware of, but you’d like them to know?
Envi Adventures is the only Portland metro area based scenic flight adventure company that operates year-round through the Columbia River Gorge. It was started by someone (me) who has lived in the Troutdale/Gresham area their entire life, and because of that, I have a special connection with the area and am excited to share it with others.
When you have a day off, what are some of your favorite things to do in the Northwest?
This might be surprising, but flying is one thing. Going with my wife and our dog for hikes in the gorge or up on Mt. Hood. Or just taking in the incredibly fun cultural events that go on in the region. It’s just an incredible place to live and to be from.
If you had to describe what you love about the Northwest in 3 words, what would you choose?
It’s never boring.
Is there anything else you’d like people to know?
As a shameless plug for another side business, I have an apparel company called TTD Apparel (TTD is the airport code for the Troutdale Airport). Most of our stuff is NW themed or inspired, available at FromTTD.com.
