Comments 1,426 to 1,475 of 1,840
Runway info
gravel strip 2000ft slight up hill runway 78 & 256
Contact info
Lester or Patt Witwer phone # 250-842-6193
burrage creek air strip
very nice hard pack gravel about 4500ft and about 400ft wide
Houston B.C. Airport
Not much there, watch out for funny winds off of the river.
Springhouse Airpark
Great place! Super friendly people, Judy and Larry are top drawer people.
Whitewater Lake Sudbury Aviation
I grew up maybe a mile from Sudbury Aviation. As a kid in the early sixties I hung around there a lot. My cousin Ray (Romain) Labine was an instructor at Sudbury Aviation. Unfortunately when Charlie went in he brought 3 other guys with him. He took off in snow showers lost VFR and flew into the ice at Scotia Lake. My first ride ever in a plane was with my uncle Ray Labine in one of those Fleet Canucks that was probably around 1960. I obtained my licence in 1974 at Muskoka airport, I went on to get my multi-IFR and commercial and flew for Shell as the aviation sales manager out of Montreal.
When you were flying out of Whitewater the business was owned by John and Pearl McMahon. Both are now passed away. John of Alzheimer's and Pearl of a stroke. My parents new them well.
I dropped by Sudbury Aviation last week to say hello. I now live in BC and fly a Cessna 182. Sudbury Aviation now uses two DHC-2's (Beaver) and one Cessna-185 for charters and a Cessna 172 for instruction. The business has been owned by Margaret Watson-Hyland for probably the last 25 years.
Musical Ride horses
This is where the Royal Canadian Mounted Police graze the horses for their famous Musical Ride. I guess that the airplanes passing 50-100 feet over the horses constantly get them used to loud noises, so that they don't startle easily.
Seasonal Barbeque
Tony runs a seasonal barbeque (and other food) with very reasonable prices. The original grill was destroyed in May 2009 by a tree during a tornado, but club members have been working to build a new space for the grill.
Road to the airport
This is the only road into the main part of the airport (and yacht club). It's now called "Airport-Marina Drive," not "Polaris Drive", and turns off the Rockcliffe Parkway about a kilometre east of the Aviation Museum exit. There is also pedestrian access through the museum, but only to the museum's own ramp, not to the rest of the airport.
VERY DIVERIFIED AIRPORT
single and twin engines, on wheels, ski and floats, vintage, trikes, motorgliders, ultralite, helicos fly together in harmony..............
Fees at Trans-Capital
When Trans-Capital sold Esso fuel, it used to be a great deal for parking. Now, unfortunately, the parking charges are virtually the same as Porter's. Updated by phone 2009-06-29, confirm by calling Trans-Capital at (416) 361-1100. All prices Canadian:
Ramp fee (under 20 minutes, single-engine piston): $20
Ramp fee (over 20 minutes, single-engine piston): $25
Overnight parking (single-engine piston): $35
Trans-Capital no longer sells fuel, but the Porter FBO fuel truck will come over and fuel your plane there. No point, really, since you might as well just park at Porter.
Fees and fuel update for Porter FBO
Updated by phone 2009-06-29. Call the Porter FBO at (416) 203-2424 for confirmation. All prices Canadian.
Fuel (100LL): $1.60/litre + GST (CA $6.06/US gallon)
Ramp fee (single-engine piston): $25
Overnight parking (single-engine piston): $35
Note: parking and ramp are mutually-exclusive -- you don't have to pay both.
re: Gananoque Seaplane Base still open?
It is!
Gananoque Seaplane Base still open?
Isn't this place closed now?
New Ottawa-area airport
@bcrosby noticed this in a recent CFS: it's a 2,800 foot grass strip near Manotick, just south of the Ottawa airport. Prior permission is required from the owner:
Chris Hope, +1 613 489-3178
Scheduled flights from Vancouver
Orca Airways flies daily between the South terminal of Vancouver International and Tofino. They use Piper Navajos; 2 pilots on board plus 7 passengers maximum. Everyone gets a window seat!
Floatplane fuel available here
The lake just east of the runway makes it possible to land a floatplane here to refuel. The airport operator has a 400 litre tank on a cart that they bring to the shore.
Fuel available here
Bought fuel here recently from the friendly folks at Lakeland Airways. A pleasant stop, very reasonable fuel prices, and the dock is right in the middle of the town.
Updated: fuel very expensive
A recent visit showed that they hiked the price of their avgas to an unreasonable 2.50 - more than twice the rate at my home base. Given that this base is not all the way into the boonies, this is rather excessive.
More history
1,400 transient planes in one year during the 1930s:
Central Airways
A great place to stop for fuel and parking, the staff is very helpfull !
re: Kingston's first airport, 1929-1942
Two more factoids about the Kingston Airfield:
Until 1931, the Kingston Airfield was also a regular stop-over point for airmail flights between Toronto and Montreal.
Billy Bishop (Canada's most famous World War I flying ace) was a frequent visitor and honorary member.
Kingston's first airport, 1929-1942
This was the (approximate) location of the Kingston Flying Club's original 1,200 ft grass strip, in what is now the Kingscourt subdivision, with St. Mary's Cemetary on the airstrip's its eastern boundary. The club lost its license after a crash in 1942. After World War II, the club resumed operations and moved to the newly-built military airfield that is now Norman Rogers Airport (CYGK).
Trans Canada Airlines at YYP
In 1947, the Dept of Transport had taken over the operation of the Pennfield Airport, as the RCAF moved out. TCA realized that this airport, on a main highway from Saint John would serve the city much better than the long dirt roads up to Blissville and on Apr 1 1947 , Blissville was closed and the Pennfield Ridge Airport (YYP) was opened for scheduled service with all DC3 service.
A new route from Halifax/Yarmouth/Saint John/Boston also began on Apr 1 1947 and the Halifax Montreal flight now stopped in Pennfield . By 1951, Pennfield would see up to 10 flights a day through the Airport, including the transborder flights to/from Boston.
With the opening of the new airport in Saint John (YSJ), TCA moved its operation over there on Dec 31/51
Learning to fly at Sudbury Aviation - 1967.
I learned to fly at Sudbury Aviation during the summer of 1967. At the time I was sixteen years of age. The air service had five Fleet 80s (Fleet Canucks) Some of the registrations that I remember are CF-DYX, CF-HOU, & Cf-ENQ. My father, Doug Calver, was a forestry pilot at the time (MNR) based at Parry Sound. We had just moved from Chapleau that spring. My log book says that I soloed with five hours and 40 minutes. It says that it was the Chief Pilot, Charlie Armstrong who was my instructor on that flight. It was also he who took me on my final fight test for the flight part of the license requirements. We were taking off out of Whitewater Lake and there was a thud, and the engine started to run roughly. I just put it back on the water and we coasted to a stop with the engine running at about 1700 RPM. We shut the engine off and Charlie got out onto the float and opened the cowling. He looked the engine over and commented that the crankcase was cracked. He spun the prop and the engine restarted. We headed back to the dock. We completed the balance of the flight test later in the day in another airplane. He was killed a few years later in a crash in a Cessna 180 (CF-MEO) during the winter time.
Since that time I have had the pleasure of flying with my father, and my brother who learned to fly in Parry Sound at Georgian Bay Airways in 1969. We have had the privilege of owning three different types of airplanes: 1961 Piper Comanche 180, 1975 Beech F33A (gorgeous!!!) and a 1976 Cessna Skyhawk 180. They are all gone now. Wasn't flying them enough because of secular commitments and now who can really afford it anyway! But I have many pleasant memories to recall. My father is now 84 years of age and still in good health. If I still had any one of these airplanes, I'd still give him the left seat.
Thanks for listening,
Dave Calver
Now in North Carolina
CYQM
CYQM is the home of Moncton Flight College where hundreds of students get the best of flight training.
Hawke Field
Private airstrip.
Lac Eon
Former weather reporting station. 4000' sand/gravel strip.
Photo
Photo of the airstrip looking NNE. http://www.santoy.ca/i/photos/otish/IMG_1974.jpg
re: Where was RCAF Station Fingal?
I remember it well. My Dad was stationed there in 1940 before his transfer to Greenwood RCAF Base in NS. I grew up and went to the two room school house out side of town.
re: Nice strip
A little soft in the spring but you're right, this is a great turf strip.
Sable Island
Not to many people get to visit this place. I spent a month there plus I did some low level flying over it with a navajo.
re: Where was RCAF Station Fingal?
You can see the runway outline clearly in the Google satellite view above. Switch to map view for driving directions.
Where was RCAF Station Fingal?
No longer in operation. General vicinity of St. Thomas Ontario.
Location?
I was only 9 years old when we left the area, but I've put a POI about where I think the airport really was. Rumour had it back then that the owner had put everything in his wife's name because he'd been sued over an accident.
Closed for years
My Family still owns the Campbellford Airport, however it has been closed since my grandfather retired from flying in his mid-seventies. This would have been 20 years ago or maybe better. Time goes fast when you're having fun!
Sudbury Airport
Roland a joke seriously,Don't go see that guy
Lancaster
Once when I was in the air over CYTZ, the Lancaster from the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum flew 500 feet under me: beautiful plane. Someone told me that it's one of only two airworthy Lancs left in the world
Airport improvements coming!!
The local airport committee is working on a big fly-in on June 20-21st 2009. Details at the airport's new website which looks fantastic! Check it out at flyalmaguin dot com
Can't wait to see this airport get paving, then watch how busy it gets :)
Airport improvements coming!!
The local airport committee is working on a big fly-in on June 20-21st 2009. Details at the airport's new website which looks fantastic! Check it out at flyalmaguin.com
Can't wait to see this airport get paving, then watch how busy it gets :)
Ice Runway
From the CFS:
Opr win rwy only Jan-Apr. Strength & cond subject to seasonal and/or climatic variations confirm availability.
Airport
The airport is small but it has a big effect on the town of wiarton.
Good prediction Tony
I flew in for the first time today. I should have read the comments first, as I came in high an plopped it just like Tony predicted. I'll be back there later this year & will do better on the landing. I've heard that they will be adding a North/South runway this year for the G20 Summit at Deerhurst.
Steve
Ice Runway
This is an ice runway that is in operation from Jan to Apr only. Check NOTAM for runway condition.
(I think this is the only ice runway in the CFS!)
re: Ottawa's mystery airport
Hi everyone,
I was curious to see if my website was on the web yet so I did a research on Pontiac Airpark and found your site. I guess I was more surprise to find your post than David earing about an airport East of Arnprior. You are right there is and airport (airpark) 10 miles north-east of Arnprior. The east-west runway will be 3400 feet long with asphalt and lights. 59 residential lots are for sale and it is on the Ottawa river. Floats, wheels and skis are welcome. Check my website in a few days. André. 819-568-2359.
Hard airport to love
This is a hard airport to love, which is sad, since it serves one of North America's nicest cities. Everything seems to be badly organized: when you transfer from an international flight to a domestic one, you have to exit and reenter security, which is non-trivial when you might have to line up for an hour. In customs, they keep opening and reopening dividers to make new lines, so people who've just gotten off a plane might be let through ahead of people who have been waiting 20 minutes. The whole airport seems a bit dingy and run-down, there's not much good food (in *Montreal's* airport!!!), and nothing's particularly well organized.
I wouldn't use YUL as a connector airport if I had the choice, but if you're visiting Montreal itself, it's worth putting up with the hassle to visit such a great city. If you're coming from Toronto, though, take the train instead.
Where's Willie?
This airport also houses an environment canada office / weather station. If you head up to the second floor of the main terminal building (where the cafe is) you can go outside on a patio where there are some weather instruments. There is a sunshine recorder and a tool to measure clouds (I can't remember what it was called). Please obey the signs and don't touch them :) I'm sure if you arrive at the right time, you will see them launch a weather balloon to measure the upper winds!
When we landed we were greeted by someone who offered us a ride into town for a bite to eat. We declined as we just needed to use the facilities and make our way back home. Checked out the pilot's lounge... and took a quick look around the terminal building. Signed the guest register (we we approx the 15th visitor in 2009) and headed home.
Friendly airport
Salmon Arm airport is a great place to visit they have a club car for rent you can set up a tent under the wing, the clubhouse has a shower or you can use the clubhouse to rest.
re: Closed
Now you know how I feel about Meigs.
Pilot info
🔗 Wed, 01 Jul 2009
— @ZDZ at Witwer Airfield, Canada
grass air field 1900ft, north south facing, wind sock at south end, power lines mid field clearance 70ft.