Comments 1,451 to 1,500 of 1,845
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.
re: WiFi
Yes, I've never seen a big Canadian style "flying club" in the US like I've seen at Ottawa, Oshawa (now defunct, I'm afraid) and Brampton. Didn't a lot of Canadian flying clubs get started with cheap war surplus training aircraft? I think I read a history of the Oshawa flying club that said they got a few Moths and similar trainers from the Commonwealth Training Plan.
re: WiFi
In the U.S., isn't a "flying club" a few people who get together to buy and operate a plane or two? In Canada, it's often a big, non-profit FBO and flight school (sometimes with a pilot shop as well), because that's the way flight training got started in Canada in the 1920s and 30s.
re: Accueil
Sounds great! I've flown over this airport a few times on trips from Ottawa to the Gulf or the Maritimes, but never thought of landing. Riding a rented bicycle around a quiet island in the summer sounds very relaxing.
Closed
Never got to fly here..and the airport is now closed :(
Restaurant?
I'm planning a flight for this weekend to YSB. I will take the notes below in consideration when parking the aircraft.
Just a quick question. Is there a restaurant in the terminal?
Accueil
Très bel accueil, location de vélo en été
Great little airport
just off the island of montreal, used more as a flight training school, but lots of private owners use it as well.
if you are looking to refuel fly 20mins west to cornwall regional, gas prices are cheaper because of less tax.
Wind farms
It's worth a trip to the Pincher Creek airport to check out the wind farms in the area. And you'll get a close up look at a wind turbine on the north side of the airport on the downwind for runway 07.
Timmies
Timmies in the main terminal. Park at shell and walk over.
cbz9
Good paved strip a long walk to town, most locals dont even know it exists
Oh oh
Gordon Plew's CFS has this one as CFJ2, but his WAS has CFJ2 as CARIGNAN/RIVIÈRE L'ACADIE in Quebec.
Wrong ID?
Gordon Plews data has 'CAB5' assigned to the Abbotsford Hospital
Blissville and Trans Canada Airlines
Here's an edited version of an article that I wrote about Blissville.
The Blissville Airport was built in the late 1930s as part of the Trans Canada Airways system. Airports and navigation systems were built approximately 100 miles (160kms) apart, covering Canada coast to coast, to facilitate air mail and eventually passenger traffic. It was located about 30 miles (50km) SW of Fredericton on a dusty gravel road and didn’t see the first scheduled TCA flight until May 10, 1941 a stop on the Montreal to Halifax route. Evidently it wasn’t too successful as the trial ended six weeks later on June 15.
On July 1, 1944 Blissville was again added to the TCA route, becoming a regional airport for SW New Brunswick, and this time it was promoted with direct cab service both to Fredericton and Saint John. The distance to Saint John was about 35-40 miles (50-60km) SE, halfway being on dirt roads. TCA pulled out of Blissville when the Airport at Pennfield Ridge was opened up to serve Saint John on April 1, 1947. The terminal/operations building was later disassembled and moved in sections to serve the same purpose at the new Fredericton Airport (YFC) until a new terminal was built there in 1963.
Over the last several decades, the Blissville Airport has been used by Forest Protection Ltd. as a base for fighting forest fires and conducting spraying operations. It is now located just inside the boundary of CFB Gagetown with a 4000 foot (1200m) paved runway and a Military Airport code – CCH3.
(adapted from article by George Brien that appeared in the Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum Newsletter, Fall 2007)
If anyone interested, I have lots of info on TCA people that worked there in the mid 40's.
gnbrien@eastlink.ca
WiFi
Sometimes when I'm in Ottawa with nothing better to do, I go to the Ottawa Flying Club to leach their wifi, eat something from the snackbar and watch the planes go by. I wish my flying club had a club house.
Fuel
Self Serve fuel available, good price. Fall 2007
Sorry not a good place to stop
Vacated mouse infested house at the airport, no other facilities. Thank God there is cell phone coverage here.
Road to airport has a gate at the highway that may be locked.
RV81
It seems like such a tiny airport to have that amount of traffic with no ramp space to park them all, but I guess helicopters don't need much runway, so you could just park them on the runway?
Blissville, on CFB Gagetown
In 1981, CFB Gagetown was the location of the largest deployment of canadian troops since the Korean war, for an exercise calle Rendez Vous 81. About 10,000 troops took part in the exercise. Blissville was the centre of most helicopter activities for the duration of the exercise. At the height of RV81, 73 helicopters were based at Blissville (Kiowas, Twin Hueys, Chinooks from Canada; and Cobras and Chinooks from the US Army). A transportable approach radar (PAR) was installed to serve temporarily as the only approach aid (pre-GPS times!), with precision limits (200 - 1/2). The airport was temporarily given the ident CH3. I was flying the first aircraft (a CH-135 Twin Huey) to flight plan into CH3 under actual IMC, coming from YOY. Shortly after we changed from Boston Center to Moncton Centre, over the Maine-New Brunswick border, the controlled gave us a clearance to Chatham beacon (ident CH), which we promptly refused... I guess that the message about the temporary ident was not distributed to all controlllers.
Cap-de-la-Madeleine BCATP airport
One of the BCATP airports that does not exist anymore. No trace of the runways remains; one or two hangars were still in use in the late 1970s, but barely recognisable. The position given is approximate. The Wikipedia article mentions its existence, but does not give its location. I know the approximate location because I come from the area and one of the old hangars was used as a huge disco night club in the late 1970s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_Commonwealth_Air_Training_Plan_facilities_in_Canada
Tofino
I drove to the airport out of curiosity, when I was vacationing in the area, in 2003. A Canadian Forces team was there running tests on a UAV.
More history
🔗 Thu, 04 Jun 2009
— @david at Kingston Airfield, Canada
1,400 transient planes in one year during the 1930s:
http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1597301