Comments 1 to 10 of 10
Tricky winds, cheap gas
This airport is a gem!!! The staff are Real Friendly, they have both Jet-A and 100LL, the airport grounds are immaculate, and the terminal building is complete and neat (my wife approves of the washrooms). The runway is 02/20 so be prepared for crosswinds, and there is a lot of mechanical turbulence when the wind is strong from the west. No landing fees, parking is $6.50+HST per night (waived if you buy gas), and the 100LL price when I visited was $1.70+HST (same price as we are paying at Rockcliffe). This airport is much quieter than Gore Bay.
Terrific little airport, great scenery
My wife and I were flying from Rockcliffe CYRO to Manitoulin Island CYEM, but flight planned to stop here first for lunch at the Killarney Mountain Lodge. I also filled up with 100LL here, expecting gas would be more expensive on the Island (it wasn't). Beware the radio/etc towers around the field - maintain proper patterns and altitudes and there will be no problems. The waters of Georgian Bay are a beautiful blue-green from the air, and the people of Killarney are extremely friendly. We phoned the Killarney Mountain Lodge, and they came out and picked us up for lunch, then brought us back to the airport. See the NOTAMs for the phone numbers and hours for gas at the field (things are a bit more slow-paced in God's country). Gas is somewhat expensive, no landing fees, and they have a donation box if you choose (the federal and provincial governments provide no funds to this airport). Very good tie down area.
Quiet Airport
With the closure of Carp Flying Academy, and the general economic slowdown, this airport has become quite quiet. Which means it is a good place to visit for practicing circuits. Very well maintained, and a fuel pump with credit card card-lock. The Unicom is generally silent - don't expect an airport advisory.
Touch N Go Aviation, a pilot supply retail outlet, is onsite - you can taxi right to the door.
EAA is onsite, as well as a number of hangers. Ottawa Flying Club, according to an article in COPA Flight, is looking to temporarily relocate here while YOW 4-22 is repaved.
Friendly Fly-In Breakfast, Challenging Approach and departur
Flew here today for their annual fly-in breakfast. It's a gravel strip, with a well-compacted chip surface. In all the years of doing a breakfast, we were told this was only the second time they needed to use R12.
The approach to R12 was challenging, in the that topography on final is quite high. Stay focused on the runway and not the topography under your feet. Manage your speed and use full flaps. Consider a short-field approach profile, just so you're focused on getting the wheels down early. If you decide to reject the landing, make your decision earlier since the departure is also quite "fun".
Departing R12 is not that challenging. Unless you are light, high-powered, or have a STOL a/c, you'll do a normal takeoff but then turn SE (as stated in the CFS) and fly over the town as you gain altitude. Start the departure run on the grass before the R12 runway threshold, so your a/c is moving and there is less chance of sucking up a stone chip into the backside of your prop.
And in-between the landing and the departure, Bancroft is an attractive town with friendly people.
Terrific Day Trip Destination
This airport is a paved runway, a windsock, and an apron. No buildings. No fence. No unicom.
On the apron there are several heavy poured concrete blocks which you can move and use to tie-down the tail, and a cable running down the length of the apron to tie-down the wings. Unfortunately, the cable is a bit far from the edge.
There is a notice board at the west end of the apron with a phone number for the golf course - apparently they'll drive over and pick you up (I did not try it). The golf course is at the east end of the airport.
Across highway 2 is Upper Canada Village, it is a short (5-10 minute) walk. Per-adult entrance fee (2011) is $20.95 plus tax, there are also child, senior, student and family rates. There are two restaurants inside UCV, plus a working sawmill, flour mill, blacksmith, and much much more.You can sprint through in 2 hours and see not much, it would be better to think of this as a several-hour destination. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Great food!
Flew three friends here from Rockcliffe CYRO for lunch. It was a Friday, about 1:30, when I arrived.
Very busy - there were helicopter arrivals and departures, as well as lots of movements of SE fixed wing. The flying club / restaurant is at the east end of the runway (no taxiway), and there were several overshoots due to traffic not having yet cleared the runway (CSE4 uses R28 whenever possible, which results in less backtracking that R10).
No issues with language - lots of english in the circuit, with some french.
And the food!!! I had a simple club sandwich, and it was tasty beyond belief. With a ton of well-cooked frend fries. Those that had the smoked meat sandwich also raved about the food.
One of my favourites
A well-laid out airport, acceptable length of security lines, and the prices at the restaurants are basically the same as off-airport. Parking is free for the first 30 minutes - a wonderful bonus when just dropping by to pick up a passenger.
Avoid avoid avoid.....
I do everything in my power to avoid flying through Toronto International (which is yet another airport named after a dead politician, a dismal trend). The security line-ups are long, the prices are high, the taxes are high, and the layout of the terminal (it takes 20 minutes to walk from the gate at international arrivals to customs - and then you have to exit into the unscreened area and go through security again. Just a really really bad layout.
Fortunately, being in Ottawa, I can get almost anywhere in North America in one connection or less - while avoiding YYZ.
Fly-in Breakfast - July 18 2010
Flew here for the breakfast 2010-07-18. PPR, Narrow runway (75' total, but only the centre portion is paved). Very friendly people, great breakfast - they had a separate lineup for pilots/passengers vs. the local residents and campers. Be sure to sign the guestbook.
Service at Porter FBO. Wow.
🔗 Mon, 17 Jun 2013
— @jasmantle at Billy Bishop Toronto City Centre Airport, Canada
Date of trip: 2013-06-15. Outstanding service. They'll drive you from the FBO to the ferry, and there is an FBO phone so you can call them to come pick you up. It's about 5 minute walk west, then south, if you choose to forego the drive. Then you can take the Porter shuttle bus to the area of the Royal York,a nd catch the subway (or a taxi) from there.
Fuel (100LL) was $2.00/litre plus 13% HST. Ouch.
Parking on the Porter ramp was n/c for less than an hour, or $25 for a day, or $35 for overnight (all plus 13% HST). I arrives at 11am Saturday, and did not leave until 8pm Sunday, they charged me for one overnight. For that length of time, that's less expensive than parking my car at a downtown Toronto hotel.
Landing fees at CYTZ are currently $11 (probably plus tax - have not received that in the mail as yet).