INNISFAIL - The old airport four killometres northwest of town is set to receive a huge million-dollar makeover.
And senior officials with Red Deer County, which owns the aging facility, are hoping important upgrades will be ready when Big Bend Airport, also known locally as Innisfail Airport, hosts the 2019 Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) western Canadian annual convention and trade show. The three-day event, the first time it's ever been held in the region, runs from June 6 to 8. The convention and trade show is expected to attract between 400 and 500 COPA members and up to 300 aircraft.
Ric Henderson, the county's corporate services director, said the decision by county council to fix up Big Bend Airport, located on 215.39 hectares of land along Highway 54, came during its 2018 discussions for the rural municipality's 2019/2020 budget. The million-dollar county investment to upgrade the facility will start this year and finish in 2020, said Henderson.
"Over the years we have done small projects there, back filling and building a new taxiway and did some drainage work, so this would probably be the biggest investment in the last number of years," said Henderson. "There's lots of hangers out there. There's lots of aircraft out there, and it's a valuable asset for us. We want to make sure it keeps operating."
Henderson said the first upgrade priority is replacing the terminal building, which he said is "tired" and needs to be replaced in time for the COPA convention in June. He said the county is in the process of putting out a request for proposals (RFP) for its replacement, which is expected to be about 1,200 square feet in size. He added one of the RFP conditions is that the new terminal is ready in time for the June event.
Henderson said other upgrades will include those for the septic system and to the runway and taxiways.
The airport was built in 1941. It was known then as the Innisfail Aerodrome and was a three-runway training facility for the No. 36 Service Flying Training School at RCAF Station Penhold. For many years after the Second World War, the airport was considered an alternate military aviation facility for CFB Penhold. The military base was closed in 1995 and ultimately handed over to the county by the federal government.
In the meantime, the Innisfail Flying Club was established at the airfield in 1960, and began managing it in 1986. The club continues to do so today with just one 3,000-foot runway. Big Bend Airport is also the current home for the Central Alberta Gliding & Soaring Club, Skydive Big Sky, several private hangers, and a hay plant on leased-out land.
"It was a case where money had to be spent on it to have it continue as an airport or let it totally deteriorate, so they have chosen to put money into it over a two-year plan," said Jim Romane, a director with the 30-member flying club, noting the current inadequate terminal building was bought by the Town of Innisfail in 1982 for $5,000. "We have been working with the county for the past couple of years on a game plan and what the best approach is, and Red Deer County finally decided, 'OK, fine. We have to make a commitment here and get some things up to standard."
Romane said he's "excited" with the million-dollar upgrade commitment by the neighbouring rural municipality, noting every year there is greater demand for more privately built hangers. He added the old airport has also become an important venue for the type of services not available at Red Deer Airport, once the main facility for the decommissioned CFB Penhold.
"The Red Deer Airport is after commercial and passenger flights. They don't want anything the Innisfail airport caters to. We've got skydivers, small airplanes, a glider club going on and we've got crop spray airplanes," said Romane. "These are all things nobody in the big airport want. It fills a void in those areas of general aviation."
