Churchill Airport Explained

Churchill Airport
Iata:YYQ
Icao:CYYQ
Wmo:71913
Type:Public
Operator:Transport Canada
Location:Churchill, Manitoba
Timezone:CST
Summer:CDT
Elevation-F:96
Coordinates:58.7392°N -94.0664°W
Pushpin Map:Manitoba#Canada
Pushpin Label:CYYQ
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Manitoba
R1-Number:07/25
R1-Length-F:4,000
R1-Surface:Gravel
R2-Number:15/33
R2-Length-F:9,195
R2-Surface:Asphalt
Stat-Year:2010
Stat1-Header:Aircraft movements
Stat1-Data:10,329
Footnotes:Sources: Canada Flight Supplement
Environment Canada[1]
Movements from Statistics Canada[2]

Churchill Airport is located 3NM east-southeast of Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. The airport serves the town of Churchill and the surrounding region. Although it is a small domestic airport, it handles a relatively high number of passengers throughout the year as Churchill is a major destination for ecotourism and scientific research. Churchill Airport also serves as a transfer airport for passengers and cargo travelling between Winnipeg and remote communities in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut.

History

The airport was originally part of the Fort Churchill military installation built by the United States Army Air Forces, with the permission of the Canadian government, during the Second World War.[3] Facilities at Fort Churchill supported the Canadian and American operations of the nearby Churchill Rocket Research Range beginning in the 1950s.[4] The airport at Fort Churchill later served as a Strategic Air Command base housing the 3949th Air Base Squadron of the 813th Strategic Aerospace Division.[3] The 9195feet asphalt runway is still maintained and the airport serves as a diversion airport for jet aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 747 or Boeing 777 that are forced to make emergency landings.[5]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://climate.weatheroffice.gc.ca/prods_servs/metstat1_e.html Synoptic/Metstat Station Information
  2. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/51-209-x/2011001/t001-eng.htm Total aircraft movements by class of operation — NAV CANADA flight service stations
  3. Web site: Goldsborough. Gordon. Worth. Tim. Historic Sites of Manitoba: Fort Churchill (Churchill). Manitoba Historical Society. March 26, 2017. March 3, 2017.
  4. Taylor. C. J.. Exploring Northern Skies: The Churchill Research Range. Manitoba History. 2002. 44. March 26, 2017. The presence of the military establishment at Fort Churchill was a key element in the selection of the [future Churchill Rocket Research Range] site as a rocket facility..
  5. News: Jet makes emergency landing in Churchill. March 26, 2017. CBC News. October 17, 2002. en. The Churchill airport is used for emergency landings because one of its runways is large enough to handle big planes..