Red Deer Regional Airport Explained

Red Deer Regional Airport
Iata:YQF
Icao:CYQF
Type:Public
Wmo:71878
Owner-Oper:Red Deer Regional Airport Authority
City-Served:Central Alberta
Location:Red Deer County, near Red Deer, Alberta
Timezone:MST
Summer:MDT
Elevation-F:2,968
Coordinates:52.185°N -113.8944°W
Website:https://www.flyreddeer.com/
Pushpin Map:Canada Alberta#Canada
Pushpin Label:CYQF
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Alberta
R1-Number:12/30
R1-Length-F:3,454
R1-Surface:Asphalt
R2-Number:17/35
R2-Length-F:7,500
R2-Surface:Asphalt
Stat-Year:2018
Stat1-Header:Aircraft movements
Stat1-Data:75,918
Footnotes:Source: Canada Flight Supplement
Environment Canada[1]
Movements from Statistics Canada[2]

Red Deer Regional Airport is located 6NM south southwest of Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. The airport serves Charter and General Aviation.

In October 2015, Red Deer Regional announced it was to undergo a $9.5 million expansion, including a extension of runway 16/34 (now 17/35), from . Construction began in April 2016, and was completed on September 16, 2016. However, the extended runway, which measured 7500feet, was not posted in the Canada Flight Supplement until the edition dated 0901Z 2 March 2017 to 0901Z 27 April 2017. This allowed the airport to accommodate larger aircraft.[3]

In February 2022, The Government of Alberta announced $7.5 million of funding towards an $18 million Expansion and Rehabilitation Project that involves the widening of runway 17/35 from to . The rehabilitation of taxiway Bravo and apron 1, as well as a new $3 million terminal expansion project to accommodate 189 passengers, the number of passengers on a fully loaded Boeing 737 Max. It was supposed to take place from the spring to fall of 2022 but the rehabilitation of the taxiway, apron and terminal expansion have been pushed back until 2023 due to heavy rain in June and July.

Airport information

The airport is open 24/7 and has a control tower on field that is operational 13-05Z(6am-10pm Local). The airport is equipped with HIRL (High intensity runway lighting) on runway 17/35 and MIRL (Medium intensity runway lighting) on runway 12/30. Runway 17/35 is equipped with PAPI (precision approach path indicator) and REIL (runway end identifier lights). The airport is equipped with non-precision instrument approaches on Runway 17/35.

The airport hosts two flight schools, Montair and Skywings; and a flying club, COPA Flight 92-Red Deer Flying Club. As well as the FBO operated by Tucana Aviation. The airport is also home to AirSpray Air Tankers and Buffalo Airways Maintenance,[4] two avionics repair shops, QF Avionics and Titan Avionics as well as two light aircraft maintenance facilities, Hillman Air Ltd and Lorne Provincial Aircraft Maintenance. An aircraft paint facility rounds out the services provided.

History

During World War II, the airport was RCAF Station Penhold. The airbase was home to the Royal Air Force, No. 36 Service Flying Training School (SFTS).

After the war the base was closed. The base was reopened in 1952 to train NATO pilots. The airfield side of the base was closed in 1965, and the City of Red Deer took over operation of the airport in 1966. The non-airport side of the base was renamed CFB Penhold in 1966 and remained a base until 1990, when it was made a detachment of CFB Edmonton. The base hosted Cadet Summer Training from the Second World War until 2014. The former base was closed in 1994 and the former Married Quarters were renamed from Mynarski Park to Springbrook in 1995. The former military base was converted into an industrial park known as Harvard Park.[5]

Former airline service

Time Air served the airport during the 1970s and early 1980s with nonstop flights to Calgary International Airport (YYC) and Edmonton Municipal Airport (YXD) operated with de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter turboprop aircraft.[6] [7] Air Canada later served the airport but then dropped its three daily flights between Calgary and Red Deer on November 1, 2018.[8]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Synoptic/Metstat Station Information . 2011-03-22 . 2012-07-07 . https://archive.today/20120707173458/http://climate.weatheroffice.gc.ca/prods_servs/metstat1_e.html . dead .
  2. http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26?lang=eng&retrLang=eng&id=4010015&tabMode=dataTable&p1=-1&p2=9&srchLan=-1 Total aircraft movements by class of operation — NAV CANADA flight service stations
  3. http://www.mountainviewgazette.ca/article/Airport-reno-coming-20160308 Red Deer Airport expansion begins later this spring
  4. Web site: Richards . Harley . 2010-04-08 . Airport gets shot of reality . dead . https://archive.today/20120717161139/http://www.albertalocalnews.com/reddeeradvocate/business/local_biz/Airport_gets_shot_of_reality_90319642.html?period=W&mpStartDate=12-06-2010& . 2012-07-17 . Red Deer Advocate.
  5. Web site: Penhold Base 1939-1995 . Pettypiece . Paul . 5 Oct 2018 .
  6. http://www.departedflights.com, April 15, 1975 & April 1, 1981 editions, Official Airline Guides (OAG), Calgary & Edmonton Municipal flight schedules
  7. Web site: Time Air - Time Airways.
  8. Web site: Air Canada to end flights between Red Deer and Calgary . CBC News . 2018-06-27.