A Sad End to My Beginnings

Well, the bureaucrats in Edmonton have finally won...

At the time of this writing, Edmonton City Centre Airport, also known as Blatchford Field, only has about 7 hours of life left.

In July of 1999, I took to the skies for the first time at the controls of a Cessna 172 out of that very airport.  At the time it was a bustling airport with several small charter carriers and some larger operators based all across the field.

Transport Canada, Nav Canada, the RCMP, SPAR Aerospace, Centennial Flight Centre, Edmonton Flying Club, Shell Aerocentre, Esso Avitat, just to name a few were based there.  There were 2 runways, an ILS and everything you needed.

The fate of the airport was sealed when a re-development plan was put into place...   Slowly over the next several years, the ILS was removed, and one of the runways, and a majority of the taxiways were removed.  Businesses and enterprises left, and the airport began it's decline towards the end.

Well Dec 1, 2013, the airport will meet it's end...  Sounds like a CF-18 will do a touch-and-go, and then join another CF-18 for a flypast.

The tower is closing giving way to an Aerodrome Traffic Frequency, the runway is being barricaded, and marked with big white X's.

The effects of the loss of this airport may not immediately be seen, but there will be an impact.  The Air Ambulance Services of Alberta and the NWT frequently used the airport due to it's virtual "across the street access" to a major hospital in the Edmonton Area.  Services are now moved to the International Airport, far from the easy access to important services that these people need.

But, I digress...

Farewell to the first Licensed Airfield in Canada, and the First Entry in my Logbook.

RIP CYXD 1929-2013