The Carlyle Flying Club celebrated six decades of area aviation-as well as their home airport's 60th anniversary- with a community celebration on Saturday, June 25 at the newly-renamed E.J. (Ted) Brady Regional Airport.
Although the double anniversary event's plans were modified due to high winds and the threat of inclement weather, hundreds showed up to celebrate the anniversaries and to honour longtime mayor Ted Brady-as the airport was officially renamed in his honour.
Airport manager and Flying Club member Duncan Brown said: “On behalf of the CFC, I'd like to welcome everyone and thank everybody for coming to the 60th anniversary celebration of the Carlyle Airport and our Flying Club.”
Brown-who has written a brief history of the Carlyle Flying Club- says the airport started with two grass runways on 45 acres of land, but has grown to a current runway length of 3,653 feet, with the most recent 500-foot expansion added in 2014.
In 1984, the Flying Club turned the airport over to the Town of Carlyle.
“That's when Mayor Ted Brady became involved,” said Brown. “He used his lobbying skills to source funds from the federal, provincial and municipal governments. So in 1984, we paved and lighted the main runway.”
“Over the next several years, there were two satellite flight training schools and the Flying Club got a charter, hired an instructor, and ran our own school for a couple of years.”
“Our club owned four different aircraft between 1985 and 2003. There were two Cherokee 140's, a Cessna 172 and a Cherokee 180.”
“In 2008, in conjunction with Transport Canada, we established a GPS approach into Carlyle that aids instrument-rated pilots to our runways in marginal weather.”
“In 2010, we repaved the runway with help from the Provincial CAP Grant,” added Brown. “With many, many local companies, individuals and municipal governments contributing very generously, the project was totally funded before it started.”
“In 2014, we acquired enough property to extend our runway by 500 feet and now have 3,650 feet of paved runway,” added Brown. “We've also replaced our runway lights with new, higher-intensity LED lights and added an AWOS (automatic weather observation system).”
“The airport is also a real community asset,” added Flying Club President, Brad Walker. “Medivac planes land here and we also have pipeline survelliance aircraft and corporate aircraft coming in. We have firefighting aircraft and helicopters from in and out of the province that use this airport as a refuelling stop, so it benefits the town and the area-not only economically, but in a lot of other ways, too.”
“That's one of the reasons why we're so happy that three of the Carlyle Flying Club's founding members could join us here today,” said Brown. “Howard Humphries, Bill Ramsey and Les Hewitt are here. In January 1956, they and eight other young pilots got together and established the Carlyle Flying Club.”
“According to the original minutes book-which we still use- the rest of the Club members were: Jack Mills, Ed Stockton, Russell Stockton, Jack Marshall, Harold Brown, Vern Clubb, Bill Mills and Alec Dodds. Harold Brown is my dad and my mom, Dorothy Brown is also here today, as is Russell Stockton's widow, Alyce.”
Hundreds attended the lunch in the airport's main hangar, where they applauded the CFC's founding members.
Outside, Brent Handy's areobatic display thrilled spectators and after his flight, he signed autographs and chatted with fans of all ages.
In addition to Handy's show, a Show and Shine vintage car show at Carlyle Motor Products and beer gardens were also part of the festivities.
Flying Club President Walker summed up the day this way: “Although the weather was a disappointment, it gave us a taste of what an airshow in this area could be, and we're already looking forward to next year's event.”
Brown added: “We're definitely moving ahead. Recently, we've created a website- www.carlyleairport.ca. We've added two webcams. Anyone can go to the website and access AWOS for current weather, the webcams and learn much more about the airport and our club.”
“There are far too many people to for us to start thanking everyone individually,”said Brown. “So I'd just like to say thank you to everyone who has helped make this facility what it is.”
“We are proud of our airport and we hope the entire community shares our pride.”
