RCMP RESCUE TRAINING AT THE COURTENAY AIRPARK

The Courtenay Airpark was the site of some very specialized training during the week of 21 to 25 February 2022.

Over the course of the week, Emergco Aerospace, a Canadian company based in Vancouver, BC, provided Human External Cargo (HEC) rescue training for the RCMP Comox Air Section and the Vancouver Island Emergency Response Team (ERT). The training, conducted at the Airpark and at Smits Field, provided the RCMP pilots and ERT members from across Vancouver Island with the skills necessary to conduct external helicopter-borne rescue and evacuation operations in difficult and often inaccessible environments.

The training included classroom work, static harness training and specialized external long-line training, using the Comox Air Section’s Airbus H-125 helicopter flown by RCMP pilots. The HEC training, which certified seven members of the Vancouver Island ERT and the local RCMP pilots, was successfully completed on 25 February.

The Courtenay Airpark was delighted to host the training in their facilities, and is proud to have contributed to a skills-building undertaking that will benefit those who may find themselves in distress across Vancouver Island (and elsewhere, if needed).

Ray Henault

President

For,

The Board of Directors

Courtenay Airpark Association

100 – 20^thStreet

Courtenay, BC V9N 8B1

Due to issues with the pipes that connect the Airpark fuel station with the dock, 100LL fuel is no longer available at the dock. As of now, the pipes are not planned to be replaced. A notam has been posted and the CFS (Water) will be amended in due course.

BPM10063548_lr-1.pdf

News item 24 Mar. 2021 in local publication

Comox Valley Record

From CFB Comox: "Effective immediately, there are no fees associated for practice approaches and circuits for non-commercial/private pilots, including flight schools, at CYQQ. This is retroactive, to the start of this initiative a few months ago. "

Document.rtf

ADS-B Information posted by COPA

Project Watershed is closely involved with the restoration and upkeep of the natural environment around our Airpark. In mid-May they made use of our lounge for public presentations which included a tour of the river and surroundings next to the Airpark. This short video of that tour gives a different and enjoyable view from what we normally observe from the airfield side.

Courtenay Airpark members are well aware of the looming shortage of aviation professionals, a situation much in the news for the past few years. We support all efforts to get young people interested in pursuing aviation-related careers and to this end, several Airpark volunteer-pilots participate in two recognized programs that offer flight experiences at no cost, to youths aged 8 to 17 inclusive.

COPA for KIDS is sponsored by the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association.  Founded in 1952, the mission of COPA is to advance, promote and preserve the Canadian freedom to fly. The Association has close to 16,000 members across Canada and the COPA for Kids program, which introduces over 3000 Canadian children to aviation each year, is a vital component of its collective outreach and promotion within the broader community.

EAA Young Eagles is sponsored by the Experimental Aircraft Association based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The EAA was founded in 1953 and is an international organization of aviation enthusiasts numbering over 200,000 world-wide including many in Canada.

To date, COPA for Kids has introduced over 23,000 young Canadians to General Aviation.

Since its beginning in 1992, more than 2 million young people have enjoyed a free introductory flight through EAA's Young Eagle program.

Volunteer EAA YE's and COPA for Kids pilots bear the total cost of flights and as members of these organizations are duty-bound to operate in accordance with all applicable Transport Canada rules and regulations. In addition to the normal mandated insurance coverage, both the EAA and COPA extend additional coverage for both the pilot and passenger.

For complete information click on the links above.

Interested persons may also contact the Courtenay Airpark Association via email, to connect with a participating local pilot.

This is the news article from the Echo