Dear members of the Courtenay Airpark Association,

It is with deep regret that the Airpark Board of Directors wishes to advise you of the passing of Mr. Larry Matthews on 01 August 2023.

Larry was a long-time and very active member of the Airpark, had a passion for aviation and was proud of his Challenger ultralight. He could be found regularly at the Airpark and was always ready to lend a hand and volunteer his services for whatever job needed to be done.

Larry was one of those aviators that always had a smile and a good word to say. He will be sorely missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him.

The Airpark Board of Directors extends its sincerest condolences to Larry's family and friends. Our hearts and prayers are with them at this difficult time of grieving.

In sadness,

Ray Henault

President Courtenay Airpark Association

Phone:  (250) 465-0086 (Cell)

Another TASC is in the books and Airpark pilot volunteers had a great time  once again, giving air experience flights to 24 young people who attended this year.

As before, we started with a safety briefing in Courtenay before launching for Gillies Bay with our group of five aircraft, ready to begin at 1000  the 15 minutes of local flying each of the young people would receive. The operation went smoothly , in large part due to the excellent work by our ground coordinator Martin as well as by the planning and effort by Sheila McFarland (TASC I/C) and her volunteers. All flying was completed by noon, followed by lunch and social interaction with the TASC students and staff.

Weather was perfect and we thoroughly enjoyed our Texada visit and the chance to top off the camp experience for the students with a real-life flight. Certainly, no one expects them all to become pilots, aircraft technicians or air traffic controllers but they already have shown some interest in aviation in attending the camp and these flight might just be the spark that starts someone onto an aviation-related career!

Thanks to Martin for coordinating the operation and to Marisa for conducting the Q&A sessions. Special thanks to the pilots, Richard, Karl, Duane & Sylvain for donating their time, aircraft and fuel.

If you are reading this and know of a young person who would be interested in attending the Texada Aerospace Camp next year, the link below provides detailed information. Note that the TASC is already half -booked for 2024!

Texada Aerospace Camp

More photos from TASC 2023

"The Courtenay Airpark Association is working with Remote Marine Solutions to replace their aged float plane dock, ensuring aircraft visiting Courtenay have a safe place to park while they visit or conduct business. This dock is located on the Courtenay River, adjacent to the Courtenay Marina and the Courtenay Riverway. There will be no impact to trail users and the Courtenay Riverway will remain open. The dock replacement is planned for August 10 and 11. This project is supported by funding from the Government of B.C. aimed at improving aviation-related infrastructure around the province."

Project was completed on Thursday 17 Aug. Photos of the new dock installation below:

Ascent Helicopters will replace Helijet for providing BC  Medevac flights with a fleet of seven new AW169 aircraft. We look forward to seeing them at the Airpark!

https://verticalmag.com/news/ascent-helicopters-lands-544-4m-b-c-air-ambulance-contract/

You may have noticed a Beaver aircraft mounted on a pedestal on the south entrance of highway 19 into Campbell River. The aircraft's registration is CF-GBV, flown years ago by local aviation legend Bill Cove who gave it the unofficial callsign " Great Big Vodoo One'. CF101 'Vodoo' jets were based at CFB Comox at the time and were a familiar sight in the local skies. Here is Bill's story about 'Great Big Vodoo One':

GreatBigVodooOne.pdf

Every Year, dedicated volunteers on Texada Island run a week-long camp for youths 10-16, exposing them to all facets of aviation. Pilots from the Courtenay Airpark supports their effort by providing air experience flights to participants at the end of the camp.

After missing a  couple of years due to Covid, the camp was in action again this past year, and our group flew over on July 29 to give the 16 youths a local flight.

Ray Henault, president of the Courtenay Airpark Association. participated with his aircraft and  afterwards penned a couple of articles describing the experience. See link and article below:

Texada Aerospace Camp. Crown Isle Magazine. Sept 2022.pdf

Article in The Totem Times, 22Nov.2022:

BC Aviation Museum.pdf

A new (April 2022) PowerPoint Presentation on revised VPTC  information for the Nanaimo airport, has been provided by NavCanada/PrepAIR. The file (requires .pptx viewer) can be accessed on the 'Links' page or here.

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.