RCAF Station Dog Creek BC

[Cod Father]

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&z=12&ll ... 4&t=h&om=1

So I got roaming around Google Earth and found this mysterious aerodrome in the middle of nowhere BC.

Anyone every overfly or land at the place? what's the 60 year old runways like for condition?

Any photos?

[Over the Horn]

I've over flown this strip before years ago. From what I recall the runways are over grown with lots of cracks in them, and there was a ranch close by, kinda looked like it was on private property, you'd probably want to make sure landing there was Kosher before attempting anything.

I was told that the strip was used for high density Alt. training for bomber crews but I could be wrong.

Good luck with your search.

[xsbank]

It was a secret airfield during WWII and it had a radio range there - used to have a sectional with it but somebody pinched it.

[looproll]

good find!

[Go Guns]

I fly past Dog Creek all the time. I was told that it was built to meet a requirement to have a strip every so many miles on the route up to Alaska during WWII, but was rarely used.

From Google I managed to find

CP Air DC6B Explodes and Crashes, 8 July, 1965, at Dog Creek W of 100-Mile House BC (Saboteur on Board), tail blown off by bomb

Dog Creek, British Columbia

September 1943. Location of No. 11 Staging Unit.

September 1945. Closure.

October 1945. Location of Radio Detachment

This looks like old info

Dog Creek Airport:

Opened during WWII as a RCAF supplementary aerodrome. The aerodrome was taken over by Department of Transport in 1946.

Activities at the Dog Creek Airport was drastically reduced when the Williams Lake Airport opened in 1960. Most of the staff and facilities were moved to Williams Lake.

One gravel runway remains in use, but the other two were abandoned. The aerodrome was purchased lby Circle "S" Cattle Company in 1962 for use by hunters and fishermen.

[Concestor 0]

I've landed there a few times but only with tail draggers. Runway 36/18 is in the best shape. You have to watch out for the cattle tracks, ant hills and such so do a good thorough overfly.

It's been a few years but with the right AC you might be OK. The only way to be absolutly sure is to walk it first. In my case a few other pilots I trusted had gone in there before me.

For their day the runways were a work of art. They're quite large (150'x4,000' ?), well graded and good drainage. When you take-off on 18 you get a spectacular view as you sail out over the Fraser River valley.

[Wilbur]

Last overflew it in the fall. 18/36 had runway markers showing a shorter, narrower, strip within the original. Looked like maybe 1500X50 ?? You will occasionally see an airplane in there, and I've heard someone out of Springhouse on the radio saying they were going in there. Lawrence Aviation I beleive.

[dbalcaen]

I have had the pleasure of landing there on numerous occasions. As a previous poster noted, you have to watch the cow pies and ant hills. My last time there was 2006 and it was okay on all three strips. I flew a C-172 and had no problems. The surface is solid. watch for debris (old markers)
I have attached a photo, and have a couple more to upload.
David Balcaen

[Moose47]

G'day

I just wanted to make a historical correction. Dog Creek was never an R.C.A.F. Station. No. 11 Staging Unit was located at Dog Creek Airport and in 1945 for a period of time a Radio Unit. I have read claims that Dog Creek was a training station with the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. That is totally false. The airfield was turned over to the Department of Transport in July of 1946.

Cheers...Chris