Best small airport (ATF only)

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Moderators: sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako

Best small airport (ATF only)

Tofino
18
13%
Nelson
18
13%
High River
4
3%
Maintoulin Island
10
7%
golden
5
4%
fairmont
5
4%
Lyncrest
4
3%
Courtenay
13
10%
chilliwack
19
14%
fort frances
11
8%
wairton
11
8%
stratford
6
4%
killarny
6
4%
Bella Coola
4
3%
high river
2
1%
 
Total votes: 136

HighBypass
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CNF4

Post by HighBypass »

Lindsay airpark was good when they had the best butter tarts... but sadly the lady quit! :(
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Guido
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Re: CNF4

Post by Guido »

HighBypass wrote:Lindsay airpark was good when they had the best butter tarts... but sadly the lady quit! :(
Really??? Well, I'm glad to say that I made it there once to try the butter tarts... and they lived up to their reputation. It's too bad that I'll never see another :(
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jspitfire
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Post by jspitfire »

I did my PPL at Courtenay, and so that takes the top of the list for me. I've flown to Chilliwack dozens of times, but still haven't tried the pie.
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bob sacamano
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Re: CNF4

Post by bob sacamano »

Guido wrote:
HighBypass wrote:Lindsay airpark was good when they had the best butter tarts... but sadly the lady quit! :(
Really??? Well, I'm glad to say that I made it there once to try the butter tarts... and they lived up to their reputation. It's too bad that I'll never see another :(
That's probably the only thing that's good at lindsay.

I vote for YPQ.

guys/girls there do a great job.
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prop
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Post by prop »

Hi. I've been "lurking" at Avcanada for quite some time now, but only now have decided to post. I've been flying both fixed and rotary in 27 countries around the world for almost 30 years, and one of the things I really enjoy is visiting terrific, small airports that are recommended by other pilots. This forum has given me lots to explore, but I feel the need to highlight what seems to be a mistake.

Last weekend we flew into Nelson, B.C. because it looked so good from both this site, and the CFS. I must say, I was terribly disappointed. When we arrived, we went to park the airplane for a few hours and taxied to the tiedowns beside several other airplanes. A kindly gent came over to inform us that we were not to park in the center of the ramp area, as it was reserved for helicopter operations. The CENTER of the airport!! We were instructed to go and tie our aircraft down at the far end- a place I would have thought they would set aside for the rotary traffic (conventionally placed at the periphery for the sake of safety and operational ease for everyone, in my experience), and where, judging by the decrepid old hangar (Okanagan?), certainly was in the past. There were no tie-downs to be found. I have to ask, with this kind of ridiculous set up, how can this place qualify as one of the best in the country? What does the airport manager plan to do when things get really busy there during the summer months? I could see no obvious reason as to why the airport would be set up in such a dysfunctional manner.

Airtids, you seem to be a proponent of this location- I have determined you own the Charter company and Flight School there (I should have come in to chat you up, but found myself in a bit of a hurry to leave!). Can you explain this? Have you thought about how you are going to expand your business under this scenario? You look to be very pinched down there. How does your airport plan to attract other businesses?

Don't get me wrong, Nelson is a stunning location and having an aerodrome within walking distance to everywhere is simply fantastic. However, the current setup seems like an accident waiting to happen, and I'll have no part of it. I realise that your space is tight, but there must be another solution to your problems. Why locate the rotary in the midst of a tight ramp? I have sent you a message to your personal e-mail address.

From what I've seen, there is no way I'd be able to vote for Nelson as "The Best Airport" in Canada. Looks like it's Vernon for me...

prop
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rogerthis
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vernon

Post by rogerthis »

I think Vernon is a MF with the unicom operating with limited hours. Does it still qualify as ATF?
What is up with all the helicopters in Nelson? How come there is a big H in the middle of the field? Does it stand for Hello and welcome to Nelson?
The good thing about Nelson is the cute staff at High Alpine Air and its close proximity to the bar. :lol:
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Airtids
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Post by Airtids »

prop,
Thanks for the 'heads-up' on this. Let me begin by offering my apologies for the situation here :oops: . I assure you, you are preaching to the choir on this topic. I am the most frustrated guy at this airport, and am really hoping that sanity will eventually prevail, and we will institute a plan that is far less "dysfunctional" than what you saw here the other day. Your assessment of what we are dealing with at CZNL mimics mine (thanks for the affirmation!) and echoes the opinion of EVERY professional pilot operating here, fixed-wing and rotary alike, with the exception of one. Please, don't let our current situation keep you (or anyone else) from coming back; we really do have a gem of an airport here 8) .

Allow me to try and explain the situation. Bear with me as there's quite a bit to it:
Last year, we had a major problem with a new helicopter operation starting up here in Nelson after they purchased a hangar that happens to be surrounded by fixed-wing equipment. They also have a fuel tank that they use to refuel the heli-operators during fire season. The "H" for the helipad has been placed in the middle of the airport, and amidst all the fixed-wing tiedowns: This is the original error, and the crux of the current problem. The 206 and Llama helicopters they actually operate are not a real problem as the wash from these machines is acceptable. However, when they started bringing in 212 and 214s, the situation changed, and our equipment took an absolute BEATING. In one case, one of our 172s was ripped right out of the ground (tied down in cement rings) and spun 90 degrees!! We suffered major damage to one of the flaps that had constantly been exposed to the wash from these bohemoths landing right beside (less than 20 feet) our airplanes. Attempts to deal with the operator were completely rebuffed, and culminated in an assault, and threats of further physical violence :roll: . We needed to get a plan in place to deal with this situation so these problems would not continue to occur every summer.

I appreciate the need for this operator to sell fuel, and naturally, we all want the revenue from the equipment using the facilities here in Nelson. After just fighting a battle to keep our airport open, I know how important the $$ factor is. These issues were all in my mind when I submitted a plan to deal with the situation that had the itinerant rotary relocated to the periphery of the airport (where you were instructed to park, and correctly surmised had been a rotary base), and to re-position the "H" to directly in front of the Helicopter hangar (where the only ones suffering damage from the equipment operating would be those reaping the profits from said operations- seems fair), additionally eliminating the added problem of a charged fuel hose laying across an active taxiway :shock: . This solution would have seen lots of parking for all kinds of itinerant and home-based aircraft, both fixed-wing and rotary, been VERY easy to implement, not impacted ANY operator, been logical and easy for itinerant pilots of both fixed and rotary-wing aircraft to understand (because, as you said, it is the conventional setup), and resulted in a functional, safe situation.

For whatever reason the newly appointed on-site manager (most likely the "kindly gent" you were directed by) decided on another course, the results of which you and rogerthis have witnessed. I honestly don't understand the rationale for this plan, and to be honest, it feels like an attempt to turn CZNL into a heliport. I am really trying to stay positive about the situation, but it is indeed troubling, especially now that I find it may prove to be a detriment to the 'enjoyability' and reputation of our airport. These sorts of feelings certainly don't do much to promote CZNL as the fantastic destination that it is, or a place someone may want to start a business! I'll continue to work to make the situation better. I will also bring this thread to the attention of the Airport Advisory Committee, the Airport Manager, and the on-site manager. Thanks for expressing your concerns. If you, or anyone else has any suggestions as to how I can go about changing the situation, I'm all ears!

rogerthis
I can only guess you're referring to me as the "cute staff"!! Cheers :wink: .
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Troubled_Coffee
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Post by Troubled_Coffee »

I agree with Tids.
As an ex-student of the school in Nelson, I have always been nervous and on edge when I was on a solo and I heard a helicopter inbound on the radio. Since my training I've been to a number of small airports with BOTH fixed wing and rotary operators, but never have I seen an accident waiting to happen like the one in Nelson. Clearly a compromize needs to be made in order to prevent any MORE dammage in the future.

All in all, CZNL STILL has my vote.
And Yes ALL the staff at High Alpine are cute, not just the red head
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Re:

Post by 1000 HP »

Guido wrote:Wiarton and Stratford are two of my favourites...
I slept in my airplane at Wiarton enroute to Camp Borden in 1988. Wiarton was an awesome place place, nice and quiet, with nice friendly bunnies chewing on my tie downs in the morning...
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mattedfred
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Re: Best small airport (ATF only)

Post by mattedfred »

minor point but you spelled wiarton and manitoulin incorrectly on the ballot

how about chapleau, wawa, thessalon, bar river, gore bay, tobermory, hanover, collingwood?

i probably spelled thessalon incorrectly
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2R
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Re: Best small airport (ATF only)

Post by 2R »

Courtenay one of the best restaraunts on the island just a short walk from the airparkThe old mill.
Qualicum for the best pie ever,Chilliwack pie is beige.
Friday Harbour if you want to see how a small airport can attract commerce and money into a small community .
Marsh Harbour Bahamas bring your flip flops and
Whiskey Key Bahamas for those who enjor LONG x-country flying
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yzfer
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Re: Best small airport (ATF only)

Post by yzfer »

Nelson is a great little airport, with quite the circuit pattern too. Here's the view on an inspection pass we were making one day from a 172. A couple mentions of Crawford Bay on here too, the bottom is my favourite picture from a trip of mine to there.
Image
Image
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Randleman
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Re: Best small airport (ATF only)

Post by Randleman »

My vote would go to Revelstoke

really cool airport
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