The Moose Jaw Flying Club Spring Social had an attendance of nearly 70 people, and club president Roger Blager said the municipal airport is seeing a prominent increase in activity since renovations were completed.
Attendees at the Moose Jaw Flying Club’s Spring Social on March 5 included members of the military and civilian contractors from 15 Wing.
15 Wing Commander Col. Jonathan Bouchard said that it was a pleasure to be at the event. Also in attendance was Lt.-Col. Riel Erickson, commanding officer of 2 Canadian Forces Flying Training School (2 CFFTS), and her husband Major Phil Shilling, the Wing Flight Safety Officer, along with numerous student pilots and instructors.
Blager said he hoped the Moose Jaw Municipal Airport would become a centre for general aviation enthusiasts. Flying Club membership in the past has been relatively limited – typically local pilots who own personal aircraft.
The airport has been quiet the last few years, especially with COVID. The last social event had 12 people. This time, there were nearly 70. The evening was a dinner social with plenty of mingling.
There were after-dinner presentations from Roger Blager, Candace Pardo, and Greg Simpson.
Blager told the gathering that their history started in 1927 when, to encourage interest in flying, the federal government gave support to the establishment of local flying clubs. The Moose Jaw Flying Club was then established in 1928.
The government gave each club two dual-control de Havilland DH.60 Cirrus Moth training aircraft, as well as generous grants for each private and commercial pilot they graduated. Learning to fly became popular enough that the club hired two instructors.
During World War II, the flying club participated in the war effort by helping manage the No. 3 Air Observer School in Regina. Club members were recruited to help train air observers and navigators at the school.
Flight school and COPA 215
Provincial Airways Flight School Chief Instructor Candace Pardo was happy to report that since the establishment of the flight school in September 2021, 71 students have passed through.
They have graduated over 30 private pilots, and there are six more who will be graduating over the next couple of weeks.
Also relatively new to the airport is its membership into the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) as COPA Flight chapter 215. Blager is the president of COPA 215.
Pardo is the provincial director of COPA Saskatchewan. COPA is a pilot’s advocacy group that provides group insurance rates, flight school scholarship opportunities, and government lobbying on behalf of the general aviation community.
Moose Jaw Municipal Airport Authority report
Greg Simpson, chairman of the board of the Moose Jaw Municipal Airport Authority (MJMAA), reported on the recent progress at the airport.
Simpson thanked everyone who’d come out for being part of the effort to establish the MJMAA, which he credited with revitalizing the infrastructure and opportunities the airport offers.
Over the last couple of years, a total of over $3.7 million – from federal, provincial, municipal, and private sources – has been invested in the rehabilitation and extension of the runway and the expansion of the airport’s taxiways and apron.
Simpson said the work has created new business opportunities, made it easier for air ambulance flights to land in Moose Jaw, and increased the chance for cooperation with 15 Wing.
Future events
There are two additional events planned this year. In May, Pardo said, Moose Jaw will host COPA’s first province-wide general aviation conference.
The conference planning includes visits from major aircraft manufacturers, other COPA flights and flight schools, and career fairs targeted at people considering aviation-related jobs.
In June, the MJMAA is planning a grand re-opening of the airport to showcase its new runway. Dignitaries from the municipal, provincial, and possibly federal governments will be in attendance. Simpson said there will also be fun events they hope will draw local crowds.
The Moose Jaw Express will have more details of those events as the dates draw nearer.
