Stanley Airport

Stanley Airport
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator Stanley Sport Aviation
Location Stanley, Nova Scotia
Time zone AST (UTC−04:00)
 • Summer (DST) ADT (UTC−03:00)
Elevation AMSL 95 ft / 29 m
Coordinates 45°06′02″N 063°55′14″W / 45.10056°N 63.92056°W / 45.10056; -63.92056Coordinates: 45°06′02″N 063°55′14″W / 45.10056°N 63.92056°W / 45.10056; -63.92056
Map
CCW4
Location in Nova Scotia
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
02/20 1,900 579 Turf
09/27 2,600 792 Asphalt/Turf
15/33 1,800 549 Turf
Not to be confused with Port Stanley Airport, Falkland Islands

Stanley Airport (TC LID: CCW4) is located in Stanley, Hants County, Nova Scotia, Canada, approximately 12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi) northeast of Windsor.

History

Stanley fly-in 2007

World War II

Stanley was built as RCAF Station Stanley in March 1941 to train pilots as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. The airport was the base for the Royal Canadian Air Force's No. 17 Elementary Flying School which trained thousands of pilots for the Second World War.[2] The school operated two dozen de Havilland Tiger Moth aircraft to train pilots along with a Link Trainer, an early flight simulator equipped with gauges to simulate a real aircraft. At its peak Stanley trained four 30-student classes simultaneously for six weeks of flight training before graduates passed on to advanced training at other bases.[3] The station was closed in January 1944 as the war came to a close.

Aerodrome

In approximately 1942 the aerodrome was listed at 45°06′N 63°55′W / 45.100°N 63.917°W / 45.100; -63.917 with a Var. 23 degrees W and elevation of 96 feet (29 m). The field was listed as "Gravel" and had three runways listed as follows:[4]

Runway Name Length Width Surface
11/29 2,700 feet (823 m) 150 feet (46 m) Gravel
5/23 2,850 feet (869 m) 150 feet (46 m) Gravel
17/35 2,850 feet (869 m) 150 feet (46 m) Hard Surfaced

It was also noted that runway 5/23 was being extended to 5,000 feet (1,524 m) by 200 feet (61 m) this upgrade was under construction.

Post war

The Airport was taken over in 1968 by the Dartmouth Experimental Aircraft Association, which upgraded the runways and built some hangars. The association evolved into the Stanley Sport Aviation Association.[5]

The Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources used the airport's large World War II maintenance hangar after the war before turning it over to Stanley Sport Aviation. This distinctive wood hangar had a control tower at one corner and was once the largest building in Hants County. It was demolished in 2006 due to deterioration of the structure.[6]

Today

At present, the airport is home to Stanley Sport Aviation Association, a group of private aircraft owners and aviation enthusiasts who lease and maintain the field. The airport still has three runways built in the standard BCATP triangular pattern, although the wartime paving has been replaced by grass. The number of runways, close proximity to Halifax and the absence of landing fees make it popular with aviation enthusiasts. Every year over the Labour Day weekend, SSA hosts the annual Stanley Fly-In, which first took place in 1971 and is touted by the club as being the oldest fly-in in Canada. This fly-in is well known in the region, and attracts about 100 aircraft and 2000 visitors from across Canada and the north-eastern United States.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 19 July 2018 to 0901Z 13 September 2018.
  2. ↑ Hatch, F. J. (1983). The Aerodrome of Democracy: Canada and the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, 1939-1945. Ottawa: Directorate of History, Department of National Defence. ISBN 0660114437.
  3. ↑ "Ex-navigation instructor, 93, finds way to Hants County fly-in", By GLEN PARKER, Halifax Chronicle Herald, Sept. 4, 2011
  4. ↑ Staff Writer c.1942, p. 23
  5. 1 2 "Stanley Airport welcomes aviators Facility hosting annual fly-in", GORDON DELANEY Valley Bureau, Halifax Chronicle Herald, Sept. 2, 2011
  6. ↑ "About Us" Stanley Sport Aviation Association
  • Staff writer (c. 1942). Pilots Handbook of Aerodromes and Seaplane Bases Vol. 1. Royal Canadian Air Force.
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