Okotoks Closing... again

[Squaretail]

https://www.okotokstoday.ca/local-news/ ... hs-3872994

Inevitable I suppose. The land developers have been working hard to do this for a long time. When you know there's a plan already in place to turn the area into housing, it was hard to believe they were even trying in good faith. Lesson to be learned: Land developers/real estate people are the enemies of GA. Don't let them convince you otherwise.

[TwinOtterFan]

You don't have to look far too find an example of a land developer taking whatever they want.

[David MacRay]

I remember driving out of the town of Okotoks around 1989 to get to the field and the T-38 parked in front of the FTU building.

I guess I’m lucky I never found the money to build a house and hangar there.

I feel bad for the folks that did.

[Squaretail]

It was a CT-133 which fortunately found a home eventually at CYRM, as the gate guardian, partly due to the efforts of someone who is regrettably no longer with us. Narrowly avoided being scrapped by the developers, who felt “it didn’t reflect their vision for the airpark.” In an early tip off to their intentions.

[David MacRay]

That’s weird that I typed 38 instead of 33.

There might have been one on a pedestal and another on the grass at one time. There were also some other planes.

[Squaretail]

I think the one not on a pedestal made it to Nanton, but not sure. The Harvard also ended up there, and the Chipmunk the new owner crashed it after he run it out of oil somewhere near Brandon. Not sure if it was recovered after that. I heard that Orville owned a P-51 way back when, but that was before my time. Glad he’s not around to see what has become of the place. An aviation heaven swallowed up by developer greed. Was good while it lasted.

[David MacRay]

I think once they close it we really need to get an extra loud plane. Fly it to Kirkcaldy for a touch and go. Turn off the transponder. Buzz sky ranch a couple times. Return to Kirkcaldy touch and go turn the transponder back on and return to base.