Giving a boost to aviation tourism in the Whitecourt/Woodlands County neck of the woods

The skies above Whitecourt were a bit busier than usual on Saturday, June 12. From roughly 11:00 am until just after lunch, pilots flew in from around northern Alberta for the Alberta Northern Air Tour. “There was a similar event last year where they visited other airports. We are happy to say that this is the first year we’ve had the chance to host them,” explained Bert Roach, Economic Development Officer for Woodlands County. “We’ve got about 25 aircraft coming in today.”

Elevate Aviation organized the event along with help from Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland MLA Shane Getson. “He and MLA Martin Long are both avid supporters of aviation and getting us back to being able to do whatever events we can do under restrictions,” explained Roach. “MLA Getson was one of our main contacts for this. He was the one who brought it to our attention and asked if we wanted to be part of it this year. We were happy to say yes.”

Once pilots descended into the Whitecourt Airport airspace and taxied and parked their planes, they were met with delicious smells from the food tent (Catering Mama Gray’s Kitchen) that awaited them. After their meal, pilots received swag bags with items from both the Town of Whitecourt and Woodlands County and information on the airport itself.

The tour aims to introduce pilots to the area and encourage them to return, perhaps to explore further out into Woodlands County and do some shopping in Whitecourt. “In the swag bags, we have a nine-hole golf certificate from our local golf club. We were thrilled to get that support from the Whitecourt Golf and Country Club. We would love to see these pilots fly in for a round of golf,” said Roach. “From an economic development perspective, it’s just great. We made the pilots our focus because they are the ones we want to make sure are comfortable so that they will tell all their other pilot friends to come, use our airport, and maybe shop and golf and enjoy the area.”

For the pilots, the event also served a practical purpose for their flying hours. “It’s an opportunity for them to put in the hours they need to make sure that they maintain certifications and do those kinds of things,” said Roach. The planes landed one at a time from 11:00 am to 11:30 am. “It is not an airshow event, but it creates a lot of aviation activity, and it’s a great way to look up and enjoy and see what we have for our beautiful local facility.” Members of the public were able to sit in the parking lot to watch the planes land. An F-18 was planned to make a touchdown but, in the end, could not make it.

Mayor John Burrows, also a pilot, was pumped to talk to incoming pilots. “What a great day to promote our airport, CZYU,” he said. Promoting the local facilities has been a focus of the flying club for years, helping build exposure for the area. “This has been more private aviation than commercial today. These are the pleasure operators. No different than people with jet boats or motorcycles, only they chose airplanes,” said Burrows.

As an avid plane guy, Burrows said he was excited to see some experimental planes touching down. “With the unfortunate legal liability that goes along with it, it has gotten really expensive to buy new airplanes. So, when you get into looking for a plane, people are typically buying used or buying kit airplanes. These are airplanes that the individual builder can make, and as the builder, you assume the liability for it, so there is no manufacturer. It makes the airplane a lot less expensive to own, and the performance on some of them is incredible.”

For Kieran Tookey, the perfect spot to enjoy his delicious catered lunch was the back of his plane, a 1947 Ercoupe 415D. As pictured on the cover, it was the perfect table. “I recently got it restored. I was working on it for the past year and a half, and I’ve been flying it for about a month now,” he explained. “This event is awesome. It’s the best thing that can happen for general aviation. We get to go out and support local airports. It’s also a great excuse to go flying.”

MLA Shane Getson flew in alongside the other pilots and spoke highly of the staff at the Whitecourt Airport for their hard work in getting the facility grounds ready for everyone. He was also floored at the swag provided for pilots and showed appreciation for how much work was invested in the Whitecourt/Woodlands tour stop. Following their meal, Getson and the other pilots hopped back into their planes to continue onto Barrhead, the next stop. Before Whitecourt, everyone stopped in Mayerthorpe. The busy day also included Villeneuve, Fort McMurray, Lac La Biche, Boyle, and Westlock.