City Centre Airport closure putting pressure on move of 737

I know many people will look at this and not care, but losing this airport means the loss of a great deal of Canadian Aviation and Military history.

This airport was first licensed shortly after the Wright Brothers first flew, and is the oldest licensed airport in Canada.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmonton_C ... 29_Airport

It was home to Wop May, who is credited with possibly shooting down the Red Baron in WWI; preventing a diphtheria outbreak by flying through a snowstorm in 40 below weather, hunting for the Mad Trapper, supervising the transfer of fighters to Russia in WWII, and was forefront in creating 'Smoke Jumpers' and air Search and Rescue for the Canadian and US military's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wop_May
http://www.nfb.ca/film/wop_may

I still disagree with the closure of that airport. Yes I realize no one wants huge jets flying into the city center anymore but even over the last few years it's proved it's value for smaller commercial flights and private aircraft.

Unfortunately the airport sits on some pretty prime real-estate and I would suspect that that factor is one of biggest reasons for its closing contrary to the reasons that are currently being offered forward to the public.

There's an old building on Ottawa that sits on prime real estate and that should have to make way for developers so they can pump money into the economy...

And that's why city council didn't put it to a 3rd referendum so that 50% + 1 of people could say 'no' again.

The traffic will move to Villeneuve, or that pathetic one at Smoky Lake. Life will go on. It sucks that all that will be remembered is the name. The subdivision to be built on the 144 acres will be called 'Blatchford'. Meh.

I've used the airport not only for racing (took my car for a 20 minute session around the Indy track last year) but have flown to many Northern destinations from it. It rocked, compared to trying to navigate the International.

Yeah, between the developers who are drooling at slapping up condos and selling them for 300% of cost, NAIT wanting land to expand and the City wanting to collect property taxes, there are a lot of hands out in this deal.

The Alberta Aviation museum is scrambling to try and save the PWA 737 they got in 2005, but everyone is in a rush to close to the airport.

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/business ... story.html

The Pac West 737 made it out, just.

The touch-and-go landing of CF-18 was cancelled, due to weather. The last aircraft were 3 helicopters that hovered for a minute, then were gone.







http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/Ed ... 421333683/