In an effort to reach out to the community of Rocky View, the Springbank Airport Business and Pilots Association (SABPA) is hosting an airport open house on Sept. 20.
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., guests will be able to enjoy a number of exciting displays and activities featuring aircrafts, businesses, and pilots from the association.
“We would love to extend an invitation to residents of Rocky View to come out to our airport, get to know us a little better, and hopefully develop a better understanding of what the airport contributes to this community,” explained Colin MacLeod, SABPA president.
“We want to educate and help people understand the purpose behind the airport being here, as there are certainly levels of friction in our relationship with community members and developers.”
Despite the airport’s presence generating some noise and safety issues, MacLeod hopes that giving the public the opportunity to see how the airport contributes to the local economy can reduce some of the friction he sees within the community.
“We have a lot of private aviation in this area, so people who are local aviation enthusiasts store their planes here and come out to fly them on the weekends,” he said.
“We also have a number of small businesses here at the airport, including flight training schools, aircraft charter companies, aircraft maintenance companies, and aircraft management companies. We really are an important part of the aviation infrastructure and economy here in Alberta.”
The association’s volunteer board of directors said they have been kicking around the idea of an open house for a while, and they started working on organizing the event about six months ago.
“It’s definitely an expensive undertaking, and we operate solely on donations that we receive from members,” he added.
“But we are hoping that it will go well, and we can start to offer this event on an annual basis.”
Guests can expect to get up close and personal with about 15 aircraft that will be on static display for the afternoon, and they can also meet with some of the pilots who fly them.
There will be vintage aircraft featured in the display, as well as large amounts of food and refreshments.
With training schools making up a big part of the airport, training aircraft will be on display and free introductory rides offered to those under 16 years of age.
Guests can also take in a small business expo, aimed at educating the public about what the Springbank Airport has to offer.
“We aren’t sure what to expect for our first time, but we have heard nothing but positive things so far,” MacLeod said.
“It would be great to see 400 or 500 people out to see our airport and meeting the people who make up our association.”
