Prince Rupert Airport

�Ollie� Prest poses with �Polar Bear� in front of seine net on Acropolis Hill. September 1921

The first aircraft to fly in Prince Rupert arrived in September 1921, on a railroad flatcar.  �Ollie� Prest was attempting to fly from Mexico to Siberia and had been forced to land near Hazelton.  After making repairs he shipped his JN-4, christened �Polar Bear�, to the coast, planning to use the docks to take off.  He was convinced to remain and participate in the city�s annual Exhibition, flying from tennis courts on Acropolis Hill that were joined by a purpose built bridge.  After a few flights, the aircraft was damaged on landing, repaired and then nearly destroyed by a storm, ending its introduction of Prince Rupert�s citizens to the aviation age.

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Polar Bear over-flies Prince Rupert

Prest's JN-4 on short final on Acropolis Hill landing ground.

"Polar Bear" on take-off across bridge joining two tennis courts.

The "Polar Bear" after windstorm damaged it, September 1921

The following years saw visits by a number of float equipped aircraft and flying boats, most heading along the coast to Alaska.  One was the first aircraft to fly up the coast, a Curtiss MF flying boat christened �Northbird�, which arrived in July 1922.

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Another Curtiss flying boat, an HS-2L of the Royal Canadian Air Force, arrived from Jericho Beach (Vancouver) on July 23, 1923, piloted by Squadron Leader Earl Godfrey.  The RCAF established a base at Seal Cove from which it made fisheries patrols until 1937 with aircraft from #4 (BR) Squadron.

In 1930 a local pilot, Desmond Murphy, incorporated Northern B.C. Airways Ltd. and purchased a float equipped DH60 Gypsy Moth which he flew from a barge on the waterfront of the city for the next four years.

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One notable visitor was a Dornier Wal D-2053 on a round-the-world flight, flown by Captain Wolfgang Von Gronau.  It landed at Prince Rupert on August 18, 1932 and remained for five days before departing to Juneau and points west.

In 1937, in the runup to World War II, Seal Cove was identified as the preferred location for a fully equipped RCAF flying boat station.  Construction required substantial blasting and heavy construction work and was not completed until December 1, 1941. 

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No. 7 Bomber Reconnaissance (BR) Squadron was stationed at Seal Cove effective December 8.  Three days later, their Blackburn Shark aircraft began to arrive to begin patrols over the Pacific the following week.  The Shark was a challenging aircraft to fly, and over the next two years, the Squadron experienced several accidents.  In April 1943, the Squadron was equipped with larger Canso flying boats, allowing for longer patrol and convoy escort assignments. 

RCAF Station Prince Rupert reverted to administrative from operational status in the spring of 1944 and was turned over to the City of Prince Rupert in 1945.  Within a year Queen Charlotte Airlines began a weekly scheduled flight using RCAF surplus Stranraer aircraft.  Sadly, one of these aircraft, CF-BYL, crashed during a nighttime medical evacuation flight on August 31, 1946 with the loss of all crew and the child who was the subject of the rescue attempt.

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At the beginning of 1947 Canadian Pacific Airlines began regular flights using ex-military Canso aircraft, also working out of Seal Cove.  But there was increasing demand for a land based airstrip and after lengthy consideration, Digby Island was chosen as the best location.

To stabilize the base for the airport 10-12 feet of muskeg had to be removed and approximately 700 cubic meters of rock fill had to be barged to Digby Island before a runway could be constructed. From 1957 to 1959 a 6000� runway, dock and access road were completed. Navigational aids, water supply, sewage, power from the mainland and meteorological services were added in 1960 and 1961. In 1961 an airport license was issued in Transport Canada�s name for day operation only and Canadian Pacific began scheduled service. In 1962 the air terminal building, instrument landing system and staff dwellings were completed and in 1971 the maintenance complex and firehall was built.  The only terrestrial access to the island is by a twenty minute ferry ride from the city itself, the price of which is included in the cost of air tickets.

In April 1997 the Prince Rupert Airport was transferred from Transport Canada to the city owned Prince Rupert Airport Authority.  As of December 2022, Air Canada provides scheduled service to the community. 

 

Prince Rupert also hosts two licenced water airdromes:  Prince Rupert/Seal Cove (CZSW) and Prince Rupert Digby Island (CAN6). 

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