Chilliwack Airport

Chilliwack was introduced to aviation in 1914 by Billy Stark, a Vancouver businessman, flying his Curtiss pusher biplane into the Chilliwack fairgrounds.   Stark was the second licensed pilot in Canada and for years flew from Richmond�s Minoru Park, where he was based when he visited Chilliwack.

 

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The summer of 1919 greatly expanded this exposure as several JN-4 Canucks operated by former military pilots dropped into the fairgrounds.  The pilots were engaged in a competition to be the first to fly across the BC mountains to Alberta, a contest eventually won by Capt. Ernest Hoy (shown here), who took nearly seventeen hours to fly from Vancouver to Calgary.

 

The fairgrounds eventually became too confining for the increasing airborne traffic and city council was prevailed upon to establish an official airport.  A licence was issued for a site on Sumas Prairie owned by the Chadsey brothers, some 3 � miles southeast of the city, with the official opening on June 3, 1931.  The first Chilliwack airshow took place that year.

Over the next decade, the field was well used by local and visiting aviation enthusiasts.  Some of the aircraft to which the Chadsey field played host include, clockwise:  Ginger Coot�s Ryan B-1 (June 1932); American Eagle A1 owned by Aliffe Carey (January 1933); Ed Preslosky�s Alexander Eaglerock (August 1935); and, Roy Brett with Alexander A2 Eaglerock (January 1934).�

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Not all of these aviators were successful in their pursuit of aviation glory.  Frank Edwards built this �Guardian� which crashed on its first test flight in September of 1936.

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The Chilliwack Flying Club was formed in 1945 and the city council was approached to establish a new airport more convenient to the city.  In August 1945 the city purchased an 80-acre farm only a mile from the city centre and began development of a 3,000 foot grass airstrip.  A new hangar was completed in 1948.  However�

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On October 29, 1986 the �new� hangar was destroyed by fire.

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The present configuration of the airport features a 4,000 foot paved runway lit for night operations.  Airport based businesses include flight training, charter companies and a variety of aircraft servicing, maintenance and related businesses.

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