A pilot who is the president of a condominium association in Air Ranch is angered with the announcement the runway is closing and there will be no more planes flying into or out of the Okotoks airport in the near future.
“The residents here in Air Ranch (Phase 1) will put up a fight, we are not going to stand for that,” said Wes Metz, the president of the Phase 1 Condo Association in Air Ranch.
The Okotoks Air Ranch Limited Partnership announced on June 8 the Okotoks Air Ranch Airport will close to fixed-wing aircraft in approximately six months.
“It is just not sustainable from a financial standpoint,” said Bill Pringle, a spokesperson for the partnership, on June 9. “It’s been like that from Day 1. They (the owners) just ran out of money and patience.
“It’s been a financial drag and the owners don’t have the capacity any longer to support that financial drag.”
The airport, which is privately run, announced fixed-winged operations will stop in the fall due to financial concerns.
Metz said the Phase 1 association has a 17 per cent share of the airport. The association was started when the airport was being established around 2000.
Metz said the original concept for the Air Ranch community was to be a residential airpark.
“When you bought a lot in Air Ranch it came with a free-use private airport at no additional cost – that is how the area was marketed,” Metz said. “As far as I am concerned nothing has changed legally since 2001...The residents here are not happy, they would like to see this as an airport.
“Much like a lake in a lake community would be important to the residents, a golf course in a golf community would be important to the residents.
“The runway is our main feature, much like a lake or golf course would be in another subdivision.”
Pringle estimated there were between 10 and 20 pilots in the community using the airport and said the closure to planes will impact them. Because the closure is for fixed-wing operations, the Calgary-Okotoks Flying School will likely have to relocate, Pringle said.
“That is why we gave six months' notice,” Pringle said. “We are trying to sort this out with the users how to make this as gentle as possible.”
A spokesperson for the flight school was not available for comment the morning of June 9.
Pringle said while air traffic has gone down slightly over the years, that was not the factor.
“This has been ongoing for many years and finally the owners gave up that it would turn around,” he said.
Metz said he is concerned the runway area will be used for residential development in the future. He said that would result in a significant loss in house value for himself and other Phase 1 residents. Phase 1 is comprised of 39 residential homes.
“The residents would be really disappointed if houses ended up in their backyard,” Metz said.
Businesses at the airport which use drones and helicopters, rather than fixed wing aircraft, did not know at this time what the closure to planes will mean.
Chris Healy of In-Flight Data, which operates drones, said he is hoping his business will continue.
"We don't really use the runway," Healy said. "We are hopeful and positive that we will continue to operate in that space."
Jacki Krsa, owner of Foothills Helicopter Training Academy, said it was too early to tell what impact the stoppage of winged-flight will have on her company.
"We have a designation as a heliport so we can at least continue to operate,” Krsa said. “But I am going to have to wait and see what happens... I’m hopeful it doesn’t mean we have to close.”
She said it would be unfortunate if the flight school moves.
“We are really hoping not,” Krsa said. “It is based around Okotoks and it would be unfortunate.”
Joel Valentine, owner of Access Helicopters located at the airport, said he could not comment on what the impact will be on his company.
Town Coun. Matt Rockley lives in the Air Ranch neighbourhood and recalls riding his bicycle as a youth to go watch planes from the airport.
“Where I live in Drake Landing we enjoy watching the small aircrafts coming and going,” Rockley said. “For me, and I think people living in this area, it is a nice aspect of the community."
In a press release from the partnership, it stated the community will be involved in future changes at the airport.
“This is going to be a long process,” Pringle said. “We are working with all the users of the airport in terms of what they need to do and timing.”
