Oshawa Executive Airport

Oshawa Executive Airport,[5] (IATA: YOO, ICAO: CYOO), is a municipal airport adjacent to the north end of the city of Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. Oshawa Airport is one of the major general aviation airports in the Greater Toronto Area It includes two paved runways and instrument approaches. From 2002 to 2008, Oshawa hosted the annual Canadian Aviation Expo, Canada's largest annual aviation event, before the expo moved to John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport in 2009. Oshawa now host the Girls Take Flight event that takes place annually out of the Enterprise FBO.[6]

Oshawa Executive Airport

Toronto/Oshawa Executive Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner/OperatorCity of Oshawa[1]
ServesGreater Toronto and Durham Region
LocationOshawa, Ontario
Time zoneEST (UTC−05:00)
 • Summer (DST)EDT (UTC−04:00)
Elevation AMSL460 ft / 140 m
Coordinates43°55′22″N 078°53′47″W
Websitewww.oshawa.ca
Map
CYOO
Location in Ontario
CYOO
CYOO (Ontario)
CYOO
CYOO (Canada)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
05/23 2,654 809 Asphalt
12/30 4,246 1,294 Asphalt
Statistics (2019)
Aircraft movements89,805
Sources: Canada Flight Supplement[2]
Environment Canada[3]
Movements from Statistics Canada[4]

The airport is classified as an airport of entry by Nav Canada and is staffed on call by the Canada Border Services Agency. CBSA officers at this airport can handle aircraft with no more than 50 passengers.[2]

History

The airport opened in June 1941 under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan as No. 20 Elementary Flying Training School RCAF Station Oshawa. Student flyers used Tiger Moth aircraft and were trained by civilian instructors from the Oshawa, Kingston, and Brant-Norfolk flying clubs. A relief landing field was located at Whitby.[7] The school closed in December 1944 and the airfield was turned over to the Department of Transport. The then-Town of Oshawa took over the facility in 1947.[8]

The planned construction of a Pickering Airport, between Oshawa and Toronto, raised questions about the future of the Oshawa airport.[9] In 2018 the Mayor of nearby Pickering made the construction of a new modern jet airport in Pickering a key part of his platform, winning a landslide victory. Local media continues to report that there remains strong opposition to the construction of the Pickering Airport by some residents. This project was initiated in 1972, then placed on hold in 1975. The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) is not related to Oshawa Airport in any way and as of 2011 has no further role in Pickering Airports development.

In 2008 the City of Oshawa adopted the Oshawa Municipal Airport Business Plan which includes a commitment to operate the airport for a minimum of 25 years. Dozens of upgrades completed by 2010 include construction of new Taxiway "C", Phase 1 of Hangarminium Complex, cardlock fuel facility, and Automated Weather Observation System.

On July 11, 2011 ornge Air Medivac announced that it will open a 24-hour base to help cut the airlift response time to Toronto hospitals. This plan was cancelled in 2013. In 2011/2012, local politicians and the contracted airport management were endeavouring to expand the main runway from 4,000 to 5,000 ft (1,200 to 1,500 m) to acquire additional and larger corporate traffic. This was met with much opposition, as the existing surrounding community is already in close proximity of the runway and the flight paths. The surrounding community asserts that increasing activity at an airport closely nested among residential communities is irresponsible. The surrounding community is also concerned that they are not being represented appropriately by the local standing committees. The proposal to expand was delayed at a December 5, 2011 public meeting as there was not enough room in the Oshawa Council Chambers to accommodate all of the public that showed up in opposition. A new meeting date was to be set sometime in January 2012. After the meeting and great opposition from the general public, it was decided in August 2012 that the expansion project would be cancelled. There has been no revival of the expansion plan since.

New Nav Canada control tower in Oshawa

In 2016, the City of Oshawa approved a $6 Million plan to reconstruct runway 12-30 that would involve an estimated 4-week closure of the airport to all fixed-wing aircraft. The construction started on September 5, 2017 and the runway reopened on October 10, 2017. The airport added new LED edge lights and PAPI's on runway 12-30 to improve night & low advisability conditions. During this time Nav Canada approved and started construction on a new control tower to the northwest of the original tower that was built over 50 years ago. The new tower was estimated to cost $9 Million and opened for use in June 2018.[10]

On November 1, 2018, Nav Canada announced the closure of Buttonville's control tower, re-built in 2006, and weather office effective January 3, 2019. The terminal area forecast station is being installed at Oshawa Executive and scheduled to be operational on the same day Buttonville shuts down its facility.[11]

Facilities

Oshawa Executive Airport is managed and maintained by Total Aviation & Airport Solutions under contract from the operator, the City of Oshawa.[1] TAAS also operate and control the fuel pumps on the North Apron.

Commercial radio stations CKDO and CKGE-FM, licensed to Oshawa, and CJKX, licensed to Ajax, operate from studios on the Oshawa Airport grounds. These organizations operate on former airport land at the entrances to the airport on Taunton Road: Mandarin Chinese Buffet restaurant; Taunton Health Centre, part of the largest, multi-specialty medical group practice in Canada, including Urgent Care, Laboratory, Pharmacy and a dental office aptly named, The Airport Dental Centre; Airport Self Storage Ltd., with ten buildings on six acres; National Defence, The Ontario Regiment, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps, Oshawa Airport Armoury; and the Durham Children's Aid Society.

A live fire training simulator opened south of the control tower in October 2009. It is a partnership between Durham College and the fire departments of Clarington, Oshawa and Whitby.

Fixed Based Operator

Enterprise Airlines Inc. (AvFuel)
Enterprise apron from a Cessna 152 after take-off. (August 2020).
ALCI Aviation Basler BT67 at Enterprise Apron. Commonly used at Oshawa Airport.

Enterprise Air is the only full-service FBO located on the field. Enterprise Air officially opened their doors in 1994 at its original location on the south end next to the old control tower. The FBO stays open 24/7 operating even when the airport becomes Class E airspace from 10:30pm – 6:30am local.

Enterprise Air host the Girls Take Flight event annually every spring.

Tenants

Emergency services
  • Oshawa Fire Services
  • Durham Region EMS
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See also

References
  1. About the Oshawa Executive Airport
  2. Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 16 July 2020 to 0901Z 10 September 2020.
  3. Synoptic/Metstat Station Information
  4. Total aircraft movements by class of operation — NAV CANADA towers
  5. Introducing the Oshawa Executive Airport
  6. Girls Take Flight
  7. Hatch, F. J. (1983). The Aerodrome of Democracy: Canada and the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, 1939-1945. Ottawa: Directorate of History, Department of National Defence. ISBN 0660114437.
  8. Heritage Oshawa. "No 10 Building - Oshawa Airport (No 420 Wing R.C.A.F. Association) 1000 Stevenson Road North Oshawa". Archived from the original on 17 August 2007. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  9. "Exploring the intertwined future of Oshawa, Buttonville and Pickering Airports". Friends of Pickering Airport. November 26, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  10. Oshawa Express
  11. "Oshawa Executive Airport and NAV Canada announce changes to weather monitoring". City of Oshawa. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  13. Canadian Flight Academy/Toronto Airways Limited
  14. Oshawa COPA Flight 70, Canadian Owners And Pilots Association
  15. Enterprise Airlines
  16. AvFuel
  17. Optech
  18. R.C.A.F. 420 Wing, Royal Canadian Air Force Association
  19. https://www.ryanterminal.com/
  20. Skyway Cafe
  21. W.G. Cox Aviation Supply

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