🇨🇦 Yorkton Municipal Airport

The Yorkton Regional Airport (YQV), also known as Yorkton Municipal Airport, is a certified general aviation facility located three kilometers north of Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada, on Highway 9. It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Type of Facility and Operations: YQV accommodates both private and commercial helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. It features two intersecting runways: a primary asphalt runway (03-21) measuring 4800’ x 150’ and a secondary gravel and asphalt runway (12-30) measuring 3000’ x 100’. The airport offers services such as fuel (Jet A, Jet A + FSII, and 100LL), aircraft repair, flight planning, a pilot lounge, and heated hangars. Landing fees apply to twin, turbine, and jet engine aircraft, while single piston engine aircraft are exempt. The airport also hosts flight training, including commercial and recreational pilot training, and agricultural pilot courses. Businesses operating at YQV include Yorkton Aircraft Service, Leading Edge Aviation, Miccar Aerial, and Good Spirit Air Service.

Notable Features or History: The airport's history dates back to August 1940, when it was established as a Royal Canadian Air Force station and a flying training school under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Construction began in spring 1940, and the school officially opened on April 10, 1941. It was an extensive complex with 40 buildings, including a mess hall, hospital, and hangars for approximately 200 planes. By 1942, the base had 1000 people, and by the end of the war in 1945, an estimated 2000 pilots had earned their wings there. The school closed in January 1946.

Current Status: The Yorkton Airport Authority, a non-profit corporation, operates the airport. The authority contracts a Superintendent, Miccar Aerial Ltd., to manage daily operations, including snow removal, runway inspections, and wildlife control. YQV is a busy facility, with a significant increase in movements over the past 15 to 20 years, making it the busiest airport in southern Saskatchewan after Regina. The airport is projected to become an important freight and passenger transfer point, serving as a distribution center to remote locations in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

*Sources researched: yorkton.ca, ecdev.blob.core.windows.net*