Killarney Guide

BY KIM LANGEN

After a gruelling winter of extreme winds, extreme cold, and a lot of blowing snow and massive drifts, the local airport is taking steps towards managing the white stuff better next year.

Bob Wiebe, president of the Killarney Flying Club, said fundraising is well underway now to help pay for a new 30’x40’ heated maintenance shop for their snow-moving and clearing equipment.

“Right now they are being stored in an open shed, an old hangar with no doors,” said Wiebe. “The snow has been blowing right into the shed, and we have had to dig out the snow blower and the plow themselves numerous times this winter before we can even start them up. It’s been a challenging year out there for snowblowing.”

Flying Club members keep clear around 10 acres of ramp area and runway for planes and helicopters to land here, he said. It’s a lot of work, but for the emergency flights and transfers it can mean life or death.

“We have had 16 Life Flight airplanes come in this winter, and five STARS helicopters – all med-evac situations,” he said. “That number is up over other years. And the runway has been opened for them 100 per cent of the time this winter, when a flight was possible.
Only one Life Flight was diverted, and it went to Deloraine, purely for visibility issues. Deloraine has instrument approach procedure, and we don’t have that yet here in Killarney. It means the pilot uses instruments until they reach 200 feet, and then they are using visuals. They are basically looking for the runway – if they can see it – in order to land.”

Thanks to an incredible donation by the local Kinsmen, of $35,000, plus a few thousand more from a local generous philanthropist, they are already on their way to funding the project, which is expected to run from around $60,000 to $70,000, he said.

The new shop will mean saving them time and energy currently spent warming up the machines, digging them out if necessary, and getting onto the tarmac faster.

“With the new heated shed we will be able to drive right out the door, and start clearing snow,” said Wiebe. “It will have an overhead door, and the snow won’t blow in.”

The airport currently uses a Sicard airport snowblower, which the club purchased a few years ago from the airport in Hay River, NWT. They also utilize a tractor with a snowplough, which they have had for some time.

“Our plans are to start the build this spring,” said Wiebe. “We have to wait for this load of snow to melt before anything gets started.”

NEW HEATED SHOP ON ORDER – After a very long winter, plans to build a new heated maintenance shop for Killarney Airport seem even more important. Above, an incredible cheque for $35,000 was presented to the Killarney Flying Club last month by the Killarney Kinsmen, in order to help them reach their fundraising goal. From left are: Flying Club members Wade Dickson, Trena Dickson, Shawn Dickson and Gordon Wood, and Kinsmen Club members Kelly Berg, Kenny Closen, Bob Wiebe (Flying Club president), Paul Smith, Geoff Janz (Kinsmen president), Colin Beaupre, Curt Struth, Darren Zarn, and Bart Sutherland.

A PEEK INSIDE THE SNOWY SHED – Above, left, a view of the inside of the snow-filled shed that currently houses the airport’s snow-moving and clearing equipment. At least 21 emergency medical flight crews have used the Killarney Airport this past winter, and just getting the machines out in order to clear the ramp and runway has been an arduous task for Flying Club members these past months.

JAY STRUTH/KILLARNEY GUIDE PHOTOS

RUNWAY CLEARING FOR LIFEFLIGHT – A Killarney Flying Club member out snow blowing the airport runway this winter, in readiness for the arrival or departure of a plane or helicopter.

CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF AND LANDING – A LifeFlight AEROMED aircraft, parked up after taxiing into the airport in order to transport an emergent or critical patient.

BOB WIEBE/PHOTOS