In response to complaints about the renovations underway at the Cortes Island airstrip, the SRD Board asked staff to “engage with Transport Canada to understand the implications on the size of planes, safety requirements, noise levels, and frequency of planes on the upgraded landing strip at 939 Raven Rd, Cortes Island.” They reported back at the board Meeting of Wednesday, June 26, but found very little that was not already known.
Program Manager Renee LaBoucane explained, “There was also some questions regarding transitioning from gravel to a paved runway and that is often done to protect aircraft. Landing on gravel can damage aircraft. So that’s one factor in transitioning to a paved runway.”
“Information I received from both Transport Canada and the Campbell River Airport estimate that the aerodrome was suitable for light, general aviation aircraft, small twin engine aircraft, light turbo props, light business jets and helicopters. These aircraft generally seat up to nine passengers, but it really is dependent upon the capacity of that aircraft and the length of the landing strip.”
Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) David Leitch appears to have given an incorrect interpretation of the regulations which would trigger the airstrip owner’s requirement to consult with the community.
LaBoucane had told the Board, “The owner is only required to consult with the community if the renovations would make the airstrip more than 100 metres longer or greater than 10 percent of the current size.”
This prompted Cortes Island Director Mark Vonesch to ask whether “that includes width, or is it just length?”
The importance* of that question is obvious, if you compare the satellite (right) and drone (left) images at the top of this page. The lower section of the current Cortes Airstrip appears to be wider.
Leitch’s opinion, clearly offered as as an opinion, was: “I think it’s a net 10% increase, so both.”
In a previous interview Sau Sau Liu, Senior Communications Advisor at Transport Canada, explained, “All aerodromes on private property are required to meet the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs), regardless of their registration status. Aerodromes that are building a new runway, or increasing the length of a runway by more than 100m or 10%, are required to consult communities, as per Canadian Aviation Regulations 307and the related Advisory Circular 307.01.”
In addition, LaBoucane stated the Cortes airstrip was established in 1999 and was approved by Transport Canada as an aerodrome under the Aeronautics Act, that same year. That allows non scheduled aircraft, including helicopters, to be permitted to land on the airstrip after receiving prior permission from the aerodrome. Regular scheduled flights are not permitted.
*Correction: On June 29 the word ‘ramification’ was changed to ‘importance’ in the sentence ‘The importance* of that question is obvious, if you compare the satellite (right) and drone (left) images at the top of this page.’
Links of Interest:
- Articles about, or mentioning, the Cortes Airstrip on Cortes Currents
- What share of global CO₂ emissions come from aviation? – Our World in Data
- Articles about, or mentioning, airplane emissions on Cortes Currents
Top image credits: Image from the slideshow at the June 3 town hall meeting, about the air strip, in Masons Hall.
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Width has nothing to do with how big an airrcaft the strip can take. the lengh of the run is what determines size of aircraft. The heavier the aircraft the greater the take-off speed and lenght of runway required to get irborne.duh.
how do we know these two photographs are taken from the same altitude? the photo on the left looks like it’s from lower height than the google earth photo which looks like it’s taken from a much higher height. There is a road to the right of the air strip that is fully visible in the google earth photo on the right. The left side photo is clearly from a lower altitude based on how little of that road is visible.
They were definitely taken from different altitudes and slightly different segments of the airstrip. The overlap is maybe 85% to 90% – but airstrip on the left strip is obviously wider.
That said, the need to consult is only triggered by a 10% increase in the length of the airstrip. It doesn’t matter if the airstrip is wider.