CFB Portage la Prairie/ RCAF Station Portage la Prairie | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Southport, Manitoba Near Portage la Prairie, Manitoba in Canada | |||||||||||
Coordinates | 49°55′N098°17′W / 49.917°N 98.283°W [1] | ||||||||||
Site information | |||||||||||
Operator | Royal Canadian Air Force | ||||||||||
Controlled by | No. 2 Air Training Command (1940- | ||||||||||
Site history | |||||||||||
In use | 1940-45; 1950-92 | ||||||||||
Airfield information | |||||||||||
Elevation | 863 ft (263 m) AMSL | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Airfields |
Canadian Forces Base Portage la Prairie Portage la Prairie/Southport Airport | |||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Summary | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Airport type | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Owner | Canadian Forces Air Command | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Location | RM of Portage la Prairie, near Portage la Prairie, Manitoba | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Time zone | CST (UTC−06:00) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
• Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC−05:00) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Elevation AMSL | 885 ft / 270 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Map | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
Helipads | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
Canadian Forces Base Portage la Prairie is a former military airport of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) located adjacent to Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada. Today the airport is operated as Portage la Prairie/Southport Airport.
RCAF Station Portage la Prairie was originally slated to open on 28 October 1940 and was to be the home station of No. 14 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS). However, due to construction delays of the school from moving into the nearly completed aerodrome, it was decided that the school would be established at Stevenson Field in Winnipeg, Manitoba. From 28 October 1940 until 4 December 1940 the school operated out of the Winnipeg Aerodrome. The majority of EFTS were operated by civilian flying clubs and No. 14 EFTS was no different. Contract for the operation of this school was issued to Central Manitoba Flying Training School Limited, a company created under a charter issued to the Winnipeg Flying Club.
The school was initially tasked to start a pilot training course every month with the course slated to last two months. Each course was loaded with 24 students; however, by the time they commenced training, this increased to 35 students per course.
Training at this school was to be conducted using 25 RCAF provided de Havilland Tiger Moth training aircraft.
The school operated until July 1942 when it was disbanded to allow No.7 Air Observer School, which was also stationed at the base, to expand.
The station was a part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.
The station was home to No.7 Air Observer School from 28 April 1941 to 31 March 1945.
When the Air Observer School's size was increased in the spring of 1942, No.14 EFTS was disbanded to make room. The station was closed on 31 March 1945.
In approximately 1942 the aerodrome was listed at 49°55′N98°17′W / 49.917°N 98.283°W with a variation of 11 degrees east and elevation of 863 ft (263 m). Three runways were listed as follows: [1]
Runway name | Length | Width | Surface |
---|---|---|---|
8/26 | 3,040 ft (930 m) | 150 ft (46 m) | Hard surfaced |
12/30 | 3,040 ft (930 m) | 150 ft (46 m) | Hard surfaced |
1/19 | 2,760 ft (840 m) | 150 ft (46 m) | Hard surfaced |
The post-war expansion of the RCAF resulted in RCAF Station Portage la Prairie being re-activated on 15 September 1952. No. 2 Advanced Flying School (No. 2 AFS) was established to train RCAF and NATO pilots. Several other flight schools followed over the succeeding decades.
As a result of the unification of the Canadian Armed Forces, the station was renamed CFB Portage la Prairie in 1966.
In the late 1980s, Department of National Defence budget reductions led to the contracting out of flight training to civilian agencies. As a result, CFB Portage la Prairie closed on 1 September 1992.
It reopened as Southport Airport, where 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School continues to conduct flight training under contract with KF Aerospace. [4]
The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), often referred to as simply "The Plan", was a large-scale multinational military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand during the Second World War. The BCATP remains one of the single largest aviation training programs in history and was responsible for training nearly half the pilots, navigators, bomb aimers, air gunners, wireless operators and flight engineers who served with the Royal Air Force (RAF), Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm (FAA), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) during the war.
The London International Airport is an international airport located in London, Ontario, Canada. It is located 5 nautical miles northeast of the city of London, Ontario and is classified as an airport of entry by Nav Canada. In 2011, the airport was listed as the 20th busiest airport in Canada in terms of aircraft movements with 94,747 travels. The airport posted a record 683,000 travelers in 2019 and 340,000 passengers in 2023. It provides services for cargo airlines and year-round flights with Air Canada Express and WestJet.
Lethbridge Airport, previously Lethbridge County Airport, is located 4 nautical miles south southeast of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. It is 10–15 driving minutes from downtown Lethbridge, and has scheduled service to the city of Calgary, Alberta. The airport is classified as an airport of entry by Nav Canada and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) on a call-out basis from the Sweetgrass-Coutts Border Crossing. CBSA officers at this airport can handle general aviation aircraft only, with no more than 15 passengers. The airport hosts the biennial Lethbridge International Airshow.
Canadian Forces Station Ladner is a former military airfield and communications station located beside Boundary Bay and 2.5 nautical miles east of Ladner in Delta, British Columbia, Canada, south of Vancouver and close to the U.S. border. After its closure it was reopened as Boundary Bay Airport.
Canadian Forces Base Greenwood, or CFB Greenwood, is a Canadian Forces Base located 1.5 nautical miles east of Greenwood, Nova Scotia. It is primarily operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is one of two bases in the country using the CP-140 Aurora and CP-140A Arcturus anti-submarine/maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft. Its primary RCAF lodger unit is 14 Wing, commonly referred to as 14 Wing Greenwood.
Stanley Airport is located in Stanley, Hants County, Nova Scotia, Canada, approximately 12 nautical miles northeast of Windsor.
Canadian Forces Base Bagotville, commonly referred to as CFB Bagotville, and also known as Bagotville Airport or Saguenay-Bagotville Airport, is a Canadian Forces base located 4.5 nautical miles west of Bagotville in the city of Saguenay. Located in the centre of Quebec, less than 200 km (120 mi) north of Quebec City, CFB Bagotville is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and is one of two bases in the country using the CF-18 Hornet fighter/interceptor, the other being CFB Cold Lake. Its primary RCAF lodger units are 2 Wing and 3 Wing.
Portage la Prairie/Southport Airport is located adjacent to Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada. It is operated by Southport Aerospace Centre Inc., a commercial-industrial centre. It was formerly Canadian Forces Base Portage la Prairie. It has been commercially operated since 1992.
Prince Albert Airport is located 1 nautical mile northeast of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Canadian Forces Base Moose Jaw, also known as 15 Wing Moose Jaw, is a Canadian Forces base located 4 nautical miles south of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and is home to RCAF Pilot training and 431 Squadron, the Snowbirds, which is the RCAF's air demonstration squadron.
Canadian Forces Base Chatham or CFB Chatham was a Canadian Forces Base located immediately south of the town of Chatham, New Brunswick, Canada. Parts are now operating as Miramichi Municipal Airport since 1974 with a partial runway available.
3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School is located at the Southport Aerospace Centre just south of Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada.
Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg is a Royal Canadian Air Force base located within the City of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Co-located at the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, CFB Winnipeg is home to many flight operations support divisions, as well as several training schools. Its primary RCAF lodger unit is 17 Wing, commonly referred to as 17 Wing Winnipeg.
RCAF Station Virden was a Second World War, Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) station. It was a British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) flying training station located north of Virden, Manitoba, Canada. It is now the site of Virden/R.J. (Bob) Andrew Field Regional Aerodrome.
RCAF Station Assiniboia was a Second World War British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) flying training station located near Assiniboia, Saskatchewan, Canada. It was operated and administered by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
RCAF Station Gimli was an air station of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) located near Gimli, Manitoba, Canada.
CFB Rivers was a Royal Canadian Air Force base located 5 km (3.1 mi) southwest of Rivers, Manitoba, Canada, at the junction of Manitoba Highway 25 and Manitoba Provincial Road 259.
RCAF Station Brandon was a Second World War British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) station located near Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. It was operated and administered by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
KF Defence Programs, a division of KF Aerospace, operates the Contracted Flying Training and Support (CFTS) Training Centre located at Portage la Prairie/Southport Airport in Southport, Manitoba, Canada. KF Aerospace leads a joint partnership that includes Canadian Helicopters, Bluedrop Performance Learning, and Canadian Base Operators. The main building is named The Hilly Brown Building after Wing Commander Mark Henry Brown who was the first Canadian flying ace of the Second World War.