They came from far and near - a Diamond Star from Alberta, a Cessna 206 from Manitoba, a Piper Comanche from the USA, and aircraft old and new from across Saskatchewan. High wings, low wings, float planes, even a crop sprayer and a long-winged motor glider, around 30 examples of the world of general aviation converged on Carlyle airport, making the fly-in breakfast a smash hit on June 26.
They started serving the sausages, bacon, eggs and pancakes, at 8 a.m. The line was small at first, but as the aircraft landed in a constant stream, the line of hungry visitors just grew and grew. Tables filled in the hanger, and the noise of enthusiastic conversation began to rival the piston engines of taxiing planes.
And still they came, with rows of visiting cars and trucks lining up to the north of the airfield, and equally-varied rows of light aircraft parking on the ramp to the south, and on the north-south grass runway. There were families out for the day, with young children gobbling up their breakfasts and parents trying to keep them away from the active runway. Seniors were well-represented too, and of course there were plenty of middle-agers, often gazing skyward as another aircraft flew overhead to assess the direction of the windsock, and the busyness of the traffic pattern.
After a while, Garnet Goud stood up on a table in the middle of the hanger and tried to get the attention of the large crowd. A whistle rang out in the building, and people turned to listen as he thanked everyone for coming. Of course people were there to enjoy their love of aviation, to engage in pilot talk and look at the aircraft, but he reminded everyone that this was also the official opening of the newly-paved and painted main runway.
The work had cost approximately $549,000 and a board proudly stood in the middle of the building, paying tribute to the various sponsors. The following donors made the project a reality - Andrew Agencies Ltd. Artisan Consulting, Bear Claw Casino, Bull Dog Resources, Carlyle Flying Club, Carlyle Lions Club, Carlyle Motor Products Ltd., Craig and Pam Lothian, Dennis Weatherald, Duncan Brown, Eric Steffenson, Garnet and Shelby Goud, Goodon Industries. Spectrum Resources, Mark Padzoir, Jayson and Kelly Waugh, Kinetic Safety Consulting, Lex Capital Corp, NAL Resources Ltd., Philip Moore, Province of Saskatchewan, Regal Auto Refinishing, RM OF Moose Creek, RM of Moose Mountain, Sky Ag Services, Â鶹ÊÓƵern Exploration, Sunrise Aviation, The Town of Carlyle and many other donors of time and material.
Then a blue ribbon was held out in the middle of the hanger, supported on one side by Craig Lothian from Regina, and on the other by Carlyle Town representative Darren Grimes. Eric Steffenson, President of the Carlyle Flying Club did the cutting, as he had more than two decades ago at the original opening. Goud also spoke with optimism regarding the future of the airport, noting the great asset that the flying school represents, and the anticipated value of the new aircraft maintenance facility that will be run at the airport.
After the ceremony, the breakfast line seemed to get even larger. There were still a few new arrivals coming to the airfield, but gradually the early visitors began making their way back to their aircraft, and the sound of high-revving engines could be heard as the departures and pleasure flights began.
There were a few moments of excitement too. A strong wind started to blow from the south, cutting right across the main runway. With the windsock standing fairly straight at times, the cross-wind takeoff limitations of some aircraft were going to be a potential concern. Aircraft on final approach were seen "crabbing" into the wind, their noses pointing to a different heading from their direction of travel as the pilots compensated for the crosswind. Tail-dragger aircraft were particularly challenging as they accelerated down the runway on their take off roll.
All-in-all, it was a wonderful day of flying, fun and fellowship. The weather was about as kind as could have been hoped for, the breakfast was great, and the people seemed to really enjoy their time at the airport. And as for the real starts of the show, the Pipers, Cessnas, Mooneys, Diamonds and Cirrus really stole the show, gleaming in the sun as a tribute to the world of flight
