Efforts begin to spruce up Cochrane airport.

• Author: GOULIQUER, DIANNE
• Position: Brief Article

The skies over Cochrane have been without commercial flights for some time now, but a newly-formed commission dedicated to breathing life back into the town's airport may change that.

Peter Picard is chair the Cochrane Aviation Business Commission (CABC), which was formed over six months ago by the Town of Cochrane to promote and create aviation business activity at the town's airport.

Picard says CABC would ultimately like to see commercial flights touch down in Cochrane again, but right now he would be satisfied with increase in air traffic of any sort.

"Our mandate is to, basically, turn the airport from a quiet, run-down airport being supported basically by the town, to a more thriving airport that can become more self-sufficient and pay its own way," Picard says of CABC.

He became involved in the commission when a consultant's report commissioned by the town revealed "a multitude of ideas" for the aiport.

"With the report in hand and my particular interest, and the interest of the (Ontario) Ministry of Natural Resources in establishing a base of operations there, it was thought that it would be a good idea to put together not just a committee but a commission of people with a vested interest in the airport to oversee it."

The commission's first order of business, he says, was to bring the airport up to standards to make it a more appealing location to land.

Those improvements were highlighted at a recent fly-in at the airport, where pilots landed their aircraft to socialize with airport officials and the general public.

"We did a lot of repairs to the inside of the airport and got it cleaned up with proper signage," Picard says.

"We wanted to make a statement that the Cochrane airport is open for business, that we're no longer a little, run-down station.

He says it was just the first of many fly-ins to come, but CABC will try to organize future fly-ins to run in conjunction with other major community events, like the town's carnival or truck drag.

Running events simultaneously gives people another excuse to fly into the airport, he says.

"Somebody who's thinking of coming to Cochrane (for those events) might say, 'Hey, I'll fly there.' But to fly there just for a free hamburger and to shoot the breeze might not be worth It.

"We're going to try to promote (the airport) along with other things. We want to get the hotels and the cabs (involved) and we plan on having a courtesy car. It's little perks like that allow the aviator to fly in...