Woodlands County councillors passed a motion at their Dec. 8 meeting giving administration approval to seek to host two major flying events at the Whitecourt Airport over the next two years.
Director of infrastructure Andre Bachand said administration, which has been seeking opportunities to increase activity at the Whitecourt Airport, had been approached about the possibility of hosting a Formula 1 air race in June of 2022.
As noted in Bachand’s report to council, Formula 1 air racing involves aircraft powered by a Continental 0-200 engine (the same 100 horsepower engine used in a Cessna 150) racing at speeds that exceed 250 miles per hour.
Each September, the STIHL National Championship Air Races take place at a 3.12-mile-long air strip just north of Reno, Nevada. Though air racing was once a very popular sport in the first few decades of the 20th century, the Reno air races are the last of their kind.
"This would be air racing’s first exposure into Canada,” said Bachand, noting that a similar event would also be held in Grande Prairie the following weekend.
Bachand said the first step in bringing this event out to the Whitecourt Airport is getting approval from Woodlands County council.
“We don’t foresee any significant cost to the county other than staff time dealing with the arrangements,” he said, while acknowledging that a lot of details would have to be worked out.
At the same time, administration was also seeking approval to submit a proposal to the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) in order to host its National Fly-in Event in 2023.
Bachand noted the event alternates between eastern and western Canada and the location for the 2023 National COPA Fly-in has not yet been decided.
The National COPA Fly-in attracts between 150 to 200 planes and draws hundreds of attendees (pilots, family members, spectators and so on) and industry businesses over the course of three to four days.
“An event of this size would be pretty significant for this area,” he said.
Of course, such an event would also be too big for the county to host on its own, so the municipality would also need to recruit partners like the Town of Whitecourt, the Whitecourt Chamber of Commerce and the local COPA Flight club.
“The recommendation is that council approve the pursuit of the Formula 1 Air Racing event in 2022 and the 2023 National COPA Fly-in Event, and that the county send a letter to the three potential partners asking for their support and assistance,” Bachand said.
Incidentally, Bachand said the Airport Advisory Committee had already given its approval to seek to host both events.
Coun. Dave Kusch, who put forward the motion giving the go-ahead, said this would be great publicity for Woodlands County and the Town of Whitecourt, as well as many neighbouring communities.
Deputy mayor Alan Deane asked if Woodlands County could bear any potential liability from hosting these events, particularly the air race.
Bachand said Woodlands County would be covered through the event organizers’ insurance.
