In 1939, farmland was purchased and land cleared for the future base. In 1940 the base opened as a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Manning Depot with one building. Five hangars and 31 other buildings were under construction well into 1941 including barracks, service buildings and administrative buildings. Six hard surfaced runways 900 to 1075 metres long made up the airfield. Two additional hangars were built for a total of seven. In August 1941, the base was handed over to the Royal Air Force and on 28 September 1941, No. 36 Service Flying Training School was transferred from Britain. It was one of several schools established as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.[1] The school was disbanded on 3 November 1944.[2] and the base was officially handed back to the RCAF who began the process of closing the base. The station was operated and administered by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
The primary Relief Landing Field (R1) for RCAF Station Penhold was located northwest of the community of Innisfail. For more information please see Innisfail Aerodrome
It re-opened in 1952 as a RCAF flying school training pilots for member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The airfield closed 1965 and in 1966 the City of Red Deer took over operation of the airfield, naming it the Red Deer Industrial Airport. The station was also home to a Pinetree Line radar station and the provincial emergency government headquarters bunker for the province of Alberta.
The remainder of the base continued in operation as CFB Penhold, although it was downgraded to a detachment of CFB Edmonton in 1990. In 1994 the base was decommissioned and closed.
Post ClosureEdit
Mynarski Park, the residential portion of the base, was renamed Springbrook in 1995 when private developers purchased the lands from the Department of National Defence. The operational area of the base near the airfield was sold to a different developer which referred to the area as Harvard Park.[1] In 1999, airfield operations were taken over by the newly-created Red Deer Regional Airport Authority, a partnership of the City of Red Deer, Red Deer County, and the Red Deer Chamber of Commerce. The Royal Canadian Air Cadets operated the Penhold Air Cadet Summer Training Centre at the former base until the Centre was closed in 2014.[5]
^ ab"History of the Penhold Base at Springbrook Alberta".
^Hatch, F. J. (1983). The Aerodrome of Democracy: Canada and the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, 1939-1945. Ottawa: Directorate of History, Department of National Defence. ISBN0660114437.
^Staff writer (c. 1942). Pilots Handbook of Aerodromes and Seaplane Bases Vol. 2. Royal Canadian Air Force. p. 111.
^"Royal Canadian Air Force second central registry and file classification system : C-5883". Retrieved 2020-03-22.
^"End of an era: the doors have closed on Penhold Air Cadet summer training centre". Red Deer Advocate. 18 August 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
August 31, 2023
rcaf, station, penhold, second, world, british, commonwealth, training, plan, bcatp, station, located, near, penhold, alberta, canada, near, penhold, alberta, canadacoordinates52, 890site, informationownerdept, national, defence, canada, site, historyin, use19. RCAF Station Penhold was a Second World War British Commonwealth Air Training Plan BCATP station located near Penhold Alberta Canada RCAF Station PenholdNear Penhold Alberta in CanadaRCAF Station PenholdCoordinates52 10 37 N 113 53 24 W 52 177 N 113 890 W 52 177 113 890Site informationOwnerDept of National Defence Canada Site historyIn use1941 4 Garrison informationOccupantsNo 36 SFTS 1941 44 Airfield informationElevation2 950 ft 900 m AMSLRunwaysDirection Length and surface2 20 3 000 ft 910 m Hard Surface2 20 2 970 ft 910 m Hard Surface16 34 2 950 ft 900 m Hard Surface16 34 3 270 ft 1 000 m Hard Surface11 29 3 180 ft 970 m Hard Surface11 29 2 930 ft 890 m Hard SurfaceAirfields Contents 1 History 1 1 World War II 1 1 1 Aerodrome information 1 2 Relief landing field Innisfail 1 3 Relief landing field Blackfalds 1 4 Cold War 1 5 Post Closure 2 Present day 3 ReferencesHistory EditWorld War II Edit In 1939 farmland was purchased and land cleared for the future base In 1940 the base opened as a Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF Manning Depot with one building Five hangars and 31 other buildings were under construction well into 1941 including barracks service buildings and administrative buildings Six hard surfaced runways 900 to 1075 metres long made up the airfield Two additional hangars were built for a total of seven In August 1941 the base was handed over to the Royal Air Force and on 28 September 1941 No 36 Service Flying Training School was transferred from Britain It was one of several schools established as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan 1 The school was disbanded on 3 November 1944 2 and the base was officially handed back to the RCAF who began the process of closing the base The station was operated and administered by the Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF Aerodrome information Edit In approximately 1942 the aerodrome was listed at 52 11 N 113 54 W 52 183 N 113 900 W 52 183 113 900 with a Var 24 5 degrees E and elevation of 2 850 ft 870 m Six runways were listed as follows 3 Runway Name Length Width Surface2 20 3 000 ft 910 m 100 ft 30 m Hard surfaced2 20 2 970 ft 910 m 100 ft 30 m Hard surfaced16 34 2 950 ft 900 m 100 ft 30 m Hard surfaced16 34 3 270 ft 1 000 m 100 ft 30 m Hard surfaced11 29 3 180 ft 970 m 100 ft 30 m Hard surfaced11 29 2 930 ft 890 m 100 ft 30 m Hard surfacedRelief landing field Innisfail Edit The primary Relief Landing Field R1 for RCAF Station Penhold was located northwest of the community of Innisfail For more information please see Innisfail Aerodrome Relief landing field Blackfalds Edit The Secondary Relief Landing Field R2 for RCAF Station Penhold was located west of the community of Blackfalds it was located at 52 23 09 N 113 54 13 W 52 38583 N 113 90361 W 52 38583 113 90361 RCAF Blackfalds 4 Cold War Edit It re opened in 1952 as a RCAF flying school training pilots for member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization The airfield closed 1965 and in 1966 the City of Red Deer took over operation of the airfield naming it the Red Deer Industrial Airport The station was also home to a Pinetree Line radar station and the provincial emergency government headquarters bunker for the province of Alberta The remainder of the base continued in operation as CFB Penhold although it was downgraded to a detachment of CFB Edmonton in 1990 In 1994 the base was decommissioned and closed Post Closure Edit Mynarski Park the residential portion of the base was renamed Springbrook in 1995 when private developers purchased the lands from the Department of National Defence The operational area of the base near the airfield was sold to a different developer which referred to the area as Harvard Park 1 In 1999 airfield operations were taken over by the newly created Red Deer Regional Airport Authority a partnership of the City of Red Deer Red Deer County and the Red Deer Chamber of Commerce The Royal Canadian Air Cadets operated the Penhold Air Cadet Summer Training Centre at the former base until the Centre was closed in 2014 5 Present day EditThe aerodrome is now operated as the Red Deer Regional AirportReferences Edit a b History of the Penhold Base at Springbrook Alberta Hatch F J 1983 The Aerodrome of Democracy Canada and the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan 1939 1945 Ottawa Directorate of History Department of National Defence ISBN 0660114437 Staff writer c 1942 Pilots Handbook of Aerodromes and Seaplane Bases Vol 2 Royal Canadian Air Force p 111 Royal Canadian Air Force second central registry and file classification system C 5883 Retrieved 2020 03 22 End of an era the doors have closed on Penhold Air Cadet summer training centre Red Deer Advocate 18 August 2014 Retrieved 4 December 2018 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title RCAF Station Penhold amp oldid 1036500000, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
