Welland Aero Centre

[unregistered]

Does anyone happen to know if/when Welland Aero Centre will be reopening?

Thanks in advance.

[CPLMike89]

Heard a rumor the original Welland Aero is no more but one of the local DFTE'S is opening a flight school in its place this summer.

[Duffman]

Heard a rumor the original Welland Aero is no more but one of the local DFTE'S is opening a flight school in its place this summer.

Yeah that is true. It's a shame, I learned to fly at WAC and had a lot of fun there. I wonder whats happening to the planes, I did my first solo in TGL.

[unregistered]

Will Bruce get the AMO back up and running, or is that finished for good as well?

Thanks!

[CPLMike89]

Yeah that is true. It's a shame, I learned to fly at WAC and had a lot of fun there. I wonder whats happening to the planes, I did my first solo in TGL.

I hear ya, Bruce was really good to me as a up and coming pilot. In highschool I completed a co op at the AMO then worked the ramp while finishing my CPL Multi-IFR. Bruce did my float rating on the river behind the airport and my first revenue flights were doing the pipeline patrol over Toronto. I still haven't found another school that will rent a twin solo.

[pdw]

It sounds like the business closed with a bang, and not with a whimper; doesn't sound like it was a long and drawn out process before the decision to pack it in, ... just some less predictable circumstances. A shame for the employees for sure.

[redlaser]

Maybe P.Dawn can keep us posted she flies her Gulf stream into Welland from time to time,

[pdw]

It's soon back to business as usual if not already; just looking at the website ... Niagara Central Airport.

[Duffman]

It's soon back to business as usual if not already; just looking at the website ... Niagara Central Airport.

Definately not business as usual. The main hangar was taken over by the skydive people, i'm not sure if the new flight school will also be in there or one of the other buildings. I'm up north for float season but last time I talked to some staff at WAC was in March and they were still fighting the airport commission to get back into their hangar.

It's a shame but I wouldn't be surprised if Welland Aero Center is done for good...

[pdw]

Two enterprises would be better than just one, seeing the growth in the area and new highway construction. The Airport Commission wants more business, as one Commission spokesperson is quoted, and such competition increases activity. St Catharines, 20 miles south of Welland, was much busier when two flight schools existed there until recently.

The eventual Buttonville (CYKZ) closing will also further influence ( re: lease rate changes first mentioned in a news article late last summer ... which at first glance looks to be central to the WAC disagreement), upwardly, the local prices/lease-rates of the Niagara Region's airport real estate.

[MRP]

In 2002 when I started at Welland Aero, the company was managing the day to day functions of the airport including promoting the airport (at WAC's expense) and in turn WAC was paying relatively low rent. That had been the arrangement since Bruce took over what was left of DanAir. From 2002 till I left in 2009 we worked very hard promoting the airport often at Bruces expense. In that time an airport that had maybe a dozen or so aircraft in one hangar (half owned by WAC) and maybe 2 or 3 on tiedown grew to a full ramp of aircraft with all tiedowns sold out and several new hangars with at least 5-6 aircraft in each. Most of this growth was a direct result of Welland Aero Center and I know this because I personally taught many of the new owners how to fly and Bruce either sold, brokered, or had some other hand in the sale of those aircraft that now fill the new hangars AND in convincing the Airport Commission to lease the land in the first place!

In my opinion, the airport commission looked at this growing activity and decided based on that to increase revenues by charging Bruce more rent. He disagreed with the amount of rate increase especially given that if it weren't for WAC the airport would have closed long ago. This was the standoff that has now seen WAC close its doors.

As for the future of the airport who knows what will happen? I can predict that a skydive operation will scare away many private and recreational pilots and stop or reverse the growth in traffic at Welland. Not many busy GA airports around that also have an active skydive school are there? But I could be wrong...

MRP

[pdw]

I can predict that a skydive operation will scare away many private and recreational pilots and stop or reverse the growth in traffic at Welland. Not many busy GA airports around that also have an active skydive school are there? But I could be wrong...

No you would be right there about that history... for safety reasons too. Meaning that since the airport was there for so many years ... and now even undergoing improvement, it may not be the safest idea to introduce the deviated landing strategy for aircraft. Some oldtimers are bound to come along not informed about the unusual change ... no matter how much time goes by into the forseeable future. Thought the school had a great advertised location for the drops at another place, somewhere near Wainfleet. Provision for an occasional drop is a different thing ... than as being given priorty always.

There must be a main reason why they choose the airport, ... less airtime to pay for the drops ?

[cj75]

Does anyone happen to know if/when Welland Aero Centre will be reopening?

Welland Aero Center has stopped operating the FTU and AMO due to lack of suitable facilities. I don't know if or when or where these operations will resume. Bruce is very determined and wants to get these operations up and running again. I wish him all the best.

That being said the airport has not turned into a ghost town...

Bruce is still at the airport regularly, keeping busy. He is offering block time to licensed pilots on the aircraft previously used by the FTU. Freelance instruction is also readily available at the airport.

The skydive operator was previously in Dunnville. They relocated to Welland this year due to the permanent closure of Dunnville airport. I haven't been there in over a week but according to the NOTAM it closed on May 31. Wind turbine components all over the place in Dunnville. What a shame. Sigh.

The new FTU that is being started up in Welland is inside the main hangar.

CJ