Twin Otter lands at 3 CDSB Edmonton

That afternoon, a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CC‑138 Twin Otter flying in from Fort Chipewyan, Alta., landed on runway 03 on a medical repatriation flight before turning around and taking off again. The flight was in support of Operation LENTUS 23‑01, the Canadian Armed Forces’ (CAF) support to the Province of Alberta in fighting the wildfires ravaging the province.

The landing and takeoff served several purposes, explained Major Kelly Catton, Air Task Force Commander Op LENTUS 23‑01. One was to save time and resources compared to landing at Edmonton International Airport (EIA) and then driving the repatriated CAF member back to the medical clinic on base.

“With the unique capabilities that the Twin Otter brings to the table, we were able to look at it and say, ‘This aircraft can land on the old strip because it’s austere landing strip capable. Let’s give that a try and let’s cut an hour out of the road trip,’” he said.

By landing and taking off from the 3 CDSB Edmonton airfield, in addition to the time saved, the CAF would also save money on fuel and vehicle maintenance, as well as reduce the risk of damaging supplies by not having to load and unload them multiple times on a resupply run, explained Captain Mary‑Frances Zielinski, 3rd Canadian Division Support Group Formation Flight Safety Officer.

A second purpose the landing and takeoff served was as a test run to potentially reopening the airfield to planes, in addition to the helicopters that currently use the airfield under the purview of 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron (408 THS).

That potential reopening aligns perfectly with the CAF’s and Canadian Army’s interest in maximizing their operational capabilities using existing infrastructure, Capt Zielinski explained.

In order to land a plane at the airfield, approvals were needed at several levels, Maj Catton said. Brigadier‑General Rob McBride, who was the Base Commander when the Twin Otter landed, along with the Commanding Officers of 408 THS and 440 Transport Squadron Yellowknife—where the Twin Otter is based—had to give their assent to the landing.

On the ground, there was little to no preparation needed to land the Twin Otter.

“[Runway 03 has] been maintained as an active aerodrome for 408 Squadron for the helicopters,” Maj Catton said, adding that while it hasn’t been used for planes on a routine basis, it has been maintained well enough to do so.

The only off-airfield impact the landing had was a temporary stop to shooting on the range.

Whether the June 8 landing will result in an increase in plane traffic at 3 CDSB Edmonton remains to be seen.

Maj Catton explained there are limitations in terms of the type of plane the airfield could handle safely. A Twin Otter is roughly the same weight and can carry approximately the same payload and fuel as the CH‑146 Griffons that are the airfield’s regular users.

“The [3 CDSB Edmonton] fire hall is already fully equipped and manned to handle an aircraft of that size,” he said, adding that to accommodate significantly larger aircraft would require upgraded equipment and personnel.

From Capt Zielinski’s perspective, reopening the airfield to more regular use by planes would bring with it more benefits than drawbacks. Alongside the aforementioned time and financial savings, using the airfield would dovetail nicely with the CAF’s goal of being more “agile.”

Being able to load planes on base would vastly enhance the CAF’s flexibility and overall operational capacity and capabilities, she explained, particularly when it comes to Op LENTUS iterations throughout the year.