A brief history of the Carlyle Flying Club and Airport as submitted by Duncan Brown

After the Second World War ended in 1945, the civilian population became interested in flying and there were plenty of ex-military flying instructors and training aircraft available.  By 1956 there were enough young pilots and airplanes in the Carlyle area that the Carlyle Flying Club was established.  The founding members were Jack Mills, Chairman, Ed Stockton, Russell Stockton, Jack Marshall, Les Hewitt, Harold Brown, Howard Humphries, Vern Clubb, Billy Mills, Alec Dodds and Bill Ramsey.

The Club bought 45 acres of land in the spring of 1956 and made two grass runways; a north/south strip along #9 highway and an east/west strip along the old #13 highway.  When highway #13 was re-routed in the 60’s, they lost part of the east/west strip and it was abandoned.  The current NW/SE strip was built in 1967.  Over the next several years the runway surface evolved from clay to a thin cold mix asphalt surface.  The strip was never designed to accommodate larger aircraft such as twins so in 1984 a major upgrade was completed and the airport was turned over to the Town of Carlyle.  The runway was lengthened to 3000 feet, widened to 75 feet, and paved and lighted. 

Since then, the Flying Club has had several training schools operate at the airport resulting in about 50 pilots being trained here.  Although the Club doesn’t own any aircraft at this time, they have owned four airplanes over an eighteen year period from 1985 to 2003. 

The latest training school, operated by John Erickson, has produced many new pilots since 2008 and has rekindled the interest in general aviation in the area.  The Club membership has grown to about fifty members.

The Carlyle Flying Club, in conjunction with the Town of Carlyle just completed the repaving of the main runway and tarmac. The entire community, along with the provincial and municipal governments, came together and the paving was completed in the fall of 2010.  The project was totally funded before it was finished; an enviable accomplishment.

The airport is a busy place and will be long into the future as flying for business or recreation is and always will be an important and exciting way to travel and sightsee.