History of South Shore Regional Airport (CYAU)
Three letters written to the Piper Aircraft Co. by Dr. S. Borden Bird of Liverpool resulted in a very nice reply which sparked the idea of a local airport by the then Mayor, Charlie Murphy. Mayor Murphy and a few enthusiastic volunteers formed an airport committee. The airport project, located near Greenfield, Queens County began in 1965 when, at the recommendations of the South Queens Chamber of Commerce, a commission was formed with the co-operation of the Town of Liverpool and the Municipality of Queens. The Ministry of Transport helped select the airport’s 170-acre site and a 3,000-foot gravel landing strip was built and licensed.
The first routine flights in and out of the new airport began in the summer of 1970.
The county, town and local industry all contributed toward the costs of the basic needs for the airport and, following financial negotiations with the Ministry of Transport and the provincial government, a paving program was undertaken. Completed in 1975, this not only upgraded the landing strip, but also provided some 35,000 square feet of paved aircraft parking area.
April 12th 1978 is considered a landmark day for the airport. On that day, Transport Canada executives and engineers flew in from Moncton, NB in a DC-3 to discuss future plans for the airport. This also demonstrated that an aircraft with a capacity of more than 30 passengers can easily be accommodated at the airport.
The airport was home to the 38-member Liverpool Flying Club (1974 to 1984), which offered flight training and aircraft rental to its members.
In the fall of 1979, Liverpool Air Services started administering the flight training for the flying club, providing two additional aircraft for rental and charter services along with providing a maintenance outlet for light aircraft.
In the summer of 1984, additional work on the airport was completed because of a grant from the Department of Transport. This work included: Improvements to the existing runway apron, and runway and taxiway improvements complete with grading on shoulder areas. In the summer of 1993, the airport was again successful in obtaining a grant for upgrading the airport. The work included lengthening the runway from its initial 3,000 feet to 3,937 feet. The aircraft-parking apron was made larger and the whole aircraft manoeuvring area received a new, thicker layer of asphalt. With a greater pavement load rating, the runway will now accommodate aircraft up to a Hercules C130 Aircraft. Today's high performance light jet aircraft can also land and take off from CYAU's runway such as the Twin Otter DHC-6, the Pilatus PC-12, the King Air 350 Citation, the Mustang Phenom 300 and the Piaggio P-180, to name a few.
At one time, a group of dedicated pilots created "VFR Aviators Limited." VFR Aviators purchased a 1976 Cessna 172 and shared the cost of owning, flying and maintaining the aircraft. This company operated successfully for many years with owner/members coming and going from time to time. In a way, this group of dedicated flyers became a victim of their own success. Once they reached a membership in excess of 10 people, their insurence underwriters considered them a "Flying Club" and raised their insurance rates to an unsustainable level. VFR Aviators operated from 1987 until 2010 when the group sold the aircraft and disbanded.
Around this same time the Aviation Gasoline (Avegas) delivery system at the airport developed a small leak and the entire system was removed to prevent any environmental damage. This had a negative effect on air traffic at the airport as aviators in the Queens and Lunenburg area had to go elsewhere to purchase fuel, mainly to Yarmouth, Digby or Greenwood. With less air traffic landing for fuel, no flying club and fewer planes housed at the airport, activity fell to an alltime low.
But in 2015, The South Shore Flying Club was formed, and in June of 2016, the SSFC entered into a contractual arangement with the Region of Queens (Owners of the Airport property) to manage the airport facilities for the next 13 years. This agreement means the airport will remain open for the foreseeable future thereby giving the South Shore Flying Club some time to find new members, rebuild the traffic at the airport and enhance the facilities. In December of 2017, we signed two additional lease agreements with the Region of Queens, one for use of the Terminal Building as a clubhouse for meetings and other related activities and an additional land lease which will enable the construction of hangers at the airport. Both of the leases will expire at the same time as the original airport agreement .
The first routine flights in and out of the new airport began in the summer of 1970.
The county, town and local industry all contributed toward the costs of the basic needs for the airport and, following financial negotiations with the Ministry of Transport and the provincial government, a paving program was undertaken. Completed in 1975, this not only upgraded the landing strip, but also provided some 35,000 square feet of paved aircraft parking area.
April 12th 1978 is considered a landmark day for the airport. On that day, Transport Canada executives and engineers flew in from Moncton, NB in a DC-3 to discuss future plans for the airport. This also demonstrated that an aircraft with a capacity of more than 30 passengers can easily be accommodated at the airport.
The airport was home to the 38-member Liverpool Flying Club (1974 to 1984), which offered flight training and aircraft rental to its members.
In the fall of 1979, Liverpool Air Services started administering the flight training for the flying club, providing two additional aircraft for rental and charter services along with providing a maintenance outlet for light aircraft.
In the summer of 1984, additional work on the airport was completed because of a grant from the Department of Transport. This work included: Improvements to the existing runway apron, and runway and taxiway improvements complete with grading on shoulder areas. In the summer of 1993, the airport was again successful in obtaining a grant for upgrading the airport. The work included lengthening the runway from its initial 3,000 feet to 3,937 feet. The aircraft-parking apron was made larger and the whole aircraft manoeuvring area received a new, thicker layer of asphalt. With a greater pavement load rating, the runway will now accommodate aircraft up to a Hercules C130 Aircraft. Today's high performance light jet aircraft can also land and take off from CYAU's runway such as the Twin Otter DHC-6, the Pilatus PC-12, the King Air 350 Citation, the Mustang Phenom 300 and the Piaggio P-180, to name a few.
At one time, a group of dedicated pilots created "VFR Aviators Limited." VFR Aviators purchased a 1976 Cessna 172 and shared the cost of owning, flying and maintaining the aircraft. This company operated successfully for many years with owner/members coming and going from time to time. In a way, this group of dedicated flyers became a victim of their own success. Once they reached a membership in excess of 10 people, their insurence underwriters considered them a "Flying Club" and raised their insurance rates to an unsustainable level. VFR Aviators operated from 1987 until 2010 when the group sold the aircraft and disbanded.
Around this same time the Aviation Gasoline (Avegas) delivery system at the airport developed a small leak and the entire system was removed to prevent any environmental damage. This had a negative effect on air traffic at the airport as aviators in the Queens and Lunenburg area had to go elsewhere to purchase fuel, mainly to Yarmouth, Digby or Greenwood. With less air traffic landing for fuel, no flying club and fewer planes housed at the airport, activity fell to an alltime low.
But in 2015, The South Shore Flying Club was formed, and in June of 2016, the SSFC entered into a contractual arangement with the Region of Queens (Owners of the Airport property) to manage the airport facilities for the next 13 years. This agreement means the airport will remain open for the foreseeable future thereby giving the South Shore Flying Club some time to find new members, rebuild the traffic at the airport and enhance the facilities. In December of 2017, we signed two additional lease agreements with the Region of Queens, one for use of the Terminal Building as a clubhouse for meetings and other related activities and an additional land lease which will enable the construction of hangers at the airport. Both of the leases will expire at the same time as the original airport agreement .
Liverpool Unicom: 122.80, RWY25/07 3993ft ASPH, ELEV325FT