Grand Bend Airport
Grand Bend Airport looking southeast down the drag strip
IATA: none ICAO: none TC LID: CPL4
Summary
Airport type	Private
Operator	Grand Bend Sport Parachuting
Location	Grand Bend, Ontario
Time zone	EST (UTC−05:00)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC−04:00)
Elevation AMSL	642 ft / 196 m
Coordinates	43°17′13″N 081°42′51″W / 43.28694°N 81.71417°W / 43.28694; -81.71417
Map
CPL4 Location in Ontario
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 07/25 2,340 713 Gravel
Source: Canada Flight Supplement[1]

Grand Bend Airport (TC LID: CPL4) is located 2.3 nautical miles (4.3 km; 2.6 mi) southeast of Grand Bend, Ontario, Canada.

History

The airport was originally established as RCAF Detachment Grand Bend by the RCAF in 1942 as a relief, or auxiliary, aerodrome for student pilots training with No. 9 Service Flying Training School at RCAF Station Centralia. Grand Bend was home to No. 1 Flying Control School from 1951 to 1957. The station was used by Centralia until 1961 when it began use with the Canadian Army. It was given back to the RCAF in 1962 and was used by RCAF Station Centralia until the aerodrome closed in 1963. Subsequent owners of the property were Eagleson Construction, John Twynsta Holdings Ltd and the Grand Bend Motorplex.

Today the Grand Bend Motorplex uses the original runway 13/31 as a drag racing track. Runway 01/19 is now an access to the dragstrip and also the Grand Bend Speedway oval and Grand Bend Motocross dirt bike tracks. The remaining runway 07/25 of the airfield is shared by the Grand Bend Raceway, the Grand Bend Sport Parachuting Center and some local private aircraft. The only RCAF building that remains is the hangar, with the control tower perched on top. That property was subsequently owned by Bell Aerospace, Exeter plastics and P.O.G.

References

• Bruce Forsyth's Canadian Military History Page
• Grand Bend Sport Parachuting Center
• Grand Bend Motorplex