| CFB Portage la Prairie/ RCAF Station Portage la Prairie | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southport, Manitoba Near Portage la Prairie, Manitoba in Canada | |||||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||||
| Operator | Royal Canadian Air Force | ||||||||||
| Controlled by | No. 2 Air Training Command (1940- | ||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||
  CFB Portage la Prairie CFB Portage Show map of Manitoba CFB Portage la Prairie CFB Portage la Prairie (Canada) Show map of Canada | |||||||||||
| Coordinates | 49°55′N098°17′W / 49.917°N 98.283°W /49.917; -98.283[1] | ||||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||||
| In use | 1940-45; 1950-92 | ||||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||||
| Elevation | 863 ft (263 m)AMSL | ||||||||||
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| Airfields | |||||||||||
Canadian Forces Base Portage la Prairie Portage la Prairie/Southport Airport | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Airport type | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | Canadian Forces Air Command | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | RM of Portage la Prairie, nearPortage la Prairie,Manitoba | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Time zone | CST (UTC−06:00) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC−05:00) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 885 ft / 270 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 CFB Portage la Prairie Location in Manitoba Show map of ManitobaCFB Portage la Prairie CFB Portage la Prairie (Canada) Show map of Canada | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Helipads | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Source:Canada Flight Supplement[2] Environment Canada[3] | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Canadian Forces Base Portage la Prairie is a former military airport of theRoyal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) located adjacent toPortage la Prairie,Manitoba, Canada. Today the airport is operated asPortage la Prairie/Southport Airport.
RCAF Station Portage la Prairie was originally slated to open on 28 October 1940 and was to be the home station of No. 14 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS). However, due to construction delays of the school from moving into the nearly completed aerodrome, it was decided that the school would be established atStevenson Field inWinnipeg, Manitoba. From 28 October 1940 until 4 December 1940 the school operated out of the Winnipeg Aerodrome. The majority of EFTS were operated by civilian flying clubs and No. 14 EFTS was no different. Contract for the operation of this school was issued to Central Manitoba Flying Training School Limited, a company created under a charter issued to the Winnipeg Flying Club.
The school was initially tasked to start a pilot training course every month with the course slated to last two months. Each course was loaded with 24 students; however, by the time they commenced training, this increased to 35 students per course.
Training at this school was to be conducted using 25 RCAF providedde Havilland Tiger Moth training aircraft.
The school operated until July 1942 when it was disbanded to allow No.7 Air Observer School, which was also stationed at the base, to expand.
The station was a part of theBritish Commonwealth Air Training Plan.
The station was home to No.7 Air Observer School from 28 April 1941 to 31 March 1945.
When the Air Observer School's size was increased in the spring of 1942, No.14 EFTS was disbanded to make room. The station was closed on 31 March 1945.
In approximately 1942 the aerodrome was listed at49°55′N98°17′W / 49.917°N 98.283°W /49.917; -98.283 with a variation of 11 degrees east and elevation of 863 ft (263 m). Three runways were listed as follows:[1]
| Runway name | Length | Width | Surface |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/26 | 3,040 ft (930 m) | 150 ft (46 m) | Hard surfaced |
| 12/30 | 3,040 ft (930 m) | 150 ft (46 m) | Hard surfaced |
| 1/19 | 2,760 ft (840 m) | 150 ft (46 m) | Hard surfaced |
The post-war expansion of the RCAF resulted in RCAF Station Portage la Prairie being re-activated on 15 September 1952. No. 2 Advanced Flying School (No. 2 AFS) was established to train RCAF andNATO pilots. Several other flight schools followed over the succeeding decades.
As a result of the unification of theCanadian Armed Forces, the station was renamed CFB Portage la Prairie in 1966.
In the late 1980s,Department of National Defence budget reductions led to the contracting out of flight training to civilian agencies. As a result, CFB Portage la Prairie closed on 1 September 1992.
It reopened asSouthport Airport, where3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School continues to conduct flight training under contract withKF Aerospace.[4]
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