Red Deer Regional Airport History

Have you ever wondered how Red Deer Regional Airport came to be? Since World War II, Red Deer Regional Airport has served our community and surrounding region with pride. This page is dedicated to showcasing the Airport’s longstanding history in the Red Deer region.

The Beginning

Red Deer Regional Airport was built during World War II with the purpose to train Allied forces as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) and was known as Number 36 Service Flight Training School (SFTS). When it re-opened in 1950 it was known as Number 4 Flying Training School (FTS) and was part of NATO training during the Cold War and eventually became Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Penhold.

This historical significance to the region is being preserved and brought back to light by our friends at the Harvard Historical Aviation Society. Red Deer Regional Airport proudly supports their efforts to celebrate our patriotic history, and preserve the artifacts and stories of our region. For more information regarding CFB Penhold, please visit their website at penholdbase.ca.

Red Deer Regional Airport Authority

The Red Deer Regional Airport Authority assumed ownership from the Province of Alberta and operation of the airport from The City of Red Deer on September 1, 1999 and the City of Red Deer and Red Deer County became key stakeholders.

Additional Information

For more detailed information about the history of the airport, please visit the Penhold Base website.

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