Stanley Sport Aviation (CW4) - (N45-06-02 W63-55-14)

Stanley is located approximately 15 kilometers East of Windsor, Nova Scotia on Highway 236.  The airport was formed around 1941 as part of the British Commonwealth Aircrew Training Plan (BCATP) #17 Squadron.  It trained several thousand aircrew members over the next few years until the war ended. For several years the airport was abandoned. Around 1968 the Dartmouth Aircraft Association moved to Stanley .  The founding members built several hangars to store their aircraft and did upkeep on the runways to make them useable.  The membership raises money for maintenance, taxes, insurance, etc. by holding fundraising activities such as our annual fly-in breakfast on Victoria Day weekend, and our Annual Stanley Fly-In held every Labour Day weekend. 

    This particular fly-in is the longest standing and largest of its kind in Canada.  Several aircraft from across Canada and the eastern United States enjoy our fly-in.  All registered aircraft get judged for several categories, such as best homebuilt, best antique, best production model , etc. On Saturday evening we hold our auction which is a great fundraiser for our club.  All items are kindly donated by our membership, friends, guests and sponsors.  On both Friday and Saturday evening we also have entertainment lined up, usually a local band.  Sunday evening is our awards banquet, where we have our "wind up" for the fly-in. We have several awards for pilot skill, judging of aircraft, along with many draws - candy jar (for kids), 50/50, etc.  Over he last few years the Air Cadet League has bought a glider and tow plane to our airport and offered free rides to the general public.

SSA plans several fly-outs to other airports are organized to locations around the Maritimes, Quebec and the Northeastern United States.  Besides Stanley Sport Aviation, which operates powered aircraft at the airfield, the Bluenose Soaring Club operates a separate operation on the west end of the field.

If you haven't been to Stanley there was a large green hangar that was built during the war for aircraft maintenance.  After the war the hangar was used by the Department of Lands and Forests and DNR.  It was turned over to SSA for their use in later years.  Approximately 65 years have taken their toll on the old building to where it had to be condemned a few years ago.  The building has since been torn down, leaving few remaining pieces of infrastructure from the "old" Stanley .