This cache is a 2-stage multi which will show you a few areas of the Camrose Municipal Airport. As CEQ3 is a registered airport and must maintain a certain level of security, both stages have been set up so that the cacher can stay on the "groundside" of the airport at all times (as opposed to going "airside").
“WILWIC” series - (“Why I Like Working In Camrose”)
As an employee of the City of Camrose, “J” gets to be involved in a number of really neat projects. As well, thanks to the great work of a number of former employees and municipal Councils from years’ gone by, the City of Camrose is home to a number of facilities and amenities which help make this a great place to live. Fortunately for the geocaching community, there are a number of great caches already in Camrose which highlight some of the amazing amenities of this fair City. The intent behind this caching series is to highlight a few of the remaining – and possibly lesser visited – locations within Camrose, and to hopefully provide some interesting history or facts along the way.
Warning: Not all hides within this series will be winter-friendly. Some of the stages are also more kid friendly than others; although as a family with young kids, we’ve tried to keep these as accessible as possible without losing some of the challenge.
WILWIC #3 - "CEQ3 - Camrose Municipal Airport"
Incorporated from the City of Camrose website: Camrose has been meeting the needs of the aviation community since the formation of the Camrose Flying Society and its first grass turf runway over 50 years ago.
A shorter 2,500’ paved runway was originally constructed in the late 1960’s on a slightly different alignment to what is seen today. The runway was re-oriented to its current alignment and rebuilt to a total length of 3,500’ in 1977. The runway was further extended to over 4,500’ in 1993, at which time a number of other improvements were completed including the construction of a parallel taxiway and an expanded apron area. A terminal building was constructed in 1979. While the City handled the operations and maintenance of the airport for many years, the Airport lands was technically still owned by the Province and leased to the City until 1997, at which time the airport and all improvements were sold to the City for one dollar. This gave the City the full responsibility for the airport, which the City has been operating since that time.
Development of lots for airport hangars started in the 1960’s. In recent years, the City has been seeing an average of one new hangar being built every 1-2 years. Traffic in and out of CEQ3 averages approximately 7,500 movements per year.
The spirit of our aviation-friendly community is reflected every spring as the Camrose Flying Club hosts the longest running and largest Fly-In Breakfast in Canada; this takes place annually on the last Sunday of May. Depending on the weather, the fly-in breakfast can see upwards of 100+ visiting aircraft. This is a terrific opportunity for residents and visitors to talk with pilots and see the various aircraft that fly into Camrose first hand. The Camrose Flying Club is active with a number of community events, such as the annual “COPA for Kids” event where local pilots volunteer their time and fuel to give local kids the opportunity to go for a short flight in an airplane.
The Camrose Airport is also host to a number of aviation-related events, including a regular air show by the Canadian Forces Snowbirds every 2 or 3 years, normally done around the August long weekend to coincide with the thousands of additional visitors that are in Camrose for the Big Valley Jamboree.
It should go without saying, but please leave the clue found at Stage 1 for the next cacher as there is only one copy. Bring a pen and paper to copy the clue down so that you don't have to come back to the previous stages to find the coordinates for the final. Permission has been obtained from the Airport Manager for the placement of all three stages, although as noted above you will not need to go "airside" for any of the stages.
Both stages (including the final) are small, sometimes really small. The difficulty level was chosen based on the difficulty in locating the final. The terrain rating was increased slightly to 2 (if you have to get your feet wet). Depending on what time of year you come, though, it could be as easy as a 1.5. Good luck and happy searching!