Oct. 28, the Region of Queens Municipality is putting the airport on council's agenda, to start the debate on the future of the Greenfield facility. The airport is presently without staff and could need $250,000 or more in repairs to keep it functional.
Parlee is hoping to convince council that it would be a worthwhile investment.
Parlee says there is a misconception about flying being a rich man's past time. In most cases, he said, enthusiasts fly former training planes that were made in the 1950s to the 1970s. The cost is about as much as a boat or RV to operate. The hobby is much more prevalent than one would think, he adds.
General Aviation, or civilian non-scheduled passenger aircraft, makes up 95 per cent of all air traffic in Canada. Of that, 82 per cent is privately owned.
"There are a lot more of us out there than people realize," he says.
On average, he says a pilot will spend about $200 on fuel when they land, and $400 if they stay in the area.
In Queens County, planes have been used as part of the outdoor adventure business. Hunting and fishing guides use planes to scout out areas, some people use them for aerial photography and others to look at property they are thinking of buying.
Parlee's business, Liverpool Adventure Outfitters, also creates custom aircraft covers for clients. Those usually involve flying airplanes to a nearby airport for measurements.
"Those are things that happen without knowing it. You might see a plane overhead, but have no idea where it is going or what it is doing," he says.
As more businesses move into the ReNova Scotia BioEnergy site (the former Bowater mill), those businesses might look at the airport as an easy way in and out of the county, he adds.
The other use of the airport would be in the case of a natural disaster or emergency. If something happens in the area, the airport can be a resource to refuel, drop people off or used as a pick up point for medical emergencies.
The runway itself is still in good shape, he says, which means they can look at other ways of improving the airport.
A simple way to start off revitalizing the airport is to get a secure storage area on the site.
"I can't leave my plane there because there is no security at the site," he says. His plane is stored in Yarmouth.
This doesn't need to be a hanger, but just a fenced in area with tie downs, Parlee said,
The other would be putting in fuel tanks. The airport once had fuel tanks, but, after a leak eight years ago, they were removed.
From there an option would be leasing parts of the land for people to build their own hangers, which would save the municipality from having to build them. Parlee says there has been interest to do this in the past, but the problem has been the future of the airport is so uncertain.
"That's a deterrent. There has to be some assurances that if somebody builds a hanger, it's at least a 15 or 20 year lease," he says.
It takes money to make all of this happen, and Parlee recognizes there are many worthwhile projects the municipality could pursue. However, he says an airport needs to be thought of as infrastructure rather than a business.
"If our goal is to attract a bunch of businesses to our airport to make money, it's not going to happen," he says.
Similar to how building a road doesn't make money but what it is used for helps other parts of the economy, and airport can do the same.
"The airport is not a financial drain on a community. It's infrastructure," he says
There are also opportunities that the municipality could tap into now that the Waterville airport is shutting down. The Kings County airport is being sold to Michelin for a possible expansion, and the pilots will have to find a new place to use.
"Right now is the prime time to look at doing something at the airport," he says.
While Valley flyers will likely use a place like the Digby-Annapolis airport or possibly CFB Greenwood, those from Halifax might look to an airport a little closer, such as Greenfield. To attract them, Parlee says a secure storage area would be a great first step.
If they can get assurances the airport will stay open, Parlee says they can look at alternatives to staffing the airport, such as running it by volunteers.
"The successful airports usually have some kind of board of directors with aviation experience," he says.
Parlee wants to be part of the solution to keep the airport running, and sees a lot of potential for the future. However if the decision is made to close the airport, it completly shuts the door on air traffic coming into Queens County
"Once it's closed down with an X at the end of the runway, it's done."
Oct. 28, the Region of Queens Municipality is putting the airport on council's agenda, to start the debate on the future of the Greenfield facility. The airport is presently without staff and could need $250,000 or more in repairs to keep it functional.
Parlee is hoping to convince council that it would be a worthwhile investment.
Parlee says there is a misconception about flying being a rich man's past time. In most cases, he said, enthusiasts fly former training planes that were made in the 1950s to the 1970s. The cost is about as much as a boat or RV to operate. The hobby is much more prevalent than one would think, he adds.
General Aviation, or civilian non-scheduled passenger aircraft, makes up 95 per cent of all air traffic in Canada. Of that, 82 per cent is privately owned.
"There are a lot more of us out there than people realize," he says.
On average, he says a pilot will spend about $200 on fuel when they land, and $400 if they stay in the area.
In Queens County, planes have been used as part of the outdoor adventure business. Hunting and fishing guides use planes to scout out areas, some people use them for aerial photography and others to look at property they are thinking of buying.
Parlee's business, Liverpool Adventure Outfitters, also creates custom aircraft covers for clients. Those usually involve flying airplanes to a nearby airport for measurements.
"Those are things that happen without knowing it. You might see a plane overhead, but have no idea where it is going or what it is doing," he says.
As more businesses move into the ReNova Scotia BioEnergy site (the former Bowater mill), those businesses might look at the airport as an easy way in and out of the county, he adds.
The other use of the airport would be in the case of a natural disaster or emergency. If something happens in the area, the airport can be a resource to refuel, drop people off or used as a pick up point for medical emergencies.
The runway itself is still in good shape, he says, which means they can look at other ways of improving the airport.
A simple way to start off revitalizing the airport is to get a secure storage area on the site.
"I can't leave my plane there because there is no security at the site," he says. His plane is stored in Yarmouth.
This doesn't need to be a hanger, but just a fenced in area with tie downs, Parlee said,
The other would be putting in fuel tanks. The airport once had fuel tanks, but, after a leak eight years ago, they were removed.
From there an option would be leasing parts of the land for people to build their own hangers, which would save the municipality from having to build them. Parlee says there has been interest to do this in the past, but the problem has been the future of the airport is so uncertain.
"That's a deterrent. There has to be some assurances that if somebody builds a hanger, it's at least a 15 or 20 year lease," he says.
It takes money to make all of this happen, and Parlee recognizes there are many worthwhile projects the municipality could pursue. However, he says an airport needs to be thought of as infrastructure rather than a business.
"If our goal is to attract a bunch of businesses to our airport to make money, it's not going to happen," he says.
Similar to how building a road doesn't make money but what it is used for helps other parts of the economy, and airport can do the same.
"The airport is not a financial drain on a community. It's infrastructure," he says
There are also opportunities that the municipality could tap into now that the Waterville airport is shutting down. The Kings County airport is being sold to Michelin for a possible expansion, and the pilots will have to find a new place to use.
"Right now is the prime time to look at doing something at the airport," he says.
While Valley flyers will likely use a place like the Digby-Annapolis airport or possibly CFB Greenwood, those from Halifax might look to an airport a little closer, such as Greenfield. To attract them, Parlee says a secure storage area would be a great first step.
If they can get assurances the airport will stay open, Parlee says they can look at alternatives to staffing the airport, such as running it by volunteers.
"The successful airports usually have some kind of board of directors with aviation experience," he says.
Parlee wants to be part of the solution to keep the airport running, and sees a lot of potential for the future. However if the decision is made to close the airport, it completly shuts the door on air traffic coming into Queens County
"Once it's closed down with an X at the end of the runway, it's done."
