This year, the Ottawa Airport Watch is celebrating its 10^th year anniversary. This milestone was commemorated during a special event that took place on August 15^th and 16^th 2009.

Members of the organizing committee started planning for the anniversary celebration months ahead. It was decided that the occasion would be celebrated with a much augmented version of the popular annual summer barbeque. Thanks to a generous donation from the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport Authority, the committee was able to make it a true class act! From the tours chosen to please aviation enthusiasts and their guests, to the food, draws and door prizes, no efforts were spared to make sure that both local and out-of-town spotters, their family members, and invited airport officials would remember this event.

Setup for the event began early Friday morning, which included filling the ballast drums for the tent with hundreds of gallons of water. The two employees of Labelle Tents will remember this day very well and are probably still drying their clothes. Thanks to the Airport Emergency Rescue Service for sending a pump truck our way after an exercise in order to fill those drums!

Plane watching and hangar flying began early Saturday (and Sunday) morning over an ample supply of coffee and doughnuts generously donated by HMS Host, the food services provider at the Ottawa International Airport. The official launch of the celebrations took place on Saturday morning, where founding members of the Ottawa Airport Watch were invited to say a few words about the origins and early days of the organization. Representatives from the Airport Authority, including Paul Benoit, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Krista Kealey, Vice President Communications & Public Affairs, were present to speak to the important role played by the organization in today’s airport security environment. The Ottawa Airport Watch, through its Chairman Nelson Plamondon, took this opportunity to thank the Airport Authority for their exemplary support and good working relationships with the Ottawa Airport Watch.

Following this brief ceremony, Ottawa Airport Watch members and their guests, including colleagues from the Montreal Airport Watch, boarded the coach that would bring them to the Canada Aviation Museum for a guided tour of the collection. They were then transported to the Gatineau Airport to visit the Vintage Wings of Canada organization, where they had the opportunity to see a unique collection of vintage aircraft, as well as hear interesting details about each one of them, provided by the friendly guides, experts in aviation history.

The tours were followed by the BBQ dinner, capably prepared by the committee members, near the Combined Services Building at the Ottawa International Airport. The location provided plenty of opportunities to watch airplanes departing and arriving on runways 25 and 32. Donations from several sponsors, including First Air, the Ottawa Flying Club, Transport Canada, Casey’s Bar & Grill, Aviation World, Les Suites, Canadian Aviation Historical Society, and many others allowed for numerous and interesting prize draws, which were quite appreciated by all attendees.

Official activities of the weekend concluded with a Sunday morning tour of the Airport’s Combined Services Building. Firefighters on duty that day were on hand to explain to the visitors how the service is operated, how the various pieces of equipment work (including the imposing trucks), how they train for a variety of situations, and finally how they live and eat during their long shifts at the Airport.

It was then time to say goodbye to our friends from Montreal and return to our spotting activities. Thanks to the organizing committee: Gerry Babcock, Denis Godin, Mark McGill, Stephanie Nicholds and Nelson Plamondon, as well as the many spouses and friends, for making this event one to remember!

Text by: Denis Godin       Photos by: John Davies