Cache Creek Airport , also known as Campbell Hill Regional Airport, or formerly as Ashcroft/Cache Creek Regional Airport, is about south of

Cache Creek, British Columbia Cache Creek is a historic transportation junction and incorporated village northeast of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. It is on the Trans-Canada Highway in the province of British Columbia at a junction with Highway 97. The same int ...

, Canada.

Former local landing sites

Unknown

Determining the first aircraft to land in the

Ashcroft Ashcroft may refer to: Places * Ashcroft, British Columbia, a village in Canada **Ashcroft House in Bagpath, Gloucestershire, England—eponym of the Canadian village * Ashcroft, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia * Ashcroft, Colorado, ...

area is speculative. In December 1932, R.L. (Ginger) Coote arrived with three passengers. A. Eric de Pencier landed in January 1933, followed by B.R. Ronald that September. In October 1934, de Pencier returned.

Barnes Lake

The lake is about southeast of Ashcroft. Ginger Coote became district manager for United Air Transport (later renamed Yukon Southern Air Transport). In January 1938, he flew the inaugural Ashcroft– Fort St. John airmail route.

Cornwall Field

The runway, immediately north of

Ashcroft Manor Ashcroft Manor Ranch, known also as Ashcroft Ranch, is an historic ranch in the Thompson Country of British Columbia, Canada, founded by Clement Francis Cornwall (later Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia) and his brother, Henry Cornwall. As ...

, was completed in February 1938. A United Air Transport

Fokker Universal The Fokker Universal was the first aircraft built in the United States that was based on the designs of Dutch-born Anthony Fokker, who had designed aircraft for the Germans during World War I. About half of the 44 Universals that were built betwe ...

landed that month. A Northern Airways Waco Custom ZQC-6 flew in at this time. From March 1938 to October 1939, the latter used the field as a stopover on the

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

–

Whitehorse Whitehorse () is the capital of Yukon, and the largest city in Northern Canada. It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1426 (Historic Mile 918) on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale areas ...

route. In 1939, the DOT erected a radio range station at the site, which provided weather information to aircraft pilots until 1966. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, two trainers from a civil flight training school relocated to the field.

Private field

After the war, a private airfield was established about south of Ashcroft, near the present Sundance Guest Ranch. The gravel strip was .

Ashcroft Airport

By 1970, a new field had been built on the Ashcroft 4 First Nations reserve, which is northeast of Ashcroft Manor. It is unclear if the Mesa Vista Airfield was the same or different from this location. The Ashcroft runway was . Being subject to a year-to-year lease, expenditure on any substantial improvements was unwise. The opening of the current airport ended aircraft use. In 1986, plans to repurpose the site for

drag racing Drag racing is a type of motor racing in which automobiles or motorcycles compete, usually two at a time, to be first to cross a set finish line. The race follows a short, straight course from a standing start over a measured distance, most c ...

began. This facility, called the

Nl'akapxm Eagle Motorplex Nl'akapxm Eagle Motorplex was a ¼ mile IHRA-sanctioned dragstrip located near Ashcroft and Cache Creek, British Columbia. The motorplex was begun in 1980 on the Ashcroft/Cache Creek Aero Club's old airstrip by Les Edmonds, the leader of the As ...

, closed in 2016.

Present airport

The site is halfway up Campbell Hill, named after local pioneer James Campbell, one-time owner of the Bonaparte House in Cache Creek. In October 1983, the province gave preliminary approval to develop an airstrip at Campbell Hill. Completed in 1984, the airport was largely built by volunteer labour. The work involved moving about of material for the airstrip and building an access road and fencing. In March 1985, the grass runway was gravelled. In May, the Aero Club purchased a trailer for club premises. In September, the runway and access road were paved and Premier

Bill Bennett William Richards Bennett, (April 14, 1932 – December 3, 2015) was the 27th premier of British Columbia from 1975 to 1986. He was a son of Annie Elizabeth May (Richards) and former Premier, W. A. C. Bennett. He was a 3rd cousin, twice removed, ...

officiated at the opening ceremony. In 1988, extensive cracking discovered in the runway required expensive repairs. Since 2000, the airport has hosted an annual Mother's Day Fly-In that attracts dozens of planes, which perform an aerial show. In March 2008, Ashcroft Council wished to opt out of the airport joint management with Cache Creek because of considerable operational costs. The next month, Ashcroft agreed to stay as long as planning and management concerns were examined. That December, Ashcroft ended the partnership. The 2017 a wildfire destroyed two hangars and one house at the airport. Following the fire, the condition and future of the airport were examined, where questions were raised as to the viability of continued use by emergency air ambulances, other first responders, and revenue streams such as film crews. Airport fencing, which was destroyed by the wildfire, was replaced in 2020. No fuel storage exists on site. The airport is also used for an annual drag racing event.

Filming location

Scenes from the following were shot at the airport: * Shooter (2007). *The Andromeda Strain (2008 mini-series). * Afghan Luke (2011).

Footnotes

References

* {{authority control Registered aerodromes in British Columbia Thompson Country