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BY BARBARA EILOMAR Peace Air Ltd., historically, was basic ally an air charter service, with the main objective being to offer quality service with skilled pilots and the model aircraft. Today, the situation is basically the same with the aircraft charter service repre senting 70 per cent of the business. Because of escalating costs in fuel, aircrafts and salaries, additional services are now offered. The services now being offered in addition to the aircraft charter service are a Cessna pilot education centre, Imperial Oil agents for Peace River and Fort Vermilion, as well as dealers for Cessna Aircraft and maintenance. Within these services there are many different other services such as ambulance service to Edmonton, and various other places, fire fighting, air patrol and others. Peace Air Ltd. was established in 1962 with the original partners being Budd Dennis and the late Dr. Lloyd Smale. The number of planes being used at the time numbered two compared to the 14 now being used. The original staff numbered three and the present staff at Peace Ar totals 17. In 1970 Peace Air acquired the Fort Vermilion Air Services, with bases at Fort Vermilion and High Level. There are more than two shareholders in the company presently, with the major shareholders being Les Gayton and John MacMillan. Peace Air Ltd., has progressed consi derably in the last 14 years and for the first time, gross sales hit the one-million dollar mark. The 1975 gross sales are related to rate increases. The investment at the present time in aircraft and related equipment is in excess of $800,000. The main concern at Peace Air is to hold prices down to the customers, which in some cases means going into other areas. Fuel costs have escalated 50 per cent, aircrafts in the last years have increased by 30 per cent, and salaries have escalated 25 per cent. The rate increase in charter services over the last two years has been 13.3 per cent. According to Jim Holt, office manager at Peace Air Ltd., ‘‘We are presently reviewing charter service rates. The increase in the charter rates will probably be in the neighborhood of five to seven per cent.”’ A good example of keeping costs down would be High Prairie. If there was a base at High Prairie, approximately $7,000 would have been saved in 1974, and an additional $14,000 in 1975. The only way to hold costs down at High Prairie would be to base an aircraft there. PROPOSED AIR SERVICE Peace Air is presently applying for a proposed service to High Level, Fort Vermilion, Jean D’or Prairie, Fox Lake and Garden River on a year round basis. The scope of the proposed service would be from High Level to serve Fort Vermilion, Jean D'or Prairie, Fox Lake and Garden River with two round trips daily except for Saturdays. Stops would be made at all points outbound and inbound. The Sunday service would be one round trip to Garden River with stops at all points. This service would act as a feeder to Pacific Western Airlines, High Level service offering connections to Edmon ton. The twice daily service by Peace Air Ltd., would offer same day connections in both directions at High Level. The single Sunday flight would enable returning weekenders to return to their remote settlements. The continuing escalation of costs related to fuel, equipment, parts, and salaries place a cost burden on those customers who are totally dependent on charter services, for example Fox Lake. Peace Air would implement unit toll services to these people and savings would be substantial with the proposed tolls compared to charter rates establish ed in the area. A person wishing to travel to Jean D'or Prairie from Fort Vermilion for example presently pays $46 to charter a Cessna 185, while $10 would pay for the trip on the proposed service. AWAITING APPROVAL The Canadian Transport Commission has given 30 days notice of the proposed service. If there is no intervention within that 30 days, the Commission will issue a licence. Peace Air then must go to the MOT in Edmonton for an operating certificate. According to Jim Holt, the normal time, at best, for processing an applica tion, is from four to five months. This includes the time spent initiating and establishing the proposed air service. Peace Air charter services also provide emergency medical evacuations. In providing evacuations, one aircraft is based at Peace River and another is at High Level. These two aircraft alone are worth $300,000. The only justification for this post is medical evacuation. Jim Holt said there are no guarantees in the charter business. ‘‘There are days when we are really busy and others when there are no charter flights.”’ Peace Air has only two planes which are guaranteed this year, and both are on contract during the summer for three months with Alberta Forests. A bulk of the charter service is used by medical staff. Peace Air three times a week fly High Prairie doctors to settle ments to conduct clinics, as well as picking them up. A similar situation exists at Fort Vermilion. The medical evacuation staff at High Level depend on air transportation total ly. It takes two hours to fly into Edmonton, but by road it is $00 miles. Charter rates are determined by both hours and miles. The least expensive aircraft, the Cessna 180 costs 50 cents a mile, or $60 an hour. The most expensive aircraft is the Islander which costs one dollar a mile, or $145 an hour. PILOT EDUCATION Peace Air has a government approved Cessna pilot education program in Peace River. For the past few years, the company has had satellite schools in various northern parts of the province. Last year the satellite schools were at Fort Vermilion and High Prairie. Locations of the satellite schools vary each year according to demand. The integrated training program has been offered at Peace Air for four years. On the average approximately 40 to 50 students take the course. ‘‘The majority of students that take the course here do end up getting their private pilots licence’’, said Herb Bern stein, the chief instructor. Students from all over the province and parts of British Columbia come to Peace River to take the pilot education course. Peace Ait’s course is recognized by the Ministry of Transport as one of the top training schools in the western region. “When we turn out a pilot’’, said Herb Bernstein, ‘‘The pilot is a safe one as well as a knowledgeable person. He will live a long, healthy, confident life. ’ In order for a pilot to take on passengers, the pilot must have a private pilots licence, which the pilot cannot obtain until the age of 17. A student can begin training at the age of 16. A student must have a medical before he begins the course. A medical is required every two years and for those over 40 years of age, a medical is required every year. Proper eyesight is important. (Please See Page 17) BRIAN RUSSEL FROM Vancouver is taking the Cessna pilot education course offered at Peace Aire Ltd. He will remain at Peace River until he has his private pilots licence, after which he will go on to study for his commercial pilots licence. He began the course from scratch at the beginning of January, and expects to have his commercial pilots licence within another two months. CHIEF INSTRUCTOR, HERB Berns tein and student Brian Russel check to see if the new 1976 Cessna 150 commuter aircraft is prepared for another flight. There are now two Cessna 150’s at Peace Air. The newest addition is not yet equipped with a radio.
Newspaper Details
Peace River Record Gazette
Peace River, Alberta, CA
Wed, Feb 04, 1976
Page 15
Full Page
Clipped by
Colette R.
CA 08 Jun 2026
Other Publications Near Peace River, Alberta
Peace River Northern Gazette
Peace River Landing
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