Toronto/Downsview Airport

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Toronto/Downsview Airport
IATA: YZD - ICAO: CYZD
Summary
Airport type		Private
Operator		DeHavilland Inc
Serves		Toronto, Ontario
Elevation AMSL		652 ft (199 m)
Coordinates		43°44′34″N, 079°27′56″W
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	ft	m
15/33	7,000	2,134	Asphalt

Downsview Airport or Toronto/Downsview Airport, (IATA: YZD, ICAO: CYZD), is located in Toronto, Ontario and has been exclusively used and owned as a testing facility by Bombardier Aerospace since 1994. Downsview Airport has its own fire service (Bombardier Emergency Services) which covers airport operations (using two airport fire rescue vehicles) and plant operations (using two SUV emergency vehicles). Bombardier Emergency Services employs robust employees who are trained as fire fighters, paramedics, and as peace officers (despite being a private airport, its security force is sworn in as Peace Officers per Canadian Airport Standards as well as being sworn fire fighters under the authority of the Ontario Fire Marshall).

Contents 1 History 2 Tenants 3 References 4 See also

[edit] History

The Downsview Airport was developed in 1939 as an airfield next to an aircraft manufacturing plant operated by de Havilland Canada. In 1947, the Department of National Defence purchased property surrounding the airfield and expanded it, creating RCAF Station Downsview to provide an air base for Royal Canadian Air Force units. The base was renamed Canadian Forces Base Toronto (Downsview) in 1968 and retained this name until its closure in 1994.

Since 1998, the property has been administered by a civilian Crown corporation Parc Downsview Park, which co-manages the airfield with Bombardier Aerospace (the successor to de Havilland Canada). In recent years the property has been undergoing various landscape usage plans and some redevelopment has taken place.

The airfield was used in recent years to host the 1984 and 2002 Papal visits by Pope John Paul II, as well as to host the 2003 SARS concert headlined by the Rolling Stones.

The airfield has also served as a test site for several famous aircraft produced by de Havilland, including the Beaver, the Twin Otter, and the Dash 8. The airport is available to pilots only with prior permission.

[edit] Tenants

• Parc Downsview Park – Government of Canada
  • Bombardier Aerospace
  • Toronto Aerospace Museum – formerly de Havilland Canada facility
  • Tree City
  • The Hangar Sports Complex
  • The Toronto Wildlife
• Canadian Forces
  • Land Forces Central Area headquarters
  • Area Support Unit Toronto (formerly Garrison Support Unit Toronto)
  • Denison Armoury
  • 32 Canadian Brigade Group headquarters
  • 2 Intelligence Company
  • 32 Combat Engineer Regiment
  • 25 (Toronto) Service Battalion
  • Governor General's Horse Guards

[edit] References

• Toronto Aerospace Museum
• Airport and FBO Info - Downsview Airport
• World Aero Data airport information for CYZD
• Parc Downsview Park
• 410 to 419 Squadrons
• Military History Page
• Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 15 March 2007 to 0901Z 10 May 2007.

[edit] See also

• List of airports in the Greater Toronto Area

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