FS2004 – Bella Coola CYBD Airport

FS2004 – Bella Coola CYBD Airport. Bella Coola is in one of the deep east-west fjords amid the Coastal Range on the coast of BC, approximately mid way between Vancouver and the Alaskan border, and some 70 miles inland from the open ocean. The town of Bella Coola has a small population of around 150, while the population of the whole Bella Coola Valley is around 2,000. Warmer in both summer and winter than the surrounding area, tourism flourishes along with forestry, fishing, and local government administration. Although there is road access, the ferry service is the main connection to larger coastal towns or cities such as Vancouver. The airport, 7 miles east of the town, is connected by daily Pacific Coastal flights to Vancouver and Anahim Lake (to the east). The asphalt runway is 4,200 feet long and aligned 04-22 in FS9 (by 2010 this had changed to 05-23 in reality) and is without lighting of any sort, so it is restricted to daylight hours only. At the eastern end is the terminal building and in the middle the West Coast Helicopter hangar, which has a large fenced paddock-like enclosure in front of it. The helicopters hop over the three feet high fence as they “taxi” to the apron in front of the hanger. Between the two there are four other company hangars spread out along the roadway beside the fence. I have never seen the airfield in Summer, and I have not attempted to replicate the apron as it now shows in Google Earth.

By Roger Wensley

15.5 MB