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Whe ) here’s a little airport high on a grassy hill just south of Greenbank which has been the training ground for many nome North America’s top pilots, and it’s currently undergoing a facelift by its new owners, Micky and Dorothy Jovkovic. It was Jim and June Bayley who opened Greenbank Airport in 1975. “Jim’s legacy Greenbank Airport opened by Jim and June Bailey is the strong foundation that we're able to build on today,” Micky says. A new 30’x160’ metal hanger has been added and is divided into five bays, each with its own state-ofthe-art bi-fold door. In the coming year, the orignal hanger will be renovated. At present, 15 airplanes and one helicopter are stored at the airfield with five more aircraft due to arrive shortly. Plans are to have the main runway paved this year, chang- ing this five or six month air- strip into a year-round opera- tion. The job will require 2,700’ of tarmac at a cost of $365,000. An additional 3,000’ extension will be added later. These improvements will allow moderate usage from affiliated local airports such as Markham, Buttonville, Oshawa, Center Island, Lindsay and Peterborough to in- crease. They already see flights frequently arriving from Western Canada, greater Ontario and the U.S.A. In addition, the Greenbank Airport receives many aircraft from flight schools at Seneca College, Buttonville or Center Island. “Students need to complete one 24 Focus On Scugog nif 1 soft field or turf landing in addition to their paved surface experience to ratify their pi- lot’s licensing.” “We're the Last of the Mohi- cans,” Micky says. Greenbank’s alternate runway will re- ain a grass strip for the present time for Dave Wilson, who instructs a flight school from the largest of the airport’s three build- ings. The school instructs private pilots as well as teaching light sport aircraft enthusi- asts. Micky levies no charges against aircraft ing into the airport, asking only that they purchase fuel from the new, full self-serve airplane service station. It consists of a 40,000 litre envirotank which holds 10,000 litres each of three types of aircraft fuel, which can be purchased with the swipe ofa credit card, similar to automobile serv- ice centres. Other additions to the airport this year will be runway lighting which can be trig- gered by incoming pilots, a revolving bea- con on the roof of the main building and il- luminated windsocks. While Greenbank Airport is a small fa- @eoccccce p flip cility, Micky is convinced it has tremendous growth potential which could affect the economy of the entire community (builders, hoteliers, retailers, resort operators). He envisions drawing visitors to his ren- ovated century house/dining room/view- ing facility, and also more regular and light aircraft visiting and increased numbers of gliders taking advantage of the thermal air currents at the site. This summer Micky and Dorothy are building on their Rotary Club and prison Grass runway to be paved at cost of $365,000 bible-study experiences with the “Green- bank Fly-In Church.” It will operate Sundays from June 1st until the end of August (8:30 to 10:30) offering fly-in parishioners and their families aviation-related speakers and a breakfast. Despite the $1 million invested in the operation, the mission that weighs =| most heavily on this west-end Toronto- raised man; father of five; grandfather of five is the desire to build a new home on the property for Dorothy. “Dorothy is such a hero to have come here,” says Micky. “We used to live in a beautiful home in Uxbridge which we had to give up to invest here. She gave it all up for my dream.” With Dorothy starting flight school as well as co-owning the Greenbank airport, the little airport that “could” will be a won- derful recipient of the couple’s dreams. The Jovkovics also own and operate Advantage Travel Service in Uxbridge. By Barbara Hunt Micky Jovkovic, centre photo focus@observerpub.ca eocccccccccoce