A former employee of Leading Edge Aviation recently ended the company's 66 years as the only flight training school in the Yorkton area.
Tom Kindjerski and wife Nancy completed the 16-month process of receiving the operating permit for their new business, I Fly Aviation, in the middle of July.
Since moving from Alberta about five years ago, he taught flying courses at Leading Edge Aviation and did aircraft engineering at the Yorkton Municipal Airport. He had already spent time as a flight instructor in Alberta.
The business will operate out at the Yorkton Municipal Airport. Like Leading Edge, the business will offer private pilot training, more advanced commercial training and plane rentals.
It is one of many developments in the area over recent years. Recent interest from flight company Perimeter could have flights going between Yorkton and Winnipeg in the near future.
"Miccar Aerial Services recently put a hangar out here as well so the airport... is on the grow and we wanted to be a part of that," said Nancy Kindjerski.
The Kindjerskis saw many reasons for potential to start up a business in this area.
"From what I'm told Yorkton has one of the busiest airports in our area and there is a long history of aviation due to the early training that was done here during the war years.
So there is a very broad history as well as interest just within the community," said Nancy Kindjerski.
Yorkton does have a strong reputation across the province for its aviation services; especially in flight training.
Leading Edge Aviation's affiliation with SIAST's Commercial Pilot diploma program allows them to provide flight training while SIAST provides academic training. About four to six students of the 30 that go through the program each year receive their flight training in Yorkton. Only Saskatoon and Regina outnumber the amount of SIAST students trained each year, said Don Ingham, owner of Leading Edge.
Ingham took control of the family business over 20 years ago and renamed it Leading Edge Aviation. The business expanded from him being the only instructor to now having three full time and three part time instructors.
I Fly Aviation will also start off as a single-person operation. Ingham said the growing stages of this new business will be challenge, just as they were for him those 20 years ago.
Ingham acknowledged the increased competition may hinder his business. On a positive note, he added that both businesses promote aviation and "if there's more people doing it that is what we want to see."
Nancy Kindjerski shared the sentiment.
"We wanted to offer an alternate program to broaden the market here and invite aviation enthusiasts to come back to Yorkton and to revitalize aviation."
Although Yorkton is an aviation hub in Southeast Saskatchewan, enthusiasm for its flight club, which has been around for over half a century, is not consistent.
"Because it's been in existence so long, like anything, at times there is a strong interest and that's when it peaks. Then as people get busy.... then it tends to hit a bit of a decline," said Ingham.
The flying club's activity tends to pick up when new members join, said Ingham. Perhaps with the expanding services in the region, interest will increase.
