The Chapter was started in 1966 by a small group of aviation enthusiasts and held its early meetings at museums in the Ottawa area. Membership grew steadily through the 1980’s and 1990’s to approximately 100 members. Since its inception the chapter has held many events intended to promote aviation in general including:
- Monthly meetings
- Fly-in Breakfasts from 1984 to the present
- Open houses
- Training sessions
- Re-currency Seminars
- Young Eagles fly days – over 300 hundred kids given free aircraft rides to introduce them to general aviation!
- Participation in emergency preparedness exercises and
- Participation in RCMP training exercises.
In addition, the chapter has assisted other organizations in their own events celebrating aviation, including
- Canada Day celebrations at the National Aviation Museum
- The Ottawa Flying Club’s Grass Roots Aviation Days
- Wings over Gatineau Airshows
- Classic Wings
- Air Cadet Fly days (several different squadrons)
- Girl Guides Day
- The Ottawa Airshow
EAA Chapter 245 members have built, registered and flown over 35 home built aircraft using the experience and resources of the chapter. Many of the aircraft built have been sold to other pilots to increase the number of General Aviation aircraft flying in Canada.
Early in its existence, in 1979, the chapter had the opportunity to obtain its own premises through the acquisition of a hanger building from the Ottawa Flying Club. The chapter negotiated with the Carp Airport administration (Bradley’s) and rented a plot of land on the airport as the new location for this hanger. It was placed in a location (where it remains today) based on the advice of Transport Canada, whose plans for the airport called for two parallel runways, with businesses located between them. Chapter members funded the acquisition and relocation of the hanger, and supplied all of the labour and skills needed to do so.
Shortly after the relocation of the hanger, a number of chapter members constructed a row hanger consisting of six individual hangers next to the EAA hanger, with the consent of and under the umbrella of the lease that EAA Chapter 245 had with Bradley’s.
EAA Chapter 245 continued it’s tenancy at the Carp Airport through the 1980’s and 1990’s under the Lease with Bradley’s until 1997 at which time Transport Canada offered the Carp Airport to the city of Ottawa. The city took over ownership of the airport.
The city of Ottawa decided in 1999 that it no longer wished to operate the Carp Airport, and solicited proposals from industry for the use of the airport lands. As a result of this exercise, the city of Ottawa entered in the Municipal Facilities Capital Agreement with West Capital Developments for the operation of the Carp Airport and the development of an airpark on the airport lands not classed as core airport area.
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