Montana Dept. of Transportation Aeronautics & Alberta Flying Farmers
invites you to a Work Session

History
In 1982 several representatives from the United States and Canada approached the International Border Commission to request permission to build the Del Bonita Airport. The following organizations were part of the creation of this airport: Montana Aeronautics board, Montana Dept. of
Transportation Aeronautics Program and Montana and Alberta Flying Farmers. Part of the strip would be located within the 20’ of the “International Boundary Strip” which is regulated by the International Boundary Commission (IBC) since 1925.
Permission was granted in November 1984 and originally named “Whetstone International” after the Chairman of the IBC at the time. The Aeronautics Division supervised the construction, engineering and maintenance of the strip and it is listed in FAA and Transport
The creation of the airport was a joint venture by the US and Canada under very friendly terms and conditions. The IBC’s role was simply a matter of granting permission with no oversight role in the management of the airport.
The runway lies directly on top of, and parallel to the US and Canadian border. It is 66’ wide and 4440’ long, with the southern boundary of the strip 10’ within the US border and 56’ within the Canadian border. Because of these dimensions, 20’ of the entire southern portion of the runway lies within the “International boundary”. Historical details provided by Debbie Alke, Administrator, Montana Aeronautics division.
The Work
The work entails parties from both sides of the border walking the strip, gopher bombing the gopher holes and filling them in to prevent badgers from digging them out and creating holes big enough to dam-age aircraft. The fence is checked, poles are replaced if necessary, and grass is mowed. Aircraft from both Montana and Alberta fly in without having to clear customs either way; we are in no man’s land and both the Canada Customs Agency and the US Customs and Border Patrol are notified and participate.
Pilot information
When landing at Del Bonita you have not entered or departed either country, therefore you can also de-part to your country of origin with-out having to deal with customs.

BACKUP DATE:
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
(bring your tools to fill in the gopher holes)

Contact info – Karen Hollenbeck at khallenbeck@mt.gov

HOSTED BY DUNNINGTONS AND DONALDSONS

FOOD AND DRINKS 
LOCATION, DUNNINGTON FARM STRIP NEAR SUCCESS, SK 
50.38583 N / 108.12167 W
3200 FOOT GRAVEL RUNWAY 26-08

CONTACT DETAILS, CURTIS – 306.741.7970
curtd@sasktel.net

Breakfast will be served starting at 8:30am until 1:00.
There will bee a lot of activities and displays.
More details to be announced shortly.

For more information please contact
Kevin Winder ahtdvm@telusplanet.net

Tickets are available through the Front Desk / Dispatch at 780-800-9639 ext.1 please make sure to grab yours! Cutoff to ticket purchase will be at the end of the day on June 15th.

Along with the banquet comes one of our favorite traditions: recognizing outstanding members through our scholarships. We especially wanted to spotlight two meaningful awards:

David Owen Memorial Scholarship

Created in memory of David Owen, a past EFC member whose passion for flying left a lasting impact on our club. This scholarship honors that same love of aviation in future recipients. More information on how to apply can be found on the poster below!

George Reed Esprit de Corps Scholarship
This scholarship celebrates the legacy of George Reed, an EFC member for more than 80 years and truly one of the greats. George embodied the spirit of community, kindness, and dedication that makes EFC special.

We’re lucky to have so many incredible people in our EFC family, and this award is your chance to recognize one of them! Nominations are submitted by fellow members, so if someone comes to mind, we’d love to hear about them.

To nominate someone, please fill out the form on our website here: https://flyefc.ca/flight-training/scholarships-loans/

Can’t wait to see you all there!