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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Hotel bookings, rental cars, and other spending by an influx of tourists, aviation enthusiasts and military personnel over the Northern Skies Yellowknife International Air Show and this week's Century Flight Club fly-in, is expected to bring in nearly $2 million to the city's economy.

Snowbirds public affairs officer Capt. Thomas Edelson, left, with Le Frolic owner chef Pierre LePage at Bastille Day festivities on Saturday night. Edelson was among the tourists and military personnel enjoying their off-time in the city during the Northern Skies Yellowknife International Air Show last weekend, which along with the Century Flight Club program, is said to bring upwards of $1.75 million into the city's economy. - Simon Whitehouse/NNSL photo

The weekend's air show, which saw about 5,000 spectators in addition to upwards of 200 performers, tourists, pilots and ground crews, as well as the flight club event, have made it "the busiest we've been in the summer," said Mayor Gord Van Tighem.

"Our hotels have been full since the middle of last week," Van Tighem said Monday, as the 100 pilots scheduled to participate in the Century Flight Club of Canada's annual event continued to arrive in the city.

The flight club adventure is expected to bring in an estimated $1 million to the Yellowknife economy.

More than 100 rooms were reserved for the flight club at the Yellowknife Inn, which also hosted breakfasts for the aviation enthusiasts, who were booked to arrive from as far away as California and Texas.

"I think it's good for tourism definitely and for Yellowknife," said Derek Carmody, general manager of the Yellowknife Inn. "They're coming from all over the world so it's definitely getting us out there and recognized."

Every visiting floatplane that comes to town spends an average of $2,000 a day while here, Van Tighem said, using a city tourism study to estimate the draw of the flight club event at about $1 million in spending.

The air show brought in nearly that much in addition, Van Tighem estimated.

"Three meals a day for two or three hundred people plus the shopping they did, plus rental cars, plus gas, plus plus plus -- you're probably looking at an easy three quarters of a million for the air show and it's only three days," Van Tighem said, adding "this was the biggest military presence at any air show in Canada this year.

"It's a really big deal, it demonstrates the military's continuing commitment to Northern Canada and helps the economy."

About 120 military personnel were in town over the weekend to participate in the air show, as part of its Operation Northern Reach, said Joint Task Force North spokesperson Jennifer Wright.

"So many people were travelling in and out and back and forth," Van Tighem said. "And then even to have the Century Flight coming in the day after, I mean that was pretty tricky."

The Flight Club fly-in is scheduled for five days. It was supposed to start on Sunday, however aircraft were still coming in on Monday.

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