The Last Stop at 48Y

In October of 2024 a chartered Beech King Air stopped at the Piney-Pinecreek Airport for customs. A group of duck hunters were going to Portage La Prairie, Manitoba so Piney-Pinecreek was convenient. Easy access to both Canadian and U.S. customs was the intention when the place was upgraded in 1993 to a paved and lighted all-weather facility. In any case, the King Air Pilot had his own reasons to visit.

In June 1993 Jim Groebner hitched up his camping trailer and headed to Pinecreek for the summer. Thirty years ago, he was a construction supervisor for the engineering firm responsible for the improvements. The general contractor was from Canada, so Jim spent a lot of time that season converting feet and inches to centimeters and meters. The construction plans used both units, but not every contingency was covered. Engineers are surprisingly sentimental about projects, and this was Groebner's "master work." He lived in the trailer parked by the airport's only building for the three-month construction period.

By making the airport suitable for King Airs, it was anticipated by the owners that the availability of both U.S. and Canadian customs would attract flights like the duck hunters. For years that was the case, but changes to the rules made personal visits less imperative and traffic at Piney-Pinecreek started a trend that led to fewer than 200 visiting aircraft in 2023.

Maintaining an airport is expensive. Piney-Pinecreek is jointly owned by the State of Minnesota and the Rural Municipality of Piney, Manitoba. Thirty years is old for pavement, so resurfacing was needed among other improvements. Piney requested financial help, but none was available from other government levels.

Piney-Pinecreek is not eligible for FAA funding. Since no assistance was available from Canada the needs would have to be funded solely by the Minnesota of Department of Transportation, Office of Aeronautics, a total of $4 million in short-term requirements. To put that in perspective, Aeronautics has an annual budget for capital improvements of $5-7 million. Reluctantly, Aeronautics decided to close the airport. December 26, 2024, was its last day.

No aircraft are based at Piney-Pinecreek. U.S. customs are available at Baudette, Warroad and International Falls. Canadian customs service near the border can be had at Fort Francis just across the Rainy River from International Falls. Twenty miles to the southeast of Pinecreek, the City of Roseau has a first-class airport to support local aviation.

Groebner's flight might well have been the last charter to clear customs at Piney-Pinecreek. His usual ride is a Lear Jet, but flying the more prosaic King Air gave him the chance to land at his favorite airport one last time.

Please see the June 2024 issue of the Minnesota Flyer for more about the history of the Piney-Pinecreek Border Airport, and the December 2022 issue for the story of Captain Groebner's metamorphous from engineer to jet pilot.