The Cities of Morden and Winkler have implemented a new GPS approach system at each of their airports.

"You can actually find the runway without actually being able to see it and be able to safely land the plane," said Winkler Mayor Martin Harder.

The system uses Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) which is state-of-the-art technology. Now, the airport can be used in nearly any kind of weather. Before, pilots could only land at the airport when it could be seen from the air.

Now that the Morden Airport can be accessed by all pilots in almost all types of weather, local aviator Chris Unrau hopes the airport will grow and bring new opportunities.

According to Unrau most GPS units installed in planes these days are compatible with the Instrument Approach Procedure (IAP). Pilots wishing to use this system after it's launched are required to be certified.

local aviator Chris Unrau was one of the driving forces behind getting this system in place and said it really boosts the amount of safety for pilots.

"It's just as important as to having a stop sign or yield sign on the side of the road," said Harder.

Morden Mayor Ken Wiebe said this system is very useful for if Stars Air Ambulance, unfortunately, need to come to the area because it would allow the helicopter pilots find their way to the community in inclement weather. He added they can use the GPS approach until they can see the runway then hover at an altitude until they are at their destination or they can land at the airport and have their patient transported to the airport via ambulance.

"It would take some pretty terrible weather for the airport not to be usable, said Ed McDonald, owner of JetPro, a company who has installed these systems across the country.

The City of Morden will be covering the costs for this new system. The initial start-up costs will be around $30,000 with another roughly $3,000 a year in annual fees. Meanwhile, Winkler will be splitting the cost on a 50/50 basis with a group of people from the community, but will then cover the annual fees in the future.