Anyone visited Mildura lately?

[spirax]

Gee, what used to be a friendly airport and a good stop off for a night or some fuel has been ruined by over zealous airport management who seem to believe that security is the reason for their existence! No friendly welcome any more, just some new hire that drives up in front of the aircraft and demands to see your ASIC! The terminal is like a jig-saw puzzle with lots of "add-on's" that make it a mess. The old Bellman hangar has been turned into security parking and a fair chunk of the apron turned into a car park to boot, with a high fence around the aero club:confused:

I would think there is a better way to do it and keep things friendly and efficient. Word is, that this manner is driving visitors away. I pity the locals who have to put up with this cr@p every day!:mad::mad:

Another poor example of how not to run an airport, but like some others it is the $$ that is driving management that seem to know little about aeroplanes, and aviation in general.:ugh::ugh:

[Sunfish]

No easily accessible airside toilets either. Been there twice. Had to pee in the bushes. Won't be going back. No one around on weekends to get you back airside, had to climb a fence. And I have an ASIC.

Swan Hill is much friendlier. You can usually get a cuppa and a chat at the club as well.

[fullboost]

I have found Wentworth a very pleasant place. Very friendly,fuel available and very close to Mildura.

[RR RB211]

Can certainly second Swan Hill as a good place to refuel and for a cuppa and chat.

[Wally Mk2]

I fly into all the Vic AD's & some & MIA would have to be on a par with AY, both are now "don't land here go away" airports with both having over the top security right up to the farm type fence that surrounds them (well MIA does anyway):ugh:

SWH is great for a stop over all the border towns (accept MIA) are pretty good.

YWG very friendly place.

LTV is nuts. Nowhere to go to the loo unless you 'bush it'! They have security fence/gates that are around 5 ft high, maybe there's a lot of short nutters down there!

Airport security is only really there to stop the honest nutters!!!



Wmk2

[Stationair8]

Wally, chuck a good quality pair of bolt-cutters in the boot of the B200.

[Stationair8]

It is funny how some airports operate, treat pilots and passengers like they are terrorists etc, yet you can go to another airport where nothing is a problem, the airport manager and security staff go out of their way to help and get your ongoing business.

Perhaps we should start a name and shame thread.

[chainsaw]

...MIA would have to be on a par with AY, both are now "don't land here go away" airports...

Awww, c'mon WM2, AY's not as bad as THAT.............is it? :ooh:!

Try talking to Des Ryan from Albury City if you're getting stuffed around WM2. Des is an all-round good guy, and should be able to help you if you tell him what the problems are and provide some suggestions about what you'd like to see improved!

Rest assured WM2, the YMAY community REALLY appreciates the fine service that you folks provide to us. Honest!

But if you're getting fcuked-around, then the community needs to know so the problems can be fixed.

[VH-XXX]

I stopped in there on the way to Marree last year. Some Nazi security chick decided to drive up and park in front of me because she thought I was going to start up and taxi over the top of the line of people walking out to Rex aircraft waiting. Based on the pic, did I park in the wrong spot for those that know MIA?

http://members.iinet.net.au/~bc_j400/mia.jpg

[scarediecat]

There a few things on AY. They should of extended the main apron out to the east and not turn it into carparking. We get shunted around the corner to the GA often. This means the ambo's need to use the maintenance gate which they don't possess the secret code for, thus need to wait until an escort arrives. Might cause an issue one day. Also AY is easy to get off airside but near impossible to get back in. I watched an ambo get stripped searched once because he accidently forgot he had a pair of sissors trying to get throught the security gate.

SWH is ok except for the 10 billion flies!! What is it with SWH aerodrome and flies. Two arms dont possess enough swatting power!!

MIA has changed alot over the year's. It is a little daunting nowadays when it wasnt just a short while back. All that wire mesh keeping the good guys out. But you can say that about the town itself now. Less grapevines, more houses, more people too.

I've always wanted to land at that gliding strip. Looks alright from a 1000'. There is (or used to be) another little strip just on the other side of the Calder too. Some bloke sneaks out of it in us ultra ultra light occasionally.

[HarleyD]

Mildura - Swipecard bowser, airside dunny (when last there a couple of months ago), easy terminal access to food and coffee (when operating) and the usual stupid, inane, so-called 'security' measures.

GA parking is migrating further away from the terminal with stupid inane painted taxi lines and parking limit lines etc.. small time, petty bureaucracy in action.

It is still easier to get food and fuel in short order at MIA than many other airports around this wide brown land. forget about the glider field if you actually want anything other than conversation, my plane runs on the conversion of money to fuel to pixie dust, not the conversion of beer to bullsh!t. nice socially but useless commercially. Swan hill nice place nice people, but not on track often for me.
LTV is great, WM2!!?! you need to get over yourself a bit, good friendly people there, but you need a local swipe card for the bowser which is a pain. the security fence is less than 4 ft high I think, which is about right for regional security I reckon.

My vote for worst is Conellan, where i went off the airside to the terminal to have a slash as I was being watched at the bowser, then had hell to pay to get back airside because I had a leatherman on my belt and the snotty, spotty little safety nazi at the x ray machine did not understand 'tools of trade' or the fact that i was the captain of a single pilot, no pax international flight and was not going to give up my trusty leatherman for him. no amount of pointing at my plane and telling him that I was the pilot and ASIC waving made any difference to him or his supervisor and only when the airport manager was summoned down from on high was i given the code to the access gate to the ga apron. (still not allowed through the RPT gate area to get a coffee in the boarding lounge though) absolute sh!t hole, if they didn't have fuel, i would never stop there, in fact I avoid it quite a lot when doing in/out bound to melb/asia. makes Mildura seem positively welcoming, dump though it is, I should know i lived there for too many years.

HD

[Wally Mk2]

"chainsaw"..."scarediecat" summed AY up well, it's a pain in da ass place for security, you would think that anyone whom was airside ASIC or no ASIC was the enermy! I was 'caught' wandering around an area that was under construction some time ago now 'cause an outside door was open the only one we could get thru to the dunny & we near got bear tackled to the ground by a nazi security officer, obviously we (ambo & I) where a high risk!!:ugh:Considering he must have seen us both alight from the big KFC flying box I can see how we where likely suspects!!!:ugh:
The safety officers at AY are fine & helpful (tnxs guys) it's the nazi security goons that think they own the joint!

"HARLEY D" I often get over myself, feels good too:) Look LTV locals are fine (most locals are fine Vic wide) but with securiuty bording on the shear madness these days try arriving at LTV 3am (as an Eg) pissin' rain & desperate to find a loo!!! LTV, thumbs down on that place for after hrs access where as ECH, SWH & many others it's open house 24/7 & it's appreciated too.
There doesn't seem to be a fence height std, seen them from around 4 ft to too high to scale. Am dumbfounded when you see a security fence leading to a low wire farm fence!!:ugh: I guess the cows/sheep must think who is the risk of getting out, them or us!!:rolleyes:

Anyway on the whole as I said locals are fine & mostly helpful it's the terrorists that must be laughing here they have the whole world on edge, exactly what they wanted!:ugh:


Wmk2

[Aviav01]

I learnt to fly at Mildura about 20 years ago and it was a friendly place, with great people and easy access to the tarmac. That was in the good old days with Ansett F27's, Murray Valley Airlines, Sovereign Airlines, Pagas, Lloyd - Saw them all.
I was in Mildura last weekend, flying out with Virgin and I couldnt believe what I was seing, the airport has changed so much and from what I could see is not really GA friendly.
What really p _____d me off was the original Bellman Hangar, part of the WW2 heritage at the airport has been turned into a Undercover car park.
From memory Sunraysia Air Taxis (Matthews Family) and Aviation Training School used to operate out of that hangar
Had to laugh when with Virgin we go through security check point but if you fly with QLink or Rex you dont - Security there are their own little Nazi unit doing their thing with 1 Virgin flight per day!.

As an aside I am collating of history of the Regional Airlines that operated into Mildura in the 80's. I have built up quite a collection but am trying to source photos of: Murray Valley Airlines Cessna 402's I think the Rego's were VH-UCM and UCL, Sovereign Airlines Navajo VH-TMN. If anyone could assist with any photos of these or any other aircraft that operated there would be much appreciated.

[VH-XXX]

LTV gets the thumbs down from me for NO dunny facilities after hours or when the aero club is closed :ugh:

[Ex FSO GRIFFO]

Sh#t a Brick Guys and Gals......

Makes a 'real mess' out of going anywhere these days....doesn't it??

Makes the 'old age' custom of 'buzzing the pub' and joing downwind, like something out of the 'Lord of the Rings'......

Sad days in the world of
Friendly 'GA'.....

Many a time have I stayed O/Night at GTH and MIA on 'the way thru' and ENJOYED the hospitality of 'like places'....like the local Aero Club, Local FSU, (Remember THOSE DICK???)...getting fuelled for an early departure, and even a very gratious/appreciated lift into town.....

"Where Have All The Flowers Gone..." to paraphrase the song.....

Cheers to All......:sad::sad:

[Wally Mk2]

Sheeez "S8" just imagine what they (security nazi's) would do to me if found with a pair of bolt cutters within 8761283762130876213087 Nm's of an airport never lone the deadly leatherman tool!!!:}

'Griffo' at least we sampled common sense whilst flying for fun pre idiot security days, something to talk about whilst sitting on that mythical rocking chair while newbies will only have stories to tell where they where stripped searched for looking sideways!!!!:E

Many moons ago I had a late arrival into BHI once after FSU hrs (he was advised by ML that I was late) due wx & the guy at the FSU there stayed on his own time to make sure we landed safely.......now that's friendly:ok:

Wmk2

[Ex FSO GRIFFO]

Hey 'Wal'.....

Whaddfya mean 'Mythical' rocking chairs....???

Still manage to 'commit aviation' occasionally....don't worry....not DED YET!!!

Cheers:ok::ok:

Ref yr last para:....OF Course Wal....THAT IS WOT we used to do!!!
Kettle on...lights on....Navaids OK...in that order...

Dick would NOT know WOT we are talkin' about....:}:}:}

(Even tho we gave 'him' excellent service.....):ok::ok::ok:

[OZBUSDRIVER]

Ahhhhh Griffo, :{:{:{:{

[VH-XXX]

Makes the 'old age' custom of 'buzzing the pub' and joining downwind, like something out of the 'Lord of the Rings'......


Tried this a couple of years back. We were in a float plane in the middle of nowhere at Warialga in NSW. Waited, waited,waiting and nobody showed. Found out later when we arrived at the pub that the aero club was long gone, one guy died in his ultralight, another fell off a roof and died and the last guy died of old age.

[le Pingouin]

When was that Wally? BHI FSU was well & truly gone when I started in AD FS 20 years ago. All that local knowledge flushed down the dunny. At least I was trained by someone who knew someone who'd worked there! Now most of the controllers providing the service wouldn't have even been to Broken Hill :sad:

[Wally Mk2]

"LP" I had two go back thru a few log books to appease you buddy but it was either Sept 84 or 85 so well before yr time :-) Both times during the BDV races, ahhh the good 'ole days where service was free & forthcoming:ok:
84 was in a C172 yeah I know ML to BDV in a C172!!!! took about a week to get there I think!(actually there's another funny story to that about a few gals who couldn't wait to go have a pee but that's for another time:E)
:) 85 was in a C206, both trips I learnt a lot about raw map reading as GPS was not prolific to us gringoes:)
FSU, AFIZ, MBZ & CTAF/R God what next?:sad:

There is/was a bit of a story behind why I found myself arriving after dark into BHI. so mighty as well tell it for safety reasons:)
The 'crew' of my ship whom I took too the races in BDV all wanted to go to Innamincka late on sat arvo so we packed up (good job I didn't drink) & headed off but by the time we found the trading post (remember no GPS then) the sun was very low in the sky & upon turning final to land westward to what I hoped was the dirt strip the sun was in my face & that combined with being filtered thru the zillion bugs on the screen I couldn't see sh1t so like a good pilot I went around told the punters who where somewhat inebriated by now that a ldg was not possible so we went off to BHI at night now past Moomba (well could see the burning off twr in the distance). good job I had a class1V back then & man was it dark! Learnt real fast how to fly on the dials for ages! That's when the guy at BHI stayed back for our arrival to make sure all was well:ok: We all had a good time in the 'Hill', some got laid, some got drunk (more drunk) & some just got.........................:E
Sorry for the thread drift but was a good story anyway I reckon & I'm sure there's plenty like that out there amongst you lot:)

Wmk2

[Old Akro]

I go to Mildura half a dozen times a year and I have never had any issues. The new security fences are a pain, but find me an airport where this isn't so. It has airside toilets, 24hr swipe bowser fuel that is reasonably priced and good aircraft parking (although the logic in moving it does escape me). It has a landside cafe for coffee & a sandwich and its easy to get a cab into town. And when you come back by taxi they can drop your near the gate. It has good radio aids, you can get ML CTR on the ground. The aero club guys are nice - when they are there and the toilet section is unlocked when they're not.

And of course, Mildura has the Grand Hotel, Stefano's & Hudak's bakery.

What's not to like?

And a reality is that the less we all go to these places, the less likely the facilities are going to be there waiting.

[Sunfish]

Mildura AP must have changed a lot in the last Two years then. I still won't bother with it unless it's directly on track and I need the fuel. I fly for fun and the last thing I need is aggro from idiots.

[le Pingouin]

Thanks Wally, good to hear the odd war story or three :)