View Full Version : Port Augusta AVGAS off line....
Paul Alfred
25th Nov 2010, 09:26
Found out when I arrived back today that after Mobil did their tank checks this week and the AVGAS tank failed the test :{ The decision to repair the tank is pending ......in other words Mobil will spend the money or they wont. The Jet tank is fine. This is another huge blow for many Piston operators north and for those just travelling through. Losing the Bowser at Leigh Creek was bad enough :ugh: so fingers crossed PAG will be repaired.
Thought I'd post this tonight incase anyone was planning to fill there. I will update again as soon as I know what the verdict is.
Cheers.
717tech
25th Nov 2010, 09:31
Went through there 2 days ago and the local guy told me it would be offline.... thought a NOTAM would have been appropriate?
Horatio Leafblower
25th Nov 2010, 10:47
apparently fuel is not important enough to the NOTAM office. Nothing to do with safety aparrently:rolleyes:
Ex FSO GRIFFO
25th Nov 2010, 12:10
How's Port Pirie......??
Looong time since...but ERSA says ok..??
And Whyalla appears to be ok..self serve according to ERSA...
Brian Abraham
25th Nov 2010, 13:09
Whyalla self serve and Pirie OK
Mobil have closed their Broome bowser. Word has it they're getting out elsewhere. I wouldn't be overly optimistic they'll retain PA. Would seem to be unsympathetic to GA.
Seems to be the case at a lot of places where avgas throughput has been dwindling. Companies have barely maintained the infrastructure and when a fault is identified, it gives them all the ammuntion they need to shut it off. Many airfields are going it alone and installing their own tanks and bowsers. Not a cheap undertaking but in the long term, cheaper than shipping drums accross the countryside.
Airservices refusing to NOTAM for fuel is always a problem. The fact that ERSA can take 2 issues for the revised information to be published doesn't help either.
If you are travelling accross country, ALWAYS ring the fuel agent to confirm availability.
Desert Flower
26th Nov 2010, 11:42
Jeez PA - that's going to make your ops a trifle awkward! Did you get onto that number I gave you regarding fuel at YMRE?
DF.
Peter Fanelli
26th Nov 2010, 12:29
Seems to be the case at a lot of places where avgas throughput has been dwindling. Companies have barely maintained the infrastructure and when a fault is identified, it gives them all the ammuntion they need to shut it off.
Or even when there isn't a fault, they probably just dream one up and use it as an excuse.
Paul Alfred
26th Nov 2010, 20:52
Hey DF,
Just waiting on the chance of getting some storage space for some Drums at PAG...without a hangar it looks doubtful. Port Pirie are also happy to oblige and the latest is their are discussions going on to fix the PAG tank but how long that will take is anybody's guess.
Cheers.
Old Akro
27th Nov 2010, 00:20
I've always found the aero club guys at PAG friendly & helpful. I'm sure you can find a hangar for drums. The nearby Gliding strip might be a chance for fuel. Olympic Dam has shell if you can get that far. The Mobil dealer in Adelaide does a milk run up the Stuart Highway . I'm sure they will drop you some drums somewhere useful - but drums are an expensive option.
Brian Abraham
27th Nov 2010, 03:01
Esso, who own the Mobil brand now, have always been uninterested in the retail side of business. Esso petrol stations disappeared yonks ago, and the entire stock of company owned Mobil stations have just been flogged off to 7-Eleven. I wouldn't hold my breath on Mobil staying in the avgas business at an airport near you.
On eyre
27th Nov 2010, 07:08
Olympic Dam is BP not Shell
NOSIGN
27th Nov 2010, 11:11
spoke to a local bloke today who reckons theyre getting the tanks welded but how long it will take... who knows (prob a few months)
tasdevil.f27
28th Nov 2010, 04:12
It really is a problem for the depots, Avgas sales have dropped off around the country and if after 3 months you don't top up the storage tanks with a new load of Avgas it causes all sort of issues. If they are not selling enough to warrant a new load of Avgas then unfortunately more and more depots will remove Avgas altogether. I guess its even harder for the more remote airfields, I can't imagine a truck driver being real happy driving way out with only a few thousand litres of Avgas. I know if it wasn't for some depots selling 4 -5000 litre bulk orders then they would also be removing Avgas as sales directly into aircraft just are not enough.
Pinky the pilot
29th Nov 2010, 03:08
Let's hope that the tanks are repaired asap! Be a sad state of affairs if fuel availability there went the same way as happened at YLEC.:{
I wouldn't hold my breath on Mobil staying in the avgas business at an airport near you.
BP unfortunately seemed to have the same attitude in a couple of cases that I can remember.
BTW DF, Anything further on the Council possibly putting you back in business?
5miles
29th Nov 2010, 04:55
Airservices refusing to NOTAM for fuel is always a problem.
Airservices isn't responsible for maintaining fuel facilities.
If the services are not as listed in ERSA, then I suggest you contact the appropriate aerodrome operator and get them to issue a NOTAM.
NZScion
29th Nov 2010, 06:46
As a Kiwi flying in Australia, one thing that always bugged me was the lack of NOTAMs for a lack of fuel (when published in ERSA that it is available). It happens in Godzone, so why not on the West Island? Airservices are not responsible for the fuel, but they are responsible for Notices to airmen...
Yak_slapper
29th Nov 2010, 10:00
I believe you can still get fuel at Rawnsley Rark near Wilpena for those transitting through the Flinders.
5miles
29th Nov 2010, 11:02
Airservices are not responsible for the fuel, but they are responsible for Notices to airmen...
Not sure what your point is.
Do you think Airservices has personnel checking the status of every facility on every licensed aerodrome every day?? :ugh:
Even at controlled airports, Airservices has no involvement in the fuel services available.
The aerodrome operator is responsible for notifying the NOTAM office if services are reduced below that as per ERSA, and what they require as far as pilot notification goes.
If you consider they are not taking appropriate action, advise CASA.
NZScion
30th Nov 2010, 03:33
I have heard third hand that Airservices will not publish NOTAMs for a lack of Fuel. The opposite is true in NZ. Currently I don't need to worry about fuel planning, but if I did I'd be taking it up with Airservices (in the first instance) and Casa.
NZScion,
you heard correctly. Airservices WILL NOT NOTAM for fuel. No one is suggesting for a minute that they should be checking every facility around the country but if a supplier or airport operator submits a NOTAM surely it can't be that hard to put it in the system. Especially now that the electronic lodgement needs almost no handling by Airservices NOTAM office staff.
CaptainMidnight
1st Dec 2010, 06:32
The subject of issuing NOTAMs re fuel has come up a few times at the RAPACs over the years.
The general feeling was that the availability of fuel is clearly something that is in the interests of a pilot to check and arrange direct with a refueller before proceeding, rather than rely on other parties or published information.
Also it was not known what level of support there would be from all refuellers, who would clearly need to be consulted on the matter. If introduced it would impose responsibility on them for arranging NOTAMs and updates in a timely manner, and the feeling was most refuellers in the bush would probably feel that if someone really needed fuel, they should phone ahead and make arrangements direct, if only out of courtesy.
As a result, the issue hasn't proceeded.
Thanks Captain, Certainly clarifies a few things taking into account the broader issues at play.
Desert Flower
1st Dec 2010, 21:20
BTW DF, Anything further on the Council possibly putting you back in business?
No council here - we are out of council area. And as for the aerodrome owners, they couldn't care less. I have been trying for the past few days to contact someone in Darwin who rang me earlier in the year about putting in self serve tanks at the airport. Have been unable to get through to him so far.
Airservices WILL NOT NOTAM for fuel.
Not quite true. They will not NOTAM for fuel if it's only going to be offline for a while, otherwise they would be forever putting out NOTAMS because someone was waiting on a bridger to come in or some other reason. However they will NOTAM if the fuel has been removed permanently (as in the case of YLEC) until the ERSA reflects the change in status.
DF.
Peter Fanelli
2nd Dec 2010, 02:08
Seems to me there's lots of opportunity around Australia these days for some entrepreneurial type to drop a few of these around the place.
* * * COMPLETE UNITIZED FUELING FACILITY * * * (http://www.airportfuelsys.com/unitized.htm)
Desert Flower
2nd Dec 2010, 09:24
Seems to me there's lots of opportunity around Australia these days for some entrepreneurial type to drop a few of these around the place.
Yes the opportunity is there - provided you can get permission from the aerodrome owners. That's what's holding us up here at the moment. And despite the fact that there's two perfectly good sheds available in a locked compound, they will not allow the storage of drums! :ugh:
DF.
Paul Alfred
3rd Dec 2010, 07:15
The company just got an email today from Mobil basically saying that they have put 20000 litres back into the AVGAS tank that can be used until it runs out or Monday Feb 28th 2011..which ever comes first. The statement says that they will continue to investigate other options to provide on-going availability of Avgas fuel at PAG airport :* Make of that what you will but it dosent look hopeful after Feb 28th but at least there is some available for a couple more months.
Cheers,
PA
Desert Flower
3rd Dec 2010, 09:30
The company just got an email today from Mobil basically saying that they have put 20000 litres back into the AVGAS tank that can be used until it runs out or Monday Feb 28th 2011..which ever comes first.
That sounds strange - I wonder what their reasoning is there?
DF.
Paul Alfred
11th Feb 2011, 22:30
Found out this week that Port Lincoln Aviation will be keeping the AVGAS going at PAG :D 28th Feb is still the cut off for existing supply but they are hoping the change over and re-location of the bowser on the old RFDS Hangar site will be complete not long after the 28th. Ring the PAG Aerodrome if your travelling through just to double check.
Cheers,
PA
Pinky the pilot
11th Feb 2011, 23:27
Port Lincoln Aviation will be keeping the AVGAS going at PAG
Good news there.:ok: JM still running PLA?
How's things going your way DF?
jakebrake
18th Feb 2011, 10:13
Pirie no landing fees and far more friendlier service and much easier cheaper fuel too:D
ozaggie
18th Feb 2011, 14:56
If PLA have got the avgas at YPAG, race out and grab some vaseline. It hurts otherwise. Gas is cheaper in the far north than YPLC:*
compressor stall
18th Feb 2011, 19:40
I share the despair about the reduction in the number of AVGAS boswers. Not good.
But as for NOTAMs - what happened to ringing ahead?
Desert Flower
18th Feb 2011, 22:27
Pirie no landing fees and far more friendlier service and much easier cheaper fuel too
Maybe so, but Paul is stationed in YPAG.
How's things going your way DF?
Painfully! Going in for maintenance on the undercarriage shortly.
But as for NOTAMs - what happened to ringing ahead?
Quite agree Stallie! Had a guy turn up here several weeks ago in an Aztec & ring me for fuel, only to be told the sad news that he was over two years too late. Did not think he had enough fuel to get to YMRE, & had to get a drum sent down. :ugh:
DF.
717tech
27th Feb 2011, 06:13
Portland (ypod)
C33/10
Avgas Fuel Not Avbl Due Fuel Fac Dcmsd
From 11 112358 To Perm
That's interesting 717tech, Maybe AsA have changed the policy? Can anyone confirm?