Flying into Amberley YAMB

[jnicholas]

Hi Guys,
I am needing to get to Amberley Air Force Base this weekend on some Cadet business as there are interviews for scholarships there. Only problem is, i've got my school formal on in the afternoon / evening and it's pushing it a bit for time.

Has anyone landed at Amberley and can give me some tips?

Reading the ERSA I understand I need to contact Air Base Command Post for clearance, i guess this is the first step? I am a low hour PPL pilot so any hints / tips on what to say to get clearance / tips on getting in and out of their quickly without issues would be much appreciated! I'm just hoping being a weekend there won't be many / any military OPS.

I know this is a bit vague at this point, but I just need some direction.

Cheers guys

[gutso-blundo]

Just ring the ABCP/DO as listed in ERSA and ask what the go is. Most likely on a weekend the place will be deserted anyway.

They don't bite :}

[rocket66]

Mate, not sure how you'll go in light of recent events OBL. I have flown in there 3 times in 10 years. One was for a private event at night pre 911, and the other 2 were airshows. Th usual case is to track via VFR waypoint eg swanbank power station, the rail yards, or the dam to the north whose name escapes me at the moment.

Contact Clearance delivery well before the boundry and DO NOT proceed until you have your code and are cleared. From here they'll tell you what to do ie. Any other change of frequencies, special tracking instructions etc.

When you leave ensure you check ATIS BEFORE you start up incase a start clearance is required, then get your ACD and code, then contact tower when ready at the threshold. Easy as pie!!

If your aprehensive just get in and do it it's the best way to learn. if you get intercepted by an F/A18 this conversation never took place, and just follow him in if he waggles his wings and lowers his gear.

Good luck

rocket:ok:

[compressor stall]

Ring the number in the ERSA, explain your situation and ask. No problem with that. It works at (some) other military bases for civvy visits and training. It obviously depends on what they have scheduled at the time.

[jnicholas]

Thanks for the info.
Ok so at the moment this is my understanding of it:

Arrival: Obviously contact clearance delivery well outside the zone at a VFR reporting point. Get the code and clearance then enter the zone. Follow any freq changes, routing etc. Then as per usual joining the circuit as advised etc etc. Then on the ground is it over to ground for taxi clearance to GA parking? Once there, is there an FBO or equivalent that can show us to a gate / the building where the interviews will be? I shouldn't need fuel as i'm only going from the sunny coast - so that isn't an issue.

Then departing:
Gain access airside again through the FBO? Ok, then check if start clearance is required as per the ATIS. Then contact clearance delivery for airways? and what about taxi clearance? done through the ground controller? then obviously at the threshold over to tower for the "ready" call and departure instructions and just depart as per normal / instructed.

did i miss anything?

[Keg]

Is this with the AAFC? If so then you are much better off getting FLTLT(AAFC) Stone to sort out your access to Amberley- or at least call him to work out the details for which you speak.

If you haven't gotten permission off the AAFC to fly in/out of AMB before you arrive for a scholarship interview then your chances of actually getting the scholarship is less than zero.

Technically, if you've been not told how to get yourself to/from the interview you're OK to get there any way you like- including aeroplane- but it's not been done like this without having prior approval. I know there is a line of thought that suggests it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission (and when it comes to the AAFC and flying operations, you're no chance of permission prior to the weekend) but if something goes awry, then the AAFC and the RAAF is at serious risk here. Please, oh please, contact your WG flying people and seek their guidance.

[jnicholas]

Thanks very much for the heads up! Usually i would just drive, but due to time restraints if at all possible i would like to use my PPL to get there...

How do I go about contacting FLTLT(AAFC) Stone to organise the details of the arrival/departure plans?

Thanks for the update: I understand where you are coming from and I am still trying to find out if it is in uniform and if parent consent forms etc are required etc etc to determine whether it is an official activity or not. With regards to transport no official minute or anything was distributed, just make your own way / car pool.

[rocket66]

Yep that's pretty much it. When you arrive and taxi off the runway, come to a stop and conatct ground and don't move until they contact you. Not sure where they'll send you it's up to them.

On departure and once you have an airways then contact ground and get a taxi clearance and head out to the runway.

The last airshow was appauling on the way out. Heaps of people jumped in started up and called the twr at the runway, big big no no. In the end they just had to get them all going considering there was 8 or 10 planes qued up blocking access to the runway! Poor controllers were tearing thier hair out!!

Rocket

[Roger Greendeck]

There is no FBO. Talk to the Air Base Command Post (ABCP) soonest. Assuming they give you permission they will tell you where your parking will be (most likely at Air Movements) and will tell you about access. It's not quite the same as a civil airfield as the security is at the perimeter rather than at the Tarmac edge.

Amberley is a big base and Air Movements is no where near most places. Agree with Keg you need to talk to the AAFC people you are meeting, if for no other reason than you will need a lift!

As far as the flying procedures go it s just like any controlled airport if it is active or like any CTAF if it is not. On the weekend you probably won't see much in the way of fast jet traffic. Most likely single transport moves if anything at all.

As gutso said, they don't bite.

[Tiger35]

Are cadets who already have a PPL eligible for a flying scholarship for PPL training?

[jnicholas]

No, if you have gone to a solo standard in powered flying then you are not eligible for a powered scholarship. You are however still eligible for a gliding scholarship.

[Stikybeke]

Just let me get this right...

A low hour PPL, flying into YAMB re a scholarship interview, worried about being pushed for time because he might be late for his school formal???

Bloody hell!!!! Back in my day we had to walk everywhere (if we were lucky!!) and that was subject to having a clean room and all your chores were done.

You're the first school kid I've heard of in my life that's been confronted with such a dilema...let alone being in a circumstance where you get to fly a plane into YAMB. You are one fortunate kid!

Are you sure you need the scholarship?

Good luck anyway..

Stiky
:ok:

[C-change]

Once you get approval to fly into Amb sorted out, give the controllers a call and talk to them about procedures. They will help you out with any info you need, so long as you are approved. No need to be worried, they wont bite.

If you need more info, send me a PM and I can put you in touch with someone.