Airstrips near Lake George/Bungendore NSW

[Aussie Bob]

Anyone know where I can land around Lake George or Bungendore NSW? All I need is 300 odd metres of rough ground suited to a Super Cub.

[Horatio Leafblower]

Pick your spot between the fences and I would have thought the whole of Lake George is your oyster?

(Or does it actually have water in it???) :ooh:

Bungendore is a :mad: of a place for landing aeroplanes and has killed several members of one local family in two seperate accidents :(

[Aussie Bob]

Thanks HL, and I have considered Lake George but I think it may be wet. There is a strip on Google Earth alongside the lake but it is now sandwiched between wind turbines. My guess is the turbine operators would say NO.

I forgot to add, a few days tied down are required ...

[85trx]

Last time i was there, there was a strip on the south western side near the highway and viewing platform that mircolights or ultralights were using. There is also a strip out at Braidwood, then there is dick smiths strip in Gundaroo i cant think of any other strips. Having said that what is wrong with Canberra or Goulburn.

[FoxtrotAlpha18]

There's a property called Winderadene about 3-4k north of where the highway leaves the lake and a similar distance south of the Collector turnoff.

If you look carefully you can see the windsock a few hundreds metres in from the western side of the highway as you travel north just before the line of pine trees crosses perpindicular to the highway.

Located at 34°56'20.75"S, 149°24'39.85"E on Google Earth.

The strip is an east-west strip pointing straight at the escarpment though! :bored:

Lake George is VERY wet at the moment...

[roundsounds]

Give Dick Nell a call, he flew for one of the ag operators based in Goulburn. I'm sure the local ERSA goulburn contact could give you his number or help out with strip details.

[Aussie Bob]

Thank you 85trx, great info

Having said that what is wrong with Canberra or Goulburn.

Well it would be nice a bit closer, I am visiting a resident right near Bungendore but can't find info on the strip (neither can he but he is a new resident) Otherwise it will be The Capital but CB is not that suited to a Cub with tundra tires ....

[Trojan1981]

Just out of interest how much airstrip does the cub really need? If you were really pushed I mean.

[PilotKarl_777-300]

Located at 34°56'20.75"S, 149°24'39.85"E on Google Earth.


The strip that FA-18 mentioned is called Collector Airstrip/airport.

Having said that what is wrong with Canberra or Goulburn.

Landing fees :E

Just out of interest how much airstrip does the cub really need? If you were really pushed I mean.

Your not suggesting him to land into a nice green paddock or a road strip are you? :}

[DC3Qld]

Currandooley Airstrip is about 9km NE of Bungendore off Tarago Rd. Looks to be about 2000ft with a windsock.
35 11 07.9S 149 29 20.0E On google maps

I don't know it, but maybe someone has operated into this strip in the past, I would say it is part of Currandooley Station and a quick web search (white pages) will give you the owners details.

[bushpig]

I towed gliders at Currandooley years ago, and I mean years ago. I was towing with an Auster. I don't remember the strip length but it was certainly OK for a Super Cub. The owners had an early (even for then) model Cessna 172 in a hangar at the strip. Property owners name was Osborne, an old family from that area. Apart from sheep there were deer on the property that are quite hard to see from the air but timid and get out of the way quickly. They never seemed to be on the strip if there was any activity. I often pulled gliders out of paddocks around there, most are OK but can be soggy in the lower bits. We used to use the northern lake bed of Lake George as well. Very easy to get bogged there even when it seems dry. A bit like the clay pans up north. There was another strip just north of Hoskintown south of Bungendore though probably no sign of it now. I don't know what the "horror" stories about Bungendore strips are about from the previous post. They are just dirt strips with the normal care needing to be taken.

[pokeydokey]

The Currandooley strip is used by a couple of aircraft owners with the express permission of the owners. The owners family were good friends with the other local family who lost several family members in a couple of accidents (on the other familys strip which was ploughed up after the last accident) and are a little averse to aircraft pilots nowadays unfortunately. One of the pilots who use the strip are on the Aircraft Pilots (http://www.aircraftpilots.com/) forum.

If you have someone to pick you up from Bungendore the trip to Goulburn is only about 10 minutes longer than the trip to Canberra airport which might help the decision making.

[Bunyan Wingnut]

The Davy family ran the Canturf business at Bungendore, and used to operate from a strip at Turallo about 1km west of the town. 13 October 2002 crash in C182 on that strip killed a passenger and the pilot Nat Davy died later, having suffered terrible burns. His brother and sister had died in a crash close to the strip back in 1996. I think ATSB found wind, turbulence were contributing factors in both cases. These incidents are prominent in Bungendore history.

Currandooley is close to the Lake George wind farm, not far from Bungendore.

Edit. ATSB report 200204663

[Aussie Bob]

Very helpful info, thank you to all who have replied.

Just out of interest how much airstrip does the cub really need? If you were really pushed I mean.


Despite what the youtube videos would indicate I reckon 300 meters is about the minimum distance required. The ground roll will be a lot less but ground roll does not a take off make. (or landing).

[Trojan1981]

Yep, fair enough. I was just wondering after seeing some of those videos from Alaska. I've flown a a few Scout/Citabria/Decathlons and I reckon with 1 POB and correct use of flap you would easily clear 50' in 300m; especially in the Scout. Like you said landing can be much less in the right conditions.

I thought the Cub might be even better performing. :ok:

[Aussie Bob]

To be honest with you Trojan, it is a Scout. I have probabaly offended a few Cubbers now but most folk have never ever heard of a Scout ...

The Cub is a possibly a better short field plane but when cruise begins the Scout waves bye bye.

[Trojan1981]

Ahh yes! They are a nice bush aircraft. The new donk certainly improved climb performance too. I'd love to own one myself, and I'd put big tundra tyros on it!
Is yours ex DEC/CALM? If so I might have flown it. :)

[Aussie Bob]

I think every late model Scout in OZ is ex CALM ... I fitted the tundra tyres, lost a bit of airspeed but it sure is fun touching down on 32 inch balloons. CFX

[Trojan1981]

Good stuff. The only CF series aircraft I flew was CFJ, which was really getting a bit long in the tooth by the end of the season. It was sent in for maintenence and sold early last year. I think FMN and FMR will go soon, if not gone already. Great little aircraft.