YCPB - Cobber Pedy Airstrip

[mmciau]

ABC Radio Adelaide reports a reprieve from a CASA enforced closure because of limited airstrip width (30 metres) at YCPB.


Strip has to be widened ASAP.

[dubbleyew eight]

this is a prime example of government stupidity.

if the government had put the money into widening the airstrips it once owned instead of a clueless CAsA writing about them (for about the same cost) there would be no need for CAsA action and no actual problem.

Australian governments are prepared to spend billions maintaining an adequate road infrastructure, yet the occasional kilometre of runway is left totally neglected.

Of course we all know that CAsA has nothing to do with actual safety, just their perpetual scare the public bullship act.

[neville_nobody]

How about CASA get real and try and put the same pressure on Sunshine Coast and Ballina airports which get a heap more pax through them and numerous 737/A320 daily.

[Fieldmouse]

This stuff needs to be sorted out when an operator first proposes to service an airport.
Full facilities inspection, discussion with CASA and the operator, risk assessments done, procedures documented and approval granted, or a timeframe agreed on to bring an airport up to spec if the airport decides it has a business case.
No surprises for anyone.
CASA can't change the safety case down the track when it has enormous cost implications for airports which were once compliant.
But then we are asking the regulator to liaise with it's industry to formulate a plan for aviation. Ha ha.
Not anyone's role anymore it seems.

[Desert Flower]

Cobber Pedy? Hmmm - that's a new one! ;-)

DF.

[gerry111]

mmciau,


Not only Coober Pedy but also YCBP, cobber!


AirportGuide reckons that RWY 04/22 is 1243M long and 15M wide.


ERSA shows it as 1428M long.


Having been there a few times, the bitumen is pretty narrow. And RWY 04/22 does suffer from some pretty strong crosswinds from time to time.


The Coober Pedy Mayor has stated:


"The runway at Coober Pedy will be widened to a 30 Metre homogenous surface and there are a number of dedicated people working to see this happens."


Apparently it's particularly for Rex SAABs. Not much to lose sleep over.

[seneca208]

CASA seems to be on a bit of a quest to remove as many narrow runway exemptions as possible these days. A particular 19 seat aircraft was refused renewal in 2013.

[Avgas172]

YCPB - Cobber Pedy Airstrip
ABC Radio Adelaide reports a reprieve from a CASA enforced closure because of limited airstrip width (30 metres) at YCPB.




We still have ABC ? :E

[kaz3g]

Having been there a few times, the bitumen is pretty narrow. And RWY 04/22 does suffer from some pretty strong crosswinds from time to time.


I was there 3 weeks ago and, although the bitumen is "only" 15 metres wide, there is an awful lot of graded gravel on either side so I can't see how CASA could justify an immediate closure to RPT services serving an isolated community.

That said....dreaming again!

Kaz

Edit: I only fly little ones so admit ignorance of the capabilities of those big things. Just reflecting on the use of the existing strip for a number of years.

[Creampuff]

YCBP is a death trap because if a SAAB has an engine failure and there's ice or snow on the runway there may not be sufficient tarmac width to recover safely. Next thing you know: Death plunge down one of the nearby opal mine shafts! :eek:

Oh the humanity ... :rolleyes:

Funny thing is that the CASA press release announcing that the status quo would prevail at YCBP ends with this:CASA believes it is in the interests of the Coober Pedy community to allow these flights to continue in the short term because any restrictions could cause social and economic disruption.And there was me thinking that the shiboleth of the safety of air navigation always trumped everything else...

I'm guessing that what really happened was that someone important whispered in the ear of someone else important who whispered into the ear of someone in CASA who preferred his private parts to remain attached to his body. But that's just a guess.

[Dick Smith]

Does the FAA have this same runway width requirement for the SAAB or is it just an ICAO based thing?

[TwoFiftyBelowTen]

Is the airstrip under ground like all the dwellings?