Australia's most scenic airfields

[Cloud Basher]

I was having a discussion last weekend with a friend of my wives about flying small aircraft. She has done a few hours but never progressed. I asked her why expecting the usual answers of not enough time or money or family etc. But she surprised me from left field with her answer.

Airfields are boring un-scenic areas usually surrounded by flat boring countryside (she did her few hours in Shepparton and Horsham in Victoria so fair enough!).

I tried to explain to her about other country that is beautiful, even the Grampians just outside of Horsham but she would have none of it.

So to arm myself for her next visit and to try and get her back into it, I would love to know which strips/airfields/aerodromes/airports are Australia's most scenic. I don't care by what you judge them, just after something to try and get her back into it. Any photos you have would also be great I am sure.

I have tried to think of some myself. Certainly Camden with a few hills around is nice and it gives you access to Victor 1, dow to the Gong and across to the Blue mountains, but Bankstown is certainly crap.

Luskintyre with the green hills surrounding it is quite nice to me and the Hunter valley is very very green at present as well, but it is missing something. Williamtown itself is nothing to look at but the beach and Miall's lakes is great. But t my way of thinking what I think is needed is an airfield in the middle of beautiful country with beautiful country or water or whatever around it.

A lot of you guys have travelled far and wide around this great country of ours so I am hoping some of you may like to share your version of the most scenic airfields out there.

Any help much appreciated.

Cheers
CB

[wishiwasupthere]

Forrest. :E

[Stanwell]

I may be mistaken - but I thought airfields were just a means to an end.

[rjtjrt]

Moruya, if you like the beach - just at end of the airstrip.
The coast from there south to Eden (and onto Mallacoota) is very scenic.
Also, Mount Beauty is worth a look.

[spinex]

The southern parts of Qld are fairly well served in that regard; Tangalooma and Kooringal on Moreton Island, Orchid Beach on Fraser, Noosa, Kilcoy, even Boonah just below the Great Dividing Range. South of the border, Murwillumbah(Mt Warning) and Tyagarah(Byron Bay) have fairly scenic surroundings.
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b550/Carling113/kooringal_zpsjch5enyg.jpg

[Aeromuz]

I have travelled most of the country while I was as a survey pilot and to be honest, Albury(NSW) has the most amazing scenery around it I have experienced to date. There are plenty of places around that take your breath away but for me this was the winner. All I see now is lots of GAFA and a one wheeled island these days.

[Flying Binghi]

Hmmm... scenery is nice, though, get that in flight. To me whilst tootling around any airfield with an on site cafe is the most attractive..:)

Scenic Cooktown is an airpark waiting to happen..:cool:












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[Ultralights]

http://pamuva1.smugmug.com/Airplanes/Tasmania-trip/i-4QR7RVQ/0/L/IMG_2718-L.jpg
Wynyard

http://pamuva1.smugmug.com/Airplanes/General-Aviation/i-t4fLv8j/0/M/dave%27s%20pics%20033-M.jpg
Yerranderrie

http://pamuva1.smugmug.com/Other/Savannah-flight-home/i-jrXjrgS/0/M/IMG_0200-M.jpg
Camden Haven

http://pamuva1.smugmug.com/Other/Webcrap-images/i-N2247s7/0/M/IMG_0032-M.jpg
Wollongong

http://pamuva1.smugmug.com/Other/SmugShots/i-SvTRw92/0/L/smugshot_6989830-L.jpg

http://meritaviation.com.au/wpimages/wpf5a62e49_05_06.jpg

and thats barely a touch on the many i can think of.

[172sp]

Apollo Bay
http://s28.postimg.org/4er73xtkd/image.jpg

[Nibbles2310]

What's the one between Wollongong and Moruya (2nd from the bottom) ultralights?

[Stanwell]

Swansea, perhaps?

[Lookleft]

Matt Halls (used to be Aeropelican)

[spinex]

Got Aeropelican but UL's last one is bugging me, looks like somewhere I've seen/been, perhaps from a different angle but I can't put my finger on it.

[Lookleft]

That's Moruya, definately qualifies as one of Australia's most scenic airfields.

[drpixie]

Not sure it was the airfield - but just looking up a couple of days ago, warm breeze, deep blue sky, a few cumulus at 5-ish, a touch of cirus ... looked amazingly 3D and very nice.

And on top of cumulus, before or after sunset on a nice smooth day ;)

[Nibbles2310]

Here's another angle on Moruya, it really does have a great backdrop just don't have an engine failure on upwind of 04 or you're pretty much guaranteed a swim.

http://i.imgur.com/DRCJjsn.png

[vee1-rotate]

Orchid Beach gets my vote

WT8lzeCsaHE?t=2m1s

[PLovett]

Can't post piccies of them but Darlington on Maria Island - east coast of Tassie, Lady Barren on Flinders Island, Cape Barren Island just south of the previously mentioned one, any around the coastline of north-east Arnhem Land, Areyonga in Central Australia. Just a few suggestions.

[cowl flaps]

I've gotta go along with Stanwell on this one.

Is your aim to find her the prettiest airfield so she can sell up where she is now and move to the new locale,- restart her flying lessons,- obtain her PPL and happily fly circuits for the rest of her days ?

Isn't the airfield just the start &/or finish point to every other scenic destination?

[DynaBolt]

Merimbula,Aeroduck ladyelliot?..
Dynabolt

[pithblot]

These are some of my favourites, I wish I had a photo; Hobart, Melaleuca, Sandy Cape, Trefoil Island, Useless Loop, Lombada, Cape Leveque, Bickerton Island, Cooktown, Cairns, Corryong, anywhere in the Furneaux Group, St Helens. :ok:

[Alice Kiwican]

Here's a few of mine: Dunk Island,Lizard Island,Cairns,Sweers Island, most islands in the Torres Straits, Ernabella,Docker River,Areyonga,Alice Springs,Jabiru,Karumba

[Desert Flower]

I was having a discussion last weekend with a friend of my wives

Exactly how many wives do you have?!

DF.

[Warm Ballast]

Koolan Island ... I'll try and dig up a pic ...

[Ascend Charlie]

Isn't the airfield just the start &/or finish point to every other scenic destination?

No, an airfield is where you get out of your plank and hop into a helicopter to go to the scenic destination.:ok:

[Aussie Bob]

Do beaches count?

http://s25.postimg.org/vjt19zt7z/beach.jpg

[Mish A]

When I first drove over the hill and saw Coldstream for the first time in 2009 I thought that was the prettiest airfield in Aus. Have seen some great airfields, but I haven't seen one to change my mind yet.

[Squawk7700]

Hmmm.... I realised after taking this photo that I am not operating from the prettiest of airports! (Note the crazy Australia Day long weekend traffic!)

http://members.iinet.net.au/~bc_j400/YTDN1.jpg

[TwoFiftyBelowTen]

Yes, I see Lady Elliot mentioned a couple of times, but most of the place is a seabird rookery, and so there's abundant birdlife wheeling around and a very high risk of a birdstrike, and then you can stare at the windsock sticking out at full stretch at 90 degrees across the strip! Pretty much always!

[LookinDown]

Arkaroola, early morning or late afternoon when the sun is low.

[Old Fella]

Old Bar, one of the oldest airfields along the East Coast. 6 NM east of YTRE. You can land there, go for a swim, walk up the street and have a meal. Lanis on the Beach Caravan Park, by arrangement, can provide a parking spot for your aircraft within the caravan park.

[Cloud Basher]

Guys,
Thank you heaps. I have shown her this thread and she is surprised at some of the piccies. She did say she may have to investigate some more. Maybe just maybe I can get her back in the cockpit.

Thanks again. If she gets back in I will post some photos.

Cheers
CB

[Marauder]

There's two in the world that I will never forget

First one is not in Oz, so disregard for the while

Second one, clear day, light winds, can't really see the runway til late base( but you know where it is) is Hamilton Aisand

Turquoise waters, yachts, picture perfect, fantastic ground crew,

[Stanwell]

Cloud Basher.
For some really 'scenic' stuff, show her some pics from the 'Ples Bilong Tok Tok' thread.
She might fancy some PNG flying. :E

[CitationJet]

Yarram, Victoria, on the back of the Strezlecki ranges.

[Squawk7700]

I was born in Yarram. It's a nice area for flying around, particularly down to Wilsons Promontory on a good day plus crossing the range to Latrobe Valley can be very scenic :ok: I often drop by and take a look at our old farm which became the sewerage pond for the town.

[sms777]

Flinders Island is one of my choices....
Nice photoshop there Aussie Bob, I didn't know you were into model aeroplanes too......:ok:

[triadic]

Post 29 with the oz day traffic is where??

[pistnbroke_again]

The cars going past tooradin. Ymco is always nice to fly into

[Aussie Bob]

Nice photoshop there Aussie Bob, I didn't know you were into model aeroplanes tooYou flatter me SMS, I wouldn't know photoshop that well or have the time and interest. Here is another, same parking spot, same day, same location ...

http://s25.postimg.org/7e253yffz/Beachside.jpg

[spinex]

Pic of the thread there AB! Any hints on where or are you invoking the 5th amendment?

[Aussie Bob]

Better take the fifth!

[Ultralights]

where is this?
http://s25.postimg.org/7e253yffz/Beachside.jpg

Im almost ready!

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10929161_10152994207044754_7173749782568049780_n.jpg?oh=33de a879f4df0d6009901b2ea4b8745a&oe=555207CE&__gda__=1432828843_d29232f33612604426a3067558333a88

[ChrisJ800]

When I was hour building out of bankstown I would take girls to Wallis island near forster. Always had the island to ourselves.

[Aussie Bob]

Im almost ready!

That looks like a very capable aircraft UL!

[Stationair8]

Hope you had your safety vest on as well as your ASIC card correctly displayed, Aussie Bob!

[Baldnfat]

YBHB on any day for mine.

[Dogbolter]

Hard to beat
http://s1.at.atcdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/001-Lord-Howe-Island21.jpg

[Dick Smith]

One of the best landing areas is on the top of that rock spire in the distance through the saddle. Very scenic but no RFFS.

[blueys]

Dick post the pic of you stepping off the top of you know where.

[Oakape]

LHI is fantastic on a good day like that, but on a bad day ......

[Aussie Bob]

Awesome shot Dogbolter ...

[Squawk7700]

Aussie Bob.

He doesn't get credit for it unless he uploaded it to here :ok:

http://s1.at.atcdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/001-Lord-Howe-Island21.jpg

I guess nobody made a rule that you have to take it yourself ...

[HarleyD]

Whilst I have visited some awesome airports . Such as Frazer Island, I don't think one should judge a book by its cover or an locale by its airport. If tou take a generally flat site, smash all the trees out of sight, create a howling wind blown scene of desolation suitable for aircraft operations, what do you expect!!!

Stawell - crap airport, great place

Connellan, amazing scenery nearby, but avoid at airport at all costs

Willie creek, desert but amazing people, and some awesome stuff to see

Tenant creek, no reason other than fuel to ever go there

Batchelor, beautiful airport but nothing to back it up

Darwin aero club, shame it's in Darwin

Broome, crap airport, but great brewery

Albany, boring airport way out of town, awesome pubs and tourist stuff

Forest, hahahahahaha

Ceduna, again a very ordinary airport, but King George Whiting and oysters yummy!

Kadina, another windswept plain, but great seafood

Parafield, no redeeming features, also Mildura is an avoid zone.

Kalgoorlie Boulder, interesting hole in the ground and unusual town, but another boring airport.

Port Macquarie. ........Nice

Coffs, nice town, boring airport.

Merimbula, same same

Moruya, as above

LadyBarron Grass from the south on a sunny day... Amazing

Killecrankie, very un anything, but fabulous spot to have a crayfish dinner.

Cape Barron and Clarke Islands, nice strips, but no other reason to go there.

Mt Isa, great if you're keen on lead poisoning or Bob Katta, same thing really.

Fitzroy Crossing. If you really need to stretch your legs, but incredible scenery on the way from Meeka.

El Questro. Need I say more.

Innisfail, if you like fighting in pubs, rain, or 100% humidity when it's not raining

Dunk, Great Keppel and Hammo. XXX and XXXX

Polla bay, as previously posted,

Coonawarra, crap strip, awesome wineries

Leigh Creek, hot steenkin remoteness but amazing hospitality

Mt Dare, a hidden treasure.

Alice, an un hidden un treasure, but the McDonald ranges at sunset from the air are worth the effort. Visit but avoid staying.

Did I say avoid Connellan (Ayres Rock) already. Scum.

Broken Hill, interesting town, another boring airport.

Temora, this is an unusual option as airport is fantastic, town is ****e.

Young, nice cherries in season

Bathurst, avoid in the winter, but nice town and you should drive the Mountain given the chance.

Mt Hotham, great people at the airport, amazing people at Dinner Plain. Go There, it's fantastic any time of the year.

Brown Bros at Milewa. It's got almost everything but a few miles further on, after some tastings (spit I say..) Sodens in Albury can top of a great day.



That's a start.

HD