Originally Posted by
Nearymmb
The NDB. Sometime around 2003 the museum approached MAC with the idea of erecting shade sails over their exterior exhibits. MAC was amenable but suggested a chat with Airservices (ASA) to check whether there might be any issue regarding the NDB. The tower guys were Ok and passed it to ASA Property for comment. They came back with the directive, no less, that this could not proceed and not only was it not allowed but the old CASA building, the new CASA building, and the Heller factory (not even on airport grounds) infringed and must be taken down!
The lease for the NDB was one of the oldest on the airport and when MAC pulled it out of their files found that they were in fact right- the NDB lease precluded any structure within quite a fair distance. Of course when it was originally signed in the 50’s there were no structures nearby.
The airport manager did a few calculations and realised that the ASA tower also intruded, so he called an emergency meeting of all parties to work out what to do. ASA Property were adamant that the lease was the lease was the lease but everyone else was trying to sort the mess out. First of all was the NDB actually used? All the flying schools said yes, they use it for training, but it turned out the only operational use was very occasionally by King Island Airways.
OK, so exactly how do the existing structures affect the performance? And when was this last calibrated? At which point there are awkward coughs from ASA and the answer comes back, actually its never been calibrated since construction. Meeting terminated.
Then by a strange coincidence the ASA KingAir just happens to come down to Melbourne the following week and lo and behold a calibration is done. Turns out the only impact, a small one at that, comes from the Police Academy building some way away. Wiser heads then prevail and its agreed the shade sails can go ahead if MAC collects “no objection” letters from the flying schools and operators, which they did. The sails never did happen for other reasons. And the NDB is still operational with, as far as is known, no plans to remove it.
this is one of the most interesting articles ive ever read!