Golly gosh guys, the lack of an airport in the Central Coast region is not as massive a deal as some people on this forum would have it. I live in Toronto (where it's always sunny) and Willy is only 35 mins away, Sydney airport is only 1hr 45mins max from here. Conversely, my brother lives in Gosford and Sydney is only an hour away for him. So the furthest away you would ever be from an airport would be a little over an hour, unless you got stuck in traffic or a bushfire or something.
Regarding Cessnock and Maitland, they are certainly only a stone's throw away from Newcastle, however with the closure of Warnervale, residents from the Central Coast will have a bit of drive on their hands. However, visiting GA pilots and their passengers can land at Maitland and find public transportation that will deliver them into the heart of the city, with enough time to open a bottle of bubbly on the way.
toronto_flyer