Nearest airfield to Toronto (Newcastle, NSW)?

[Aussie Andy]

Hi guys, while visiting home in November I'd like to stop by to visit some relations in the Toronto area of Newcastle. Questions:

1) I guess Aeropelican is closest (not by road but as the crow flies) but can visitors land there? If so is there a big fee?

2) I recall (vaguely) from previous flight from Williamtown down to Sydney LoE that there is another airfield on the Toronto side of the lake: I don't have Aussie charts to hand, can anyone enlighten me if that would be a better choice (would need to be long enough for a Piper Dakota P28B, e.g. 6~800m say?)

Thanks!

Andy :ok:

[Tidbinbilla]

That would be Cooranbong. Tid is uncertain whether it is still open.:ok:

[Howard Hughes]

I guess Aeropelican is closest
Actually I believe Belmont (Aeropelican) closed down a while back to make way for a housing estate.
Cheers, HH.

[Aussie Andy]

Bugger - so sounds like there's nothing nearby then these days :ugh:

[Aussie Andy]

I am home now and have just found the online version of ERSA: sadly it is marked "Private aircraft not allowed": http://www.airservices.gov.au/publications/current/ersa/FAC_YPEC_31-Aug-2006.pdf

I can't find Cooranbong in ERSA which presumably confirms that it is gone...

Looks like Warnervale would be next closest, down near Tuggerah... seems a bit far to drive though.... hey ho!

Andy :ok:

[Ultralights]

Aeropelican is closed, sold to developers,
Warnervale is still open but for how long?
Cooranbong is Closed, Sold to developers
all that is left is Rutherford (Maitland)
Cessnock, which is now home to most operators from Cooranbong
and believe it or not, there is a private airstrip at Wallsend! but it is for RAA aircraft only.

Cooranbong would have been the closest to Toronto, but Warnervale is on the west side of the lake but at the southern end.

[Aussie Andy]

Thanks, so Warnervale is the only practical choice then...

ERSA doesn't give runway lengths, nor does the website here: http://www.ccac.com.au/aerodrome.htm -- anyone know?

Thanks,

Andy :ok:

[morno]

The RAA Aircraft restriction at Wallsend, is that only relatively recent??

I remember a few years ago (2003) flying a 182 in and out of there one weekend visiting friends.

morno

[Ultralights]

im only getting second hand info on Wallsend, all i know is that its a private airfield and you need permission from the owner to use it, which is normal, but i have only heard of RAA pilots operating from there, and was under the impression it was RAA only as it was not a recognised ALA, but im sure if the owners let you fly GA registered stuff in there then i dont see why not!!

then again, i was discoraged from hiring from a School at YSBK after taking their Archer into The Oaks! aparently they didnt believe the strip was long enough and the Archer cannot be operated from unsealed runways, but thats another story..

[Dogimed]

Try using the A__A National Airfield Directory, and failing that, give them a call, they can do a search on the database in the nearest towns and give you an idea of which airfields list Toronto as a nearest town.

Dog

[Like This - Do That]

And Willy won't let you in .....

Newcastle & Lake Macquarie now have a combined population of over 350000. There isn't a single GA airfield within cooee. Same same for the Central Coast with a population of around 285000.

What airfields there were are closing for development etc, but those were all pretty crappy little dives nowhere near where you wanted to go anyway.

Why the hell isn't there a 3500' sealed 'lighted' airfield in this region? It's friggin amazing .... a huge country with crappy roads and little rail - made for GA as a private transportation tool. We had a chance and we've blown it. Government apathy or active hostility and the understandable greedy predatory nature of Developus Australis "White Shoe Brigadier". GA's a dead man walking.....

SAA etc will be the future for private flying but it won't be much use as a reliable form of transport.

[Ultralights]

maybe the future of GA on the east coast of Oz will be floatplanes? Amphibious RAA aircraft are on the increase.

sadly i dont think Warnervale is going to last long either! that would make the closest airfields to the Newcastle/Central coast region either Bankstown, and who can afford to go there! and Cessnock. which is a minimum 1 hrs drive from Newcastle.

wonder if Williamtown would be open to creating a GA section to the airfield usable during its CTAF hours. or is the thought of combining GA flights with RPT to much for the Aussie public and CASA to handle?

[Bob Murphie]

The directory dogimed refers has two problems.

1) You need to fork out money to buy it and,

2) It tells you nothing about Warnervale's present existence or status except some contact Motels (eg. Central Coast Motel: 02 4352 1975). Try them for some up to date info.

A past directive from a mutually identifiable VP is that non members were to be given no help whatsoever so it seems pointless to ring the office except to confirm hopefully, a new policy.

Do try the RA-Aus office 02 6280 4700 re Wallsend and as ultralights has said, don't get me going on the subject of licenced and unlicenced airfields. The flight manual dictates what is legal to fly into and out of.

All that aside, Cessnock is probably closer by road than West Maitland? and you should be able to get a hire car. I assume you are flying a spam can and need some length?

[Shitsu_Tonka]

Write to our new Hero of the skies - Mark Vaile. Put your letter in the local Hunter papers.

[disco_air]

Did my TIF at Warnervale, my first solo at Hoxton Park. One has gone already and soon the other :(

Shame someone like Dick could do something useful for GA by buying Warnervale instead of spending his money on pointless agendas instead.

We need a GA entrepreneur that has sense! Wait, ones with sense wouldnt be in GA :E

...disco

[pilotads]

G'day
If your still interseted in more info, my home is around the toronto area the closest to drive and still open is cessnock. Its a nice easy strip with planety of space to park overnight. There was a 210 that used to fly in and out of wallsend on the weekends but from memory there's a narsty set of powerlines pretty much on top of the strip

[Dogimed]

Jeeze Bob, what a constructive and positive post.

Good luck Andy.


Dog

[Swift6]

G'day Aussie andy,

It sounds like you'll be doing a bit of flying around when you get out here. If your still interested in Wallsend. I can get you the details.

I flew a 150 into Wallsend a few years ago (I know of twins operated there, so a warrior or c172 should be ok provided weights and conditions are asessed). Its fairly short with high voltage power lines to the north and a factory to the south of the strip. The strip gets boggy when its wet. The aircraft I operated was owned by a major school at Bankstown; however they required me to undertake a check flight before I used it. There are a few issues in using the strip as a housing estate has been built beside it, so theres no circuits! If your still interested with these provisos you can PM me and I can pass on the details to get permission to use the strip.

Good luck
Swift6

[Aussie Andy]

Thanks again one-and-all for your help - Swift, sounds good.

Andy :D