New YPEC operator?

[Fhead]

I've heard a rumour that there is going to be or is already a new operator or flying club out of Belmont airport the old Aeropelican strip.

Does anyone know anything? The rumour I heard was it was going to be the central coast flying club. Is this a new club or has Warnervale been kicked out?

[bizzybody]

I know that IAP had had the airfield up for public tender and tat the aeroclub at Warnervale were GOING to make an offer but im not sure if they went ahead with it.

The Warnrvale air will not get kicked out because they are the ones that decide if the airfield will remain open after they leave. I spoke to the council about it manny moons ago and they told me to speak to the club as they didnt have any objections to it. The club said no way they will not approve anythng after they leave.

Sounds like a new operator but after speaking to IAP a few weeks ago they wouldnt allow us to land there because as far as they were concerned it was no longer an airfield to them and due to insurance they wouldnt allow it.

Sounds like something has been approved

Bizz

[Ultralights]

if i had the cash, YPEC would make a very nice Airpark!
Keep the strip, small marina, and within a short drive of Newcastle. Properties at an airpark there would sell very well.. and still have the benefit of an active airstrip in the region

[Fhead]

It was originally sold a few years back right after aeropelican left, to some fella that wanted to turn it into a number of units. The council wouldn't approve the units however because they wanted to keep the airport (finally a council that sees the value in a strip too bad it couldn't be used). During that time one fella was allowed to keep his plane there and operate off the strip privately and aeropelican stored a couple of their twotters on the strip. That was the last I'd heard for ages (no longer live in the area) but now there is talk of a new commercial operator to be or already there.

YPEC is a brilliant possy for commercial and private use for the CentralCoast and Newcastle (probably why aeropelican did so well). I hope it does open to the public and drop the landing fees from when aeropelican owned it.

[bizzybody]

Yes a marina woudl be nice....

My only problem is that you cant really extend the runway at all. For most operators it will be fine but som bigger things will still have o look else where.

The coucil told me that they would not approve anything for it other than an airfield.

Im sure we could arrange the marina though

[RENURPP]

Its a real turn around from the early days.
Keith Hilder fought tooth and nail with the then council to oerate out of there, and for years they made life hell.
The locals, who moved in after it was an airport, complained day in day out to cease all flying from there, the usual dangerous, noisy etc, all from people who live 5ft from what was australias busiest and most dangerous highway.. The original flying school was agreat success until too much pressure was brought to bare and as a means of keeping the peace with the locals closed the school and kept operating the Twotters. In its day it was the largest comuter airline in the southern hemisphere. 120,000px per year NTL/SYD.

aeropelican was interested in purchasing the dash 7, as the twotter had really been out grown, 16 return flights a day. One every 15 minutes in the morning then every 1/2 hour down to 1 hour by midday and then increasing to 1/2 in the pm. The council put the kibe wash on any bigger aircraft. the plan was to start flying furth a field with 50 pax. No other aircraft that size could have done the job. the Dash 7 even made it as far as Aeropelican, the then council stopped it landing on the day. It arrived and did a slow fly by to demonstrate its slow speed and how quiet it was.

The furthest Aeropelican ended up flying on a regular basis was Singleton in C402.

I am amazed if the best the council can do is a "flying club". If they are truly serious the could extend across the highway and make the runway of a practicle length for a serious contender. There have been several accidents and Aeropelican with itinerants and flying school aircraft as well. From my memory, C337 with a QF F/O at the wheel, mistook the fule tank on a pole for a windsock and landed with about a 15kt tailwaind??? He had had a gen/alt failure so had no radio or flaps. Stopped with his nose just short of the highway.
a C172 stuffed up a go-around and hit the fence at the high way end with same result.
A Grumman Cougar carrying out a single engine landing, landed a bit long and decided a touch and go was a better option than hitting the fence and highway, ended up on the golf course over the road. There were other minor ones but thats all I can remember of potentially fatal ones. Not a bad record for a short runway, predominately x/wind landings with a busy chanel at one end, (high masted yachts) and Australias busiest highway at the other, (double decker busus, trucks etc) and its total length was only about 860 mts approx.