Melbourne Jet Base

[OZBUSDRIVER]

I do not frequent the bottom end of Melbourne airport at all but was surprised to see an article in today's Herald Sun on a new Jet Base at Melbourne international. Search PRUNE for anything on it to discover that Paul Little had picked up the acreage from the closure of John Hollands back in 2016. Officially opened last October. But what a spectacular piece of architecture! Access to a 24/7 airport, customs onsite, runway lengths suitable to fully uplift fuel for maximum endurance...hemispherical(?)..flights and discrete egress for discerning VIPs Melbourne Jet Base (http://melbournejetbase.com.au/)

[ramble on]

Its good isnt it? An improvement on the shipping container

[Squawk7700]

You’re not wrong, even driving past there before you get past the front doors and you can tell it’s an impressive facility.

You’ve only got to watch a few YouTube videos like Steveo Kinevo to realise that jet bases are a real “thing” at the moment. Ground crew, start carts, battons waving, big roller doors, golf carts, executive lounges, preflight facilities, computers, showers, WiFi, crew rest, online bookings and the list goes on.

I’m guessing those services don’t come cheap though!

[Sunfish]

Beat us to it. Plan was for contract maintenance. Paul Little seems to have put together a good operation.

[josephfeatherweight]

I’m guessing those services don’t come cheap though!
Squawk - you can say that again!! :)

[machtuk]

Pretty flash joint, recently transited thru there, LOTS of money gobbled up in that setup, smelt like it too!
Be interesting to see how the facility fares in the future👍

[Roger Gove]

It used to be home for Alan Bond and others back in the late 80's.
Believe it was "owned" by ANZ Bank for a while.
Taken over by Virgin at one stage and then Joan Holland.
Now home for Little Aviation and the G650.
I wonder if there is hydrant JetA1 available there. Never used to be and getting a tanker could take ages.
No Traffic!

[machtuk]

It used to be home for Alan Bond and others back in the late 80's.
Believe it was "owned" by ANZ Bank for a while.
Taken over by Virgin at one stage and then Joan Holland.
Now home for Little Aviation and the G650.
I wonder if there is hydrant JetA1 available there. Never used to be and getting a tanker could take ages.
No Traffic!


The place has only recently been built.
truck fuel only, hydrant would cost more than the national debt, although there is a huge underground tank under the main apron, there thanks to our wonderful EPA! -:)

[Sunfish]

Even in the 1970’s CAA rules regarding hangars and facilities were so impenetrable that Ansett gave up and installed “portable “ buildings in hangars for office space. A hydrant system, complete with filter/coalesced and bunded pumping and valving let alone the pipeline to JUHI would indeed be stratospherically expensive.

[rickyknee]

The Melbourne Jet Base website contains the following:

"Viva Energy has two dedicated hydrant trucks located at Melbourne Jet Base specifically to cater for the world’s largest aircraft."

[Sunfish]

That’s the truck. Where’s the hydrant?