Wollongong name change

[Hamley]

Refer AIP SUP H28/19

".. reduce the likelihood of confusion amongst aircraft operators, pilots and data providers .."

lol so they are giving this airport two names to reduce confusion! One of the names is the name of the airport already. Who is the genius that gets paid to come up with these ideas?

What are we supposed to say on CTAF? Shellharbour or Wollongong Gateway? Or are we supposed to say "Traffic Shellharbour Wollongong Gateway"? The AIP SUP doesn't specify.

This is adding many more words to a CTAF that is already very congested. It's already hard to get basic traffic broadcasts in time while in the circuit at YWOL.

Seriously please whoever came up with this can you please take it back. Giving an airport two names to avoid confusion!? This is a total joke and whoever is responsible for it has no idea what they're doing and needs to be fired!

[Jabberwocky82]

No one ever says ‘Ballina Byron Gateway’, it’s always just ‘Ballina’. It does seem unnecessary but operationally I doubt it will be called anything other than ‘Wollongong’.

[Tinstaafl]

"The 'Gong traffic..."

[harrryw]

Worthy of Norman Gunston

[Horatio Leafblower]

Gold Coast is still Cooly.
Sunshine Coast is still Maroochy.
Sydney Metro is still Bankstown.
...and is anyone planning on calling for clearance at from "Nancy Bird Approach"?

[Horatio Leafblower]

...oh and I called inbound at 2FC the other day, just to fkn show 'em.

[CaptainMidnight]

From the AIC:

2. REASON FOR THE AERODROME NAME CHANGE

2.1 At present, Wollongong Airport (YWOL) to be renamed Shellharbour Airport/ Wollongong Gateway (YSHL) is located in Albion Park.

2.2 Albion Park is located in the Macquarie Valley in the City of Shellharbour.

2.3 Wollongong Airport is not a true reflection of the airport’s location.
Prior to the exodus of the "back room" experienced people in Airservices, proposals to change aerodrome names used to be referred to the regional RAPAC & CASA before progressing, to gauge opinions and potential impact. Some got knocked back due to potentially causing confusion and a safety issue. In some cases NAVAID idents would be involved.

I don't see any mention in recent NSW/ACT RAPAC minutes, so this one may have just been the AD OPR direct to Airservices AIS who just processed it without thinking about wider consultation and the impact.

It is usually the AD OPR who originates such changes, following a PR-type's thought bubble.

[roundsounds]

“Shellharbour Airport/ Wollongong Gateway”
the lunatics really are running the asylum.

[Sunfish]

this is preparing to close the airport and redevelop it. Wollongong is a city. Cities need airports. Shellharbour is just some address somewhere in the bush that nobody knows or could care about.

To put that another way “they’re closing Shellharbour! ..........wha???”.

[LeadSled]

Folks,
Just to add a bit of precision could we perhaps settle on the name: Shellharbour Wollongong Gateway Albion Park International Airport --- that should cover all the bases.
Tootle pip!!

[thorn bird]

I don't see a problem in that Lead.

ATC: XYZ track direct to Shellharbour, Wollongong, Gateway Albion Park

XYZ: Say again.

ATC: Track direct to Shellharbour, Wollongong, Gateway Albion Park

XYZ: err say again

ATC: (Exasperated voice) Track direct to Wollongong

XYZ: (thinks) why didn't he say so in the first place

ATC: ( thinks) Deaf prick.

[sms777]

Why not just called it "Sydney South"?......

[CaptainMidnight]

I wonder if the NDB ident will change from WOL to SHL. If so, there would be a bit of work involved, with all the air routes tracking via WOL needing to be changed, charts & DAPs changed, and the resulting dataset changes including Jepp etc.

There is no mention of aeronautical data changes in the AIC.

Perhaps someone didn't think of that aspect ....

I recall something similar involving Kingscote on Kangaroo Island about 4-5 years ago . The local council filed a change of name with AIS which did get redirected to the SA RAPAC & local ATC & CASA, who pointed out the work involved (who was going to pay?), the potential confusion and the fundamental lack of a need for a name change aviation-wise, and I recall the proposal was withdrawn.

[Cloudee]

I wonder if the NDB ident will change from WOL to SHL. If so, there would be a bit of work involved, with all the air routes tracking via WOL needing to be changed, charts & DAPs changed, and the resulting dataset changes including Jepp etc.

There is no mention of aeronautical data changes in the AIC.

Perhaps someone didn't think of that aspect ....

I recall something similar involving Kingscote on Kangaroo Island about 4-5 years ago . The local council filed a change of name with AIS which did get redirected to the SA RAPAC & local ATC & CASA, who pointed out the work involved (who was going to pay?), the potential confusion and the fundamental lack of a need for a name change aviation-wise, and I recall the proposal was withdrawn.
The name was changed from Kingscote to Kingscote/Kangaroo Island, Nuts!

[CaptainMidnight]

The name was changed from Kingscote to Kingscote/Kangaroo Island, Nuts!That is OK, and must have come later.

Initially they wanted to rename it to something related to a tourism aspect, a name no-one would have a clue about where it was ....

[LeadSled]

Thorn Bird,
Just trying to be helpful, given that the aerodrome in question is NOT in Wollongong or at Shellharbour.
How about "Albion Park Dogs" --- the doggie track is a well known local landmark --- even Sydneysiders know where that is!!
Tootle pip!!

[criticalmass]

Leadsled,
Albion Park Greyhounds is actually in Brisbane; I think you are referring to the Dapto greyhounds, universally know as the "Dapto Dogs". The airport isn't in Dapto, either. The nearest suburb is Albion Park Rail.

On a more serious note, think of the total cost of all the upgrades to GPS databases, IATA publications, Airservices charts and so forth which such a change automatically requires. Apparently the mayor of Shellharbour wanted the change, and I'm not aware of any consulation with airport operators or businesses. As for making an already congested CTAF just a little harder to work with, I couldn't agree more.

[syzygy]

Shellharbour mayor's dislike for all things Wollongong is well known. In this case, how dare their airport be called Wollongong Airport, so they changed it. It's got nothing to do with aviation and everything to do with ego.

Interestingly, it's generally only aviators who call it Wollongong Airport. Locals on the ground call it Illawarra Regional Airport, a region of which Shellharbour and Wollongong both belong. So if any name change were to happen, it probably should have been changed to Illawarra airport.

I'm guessing the mayor wants the CTAF calls to be changed to Shellharbour Traffic....

Unbelievable.

[On Track]

Aviators call it Wollongong because that's how it's described in all the documentation, and there's obviously no need to change anything.

[601]

How about the "First Nation's" name for the area??

[WingNut60]

How about the "First Nation's" name for the area??

I'd have thought that might be Wollongong, or suchlike.

[roundsounds]

So heading south out of YSSY might be via the KAMPI TWO, Shellharbour, Illawarra, Wollongong, Albion Park Dapto Dogs International Gateway transition?

[CaptainMidnight]

Someone involved with the NSW/ACT RAPAC (or AOPA) should take this matter up with the other reps along with CASA & Airservices pronto, because the cut-off for the November charts is about now (ERSA & DAP in a few months), and decisions are required re what name is to be used in broadcasts, the location name on charts & DAPs and the NDB ident.

And in particular, whether or not as far as aviation is concerned the name should remain unchanged, and the airport owner can call the place whatever they like .....

[LeadSled]

Leadsled,
Albion Park Greyhounds is actually in Brisbane; I think you are referring to the Dapto greyhounds, universally know as the "Dapto Dogs". The airport isn't in Dapto, either. The nearest suburb is Albion Park Rail.
.
CM,
In a strict sense, I guess you are correct, but the local doggies, by whatever name you want to call them, are just to the north.
And I guess I am guilty of foreshortening "Albion Park Rail" to just Albion Park ---- maybe the fault of being a local, sort of.
And, I must admit, I never even thought of the Brisbane track, which is pretty funny, really, given the amount oi time I have spent, over the years, at the Brekky Creek..
Tootle pip!!

[little al]

Shellharbour mayor's dislike for all things Wollongong is well known. In this case, how dare their airport be called Wollongong Airport, so they changed it. It's got nothing to do with aviation and everything to do with ego.

Interestingly, it's generally only aviators who call it Wollongong Airport. Locals on the ground call it Illawarra Regional Airport, a region of which Shellharbour and Wollongong both belong. So if any name change were to happen, it probably should have been changed to Illawarra airport.

I'm guessing the mayor wants the CTAF calls to be changed to Shellharbour Traffic....

Unbelievable.

Locals (non aviation) normally call it Albion Park airport, if you call it Illawarra Regional Airport you get a lot of blank looks and have to explain you mean Albion Park, to which the reply usually is "Why didn't you just say that then?".

[Ascend Charlie]

The locals call the area "Shlarba" which is a lot shorter than saying "Shell-har-ba".

But others know the airfield as The Gong.

[aroa]

in the late 60s we called it Albion Park. Wollongong was just another town way up the road.
Seeing that area again after 50 yrs, buried a continuous urban area, Im surprised it was still there because of a/c noise complaints !
The Gong...good one, has a ring to it.. But Shlarba rolls off the tongue very well

[rodney rude]

[QUOTE=Sunfish;10500847]this is preparing to close the airport and redevelop it. Wollongong is a city. Cities need airports. Shellharbour is just some address somewhere in the bush that nobody knows or could care about.

To put that another way “they’re closing Shellharbour! ..........wha???”

Ease up SunnyFish. I grew up in that little town of Shellharbour - back when Shellharbour was actually the little town of Shellharbour - before they decided to come up with "Shellharbour City" and call everything within 20 miles Shellharbour. Back in the early 80s it was a little town of about 1000 people surrounded by dairy farms and that mega great beach break called "The Farm." I would get on my treadly and ride the 8 or 9 miles to Albion Park on my mountain bike (which I still have) for my flying lessons with Ron and Shereen.

If growing up one street from the beach in a little town with 4 beaches, dairy farms and mountain views qualifies as - "Shellharbour is just some address somewhere in the bush that nobody knows or could care about." - well buggar me, how unlucky was I???? And if I knew how to put photos on here I would post one of the little town in the bush I took from the old R2160, NXY back when paddocks were paddocks and ethnic McMansions with concrete lawns were at Campbelltown.

[Squawk7700]

... and they have the worst fish and chip shop I’ve ever been to.

They had to sniff-test every piece of fish they took from the fridge.

[syzygy]

Clearly the mayor wasn't happy with "Wollongong" remaining in part of the name of her airport.

New AIC out has "Wollongong Gateway" dropped from the name entirely.

I'm surprised it wasn't actually changed to the name of the mayor herself. :yuk:

[criticalmass]

Given that pilots can be subtle creatures at times, I'm sure at least some of them will find intriguing ways of making known their derision and dis-satisfaction with what some feel is an un-necessary change for the sake of change.
At a recent meeting where this matter was discussed, one of the local coucillors was quite forthright about the right for the operating council to call the airport whatever they liked and his feeling there was no need for discussion or consultation on the proposed changes.