Airfields near Tyabb 1972

[On eyre]

Hoping for some assistance to jog my memory please.
In December 1972 I flew family from Parafield to the Mornington Peninsula for a graduation ceremony at Portsea. I believe the destination was Tyabb but I mistakenly landed at another airfield close to Tyabb before rectifying my error and proceeding on. Can anyone advise what that other field might have been ?

[rjtjrt]

Moorooduc airfield was not far away.

https://www.exploroz.com/places/12961/vic+moorooduc-airstrip

[Squawk7700]

rjtjrt, is that the one where the Chieftain ran off the end in the wet grass?

[On eyre]

Yes that could have been it - doesn't ring a bell but it was 50 years ago. How far from Tyabb was it ?

[On eyre]

Did Moorooduc have a sealed strip ?

[ACMS]

No, as far as I know it was grass and was about 3nm NNW of Tyabb.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1504/b6e80926_67ee_4bdd_b522_9ff18b8d5a73_a9ff822403a2115fed58f35 4826352a13c7acd2c.png

[On eyre]

Thank you everyone - I guess now that Moorooduc was it - probably the first one I saw after crossing the bay from the west. A learning experience it was at the time (well and truly pre-GPS of course).

[Squawk7700]

In your defence, Tyabb is not that easy to spot until you know what you’re looking for and back that long ago it was pretty bare around it, so not surprised.

Not that long back a foreign solo helicopter student out of Moorabbin landed at a grass strip a few miles short of Tyabb, shut down, got out, walked up to the owners house and asked the strip owners wife if he was at Tyabb.

[witwiw]

Wasn't there an old airstrip more towards Dromana/Safety Beach area, running parallel to (and north of??) of the Nepean Hwy?

[rjtjrt]

rjtjrt, is that the one where the Chieftain ran off the end in the wet grass?
Sorry, I am not sure. My only experience of Moorooduc was landing there semi urgently in a Decathalon after pax vomited.
A comment on my aerobatic ability I guess.

[cattletruck]

Nearby Tooradin and Pakenham were also buzzing around then. Also a fair few private strips that have since been lost to the property boom.

[Checkboard]

I once flew a PA28 to a grass strip, spotted the row of car tyres marking the edge .. and landed on the wrong side of them, off the strip.

[Mach1Muppet]

Here is a nice video by Graham Percy showing moorooduc: https://youtu.be/SulyUB0T6fo

[5th officer]

Wasn't there an old airstrip more towards Dromana/Safety Beach area, running parallel to (and north of??) of the Nepean Hwy?
Yes it was in Pickings Lane and operated by Jack Ellis

[ACMS]

Nearby Tooradin and Pakenham were also buzzing around then. Also a fair few private strips that have since been lost to the property boom.

And Berwick.

Lilydale, Coldstream, Berwick, Tooradin, Pakenham , Tyabb and Moorooduc all operated on 119.1

[Squawk7700]

And Berwick.

Lilydale, Coldstream, Berwick, Tooradin, Pakenham , Tyabb and Moorooduc all operated on 119.1

Phillip Island was also on 119.1... the worlds biggest CTAF!

[witwiw]

Quote:
Originally Posted by witwiw View Post (https://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/637940-airfields-near-tyabb-1972-a.html#post10963797)
Wasn't there an old airstrip more towards Dromana/Safety Beach area, running parallel to (and north of??) of the Nepean Hwy?

Yes it was in Pickings Lane and operated by Jack Ellis


Yes, that's it. Thanks - just couldn't remember Jack Ellis's name.

[Capt Fathom]

Essendon? Tullamarine?

[Petropavlovsk]

Royal Vic Aero Club, used to use the South Dandenong airstrip for their monthly competitions

The late Colonel Edward 'Ted' Neil had a private airfield just south of Berwick, where he used to keep his Beech 55 Baron. VH-EHN, which had a permanently installed fuselage tank. The Baron did a wheel up landing either on the ferry flight from USA or just shortly after arrival. EHN registration was of course his initial Edward H Neil. Teddy was also Chairman of David Syme and Co, publishers of the Melbourne 'Age' newspaper. Combined with that powerful position as well as being mentioned in despatches during WWII, did not prevent the SEC (State Electricity Commission) from running a huge gantry and power lines over the top of his homestead and airstrip. Needless the say Teddy never took his Lear 25 into the Clyde Rd, strip. (Lear was VH-TNN, Ted and Nancy Neil)

The late Barry Coutts also had an airstrip alongside Clyde Rd, Bazza kept his C172 their. His wife ran a horse agistment park on the property. Barry was well known in Formula Vee racing and owned Volkspower in Burwood.

Racing Driver Rusty French had/has an airstrip inside the Moorabbin training area.

Manufacturer John Berends had an airstrip inside the Moorabbin training area where he would land his Piper Navajo

There were a few more ............

[Kulwin Park]

I remember seeing this Airstrip a few times, used by the Piper Navajo with the high visibility painted propellers. Think it had an over-run once or twice in wet grass? Unsure if it is still used?


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1109x920/image_4e0ba6b517ef55790bf2cc49ee54368f2e008b09.png

[Mach1Muppet]

I remember seeing this Airstrip a few times, used by the Piper Navajo with the high visibility painted propellers. Think it had an over-run once or twice in wet grass? Unsure if it is still used?


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1109x920/image_4e0ba6b517ef55790bf2cc49ee54368f2e008b09.png

was that VH-JBI? seen some photos of it
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/800x600/jbi_090afabd1a30cf8107e4962fd656ab6f6dad7f51.jpg

[Squawk7700]

Ah yes, that’s the one I was referring to earlier when I said Chieftain.

[Old Akro]

Its worth reflecting on the airports in Melbourne basin in the 70's that are now gone, really only leaving Tyabb & Tooradin.

Between Petropavlovsk post & my memory others were:
Casey Airfield - Berwick. (Now Federation Uni)
Moodooduc airport (Jack Ellis)
Pakenham (Commando skydivers)
Labertouche. (Skydiving)
Berwick (Boundary Rd ) Barry Coutts
Mercedes Park (Cardiniya RD South of Pakenham) - now helicopters?
Colonel Edward 'Ted' Neil had a private airfield just south of Berwick
Rusty French had/has an airstrip west of Cranbourne
John Berends had an airstrip between East link and the Frankston - Dandenong Rd
Another one near the intersection of Springvale Rd & Peninsula link.
Philip Island (now helicopter only)
One in the centre of the race circuit at Philip Is
One beside the Nepean Hwy near Hickinbotham wines.

Pretty much all gone to make way for houses.

[Checklist Charlie]

Whittlesea, Ormond (a similar vintage to Fishermans Bend & Werribee), Mt Cotterell, Geelong (Barwon) Common and of course Geelong itself and Laverton.

CC

[Squawk7700]

Mercedes Park now equals Aardel Port and still going strong next to the KooWeeRup Pakenham Road. (He’s an agent for Mosquito helicopters)

[Stationair8]

Uncle had a farm at KooWeeRup in the 1970's that had a strip and hangar for his Cessna C180.

[CitationJet]

Also gone is -
Longwarry (still visible on GM)

Further to Petropavlovsk's comments in the same area as Ted Neil's strip in Clyde/Berwick Sth were -

Peter White (Hamlex White) who had a couple of Seneca's - last used around 2010 - now under houses
Barry Spooner (Caribbean Gardens) had a Cessna 210 and used to fly it between Clyde and a strip which once existed at Caribbean Gardens. I rented Barry's strip and hangar for a couple of years 2006-2009 from the subsequent owner to house the Cessna I then had. That area is also now under houses.
Ted Neil's hangar is still visible even though will be next to be swallowed by houses..



https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/912x877/strips_cc95e98c18d05dad928c7981a2643132373233ff.jpg