Bankstown Movements - were they ever 470,000 per annum?

[OzBob]

Airservices data doesn't cover the 80s but interesting to see change in helo movements in the period 1999-2015 from their data,

in 2015 helo movements (39,172) = 17.8% of 220,166 total movements
in 2000 helo movements (27,284) = 9.1% of 298,798 total movements

[BPA]

The 2004/5 master plan says that in 1988 when the FAC took control of the airport annual movements were over 400000.

The History of Bankstown Airport found here http://www.lockoweb.com/Final%20Draft.htm#_Toc243020835

states that in the early 1980's there were 460 aircraft based there. My guess is there would only be 150-200 (at best) aircraft currently based there.

Also found in an old aviation mag, that Jandakot had 325000 movements in 1989.

[Mr Approach]

Back in the late 70s even Archerfield was managing 1000 a day at weekends. Under GAAP procedures ATC only cleared aircraft for take off as I recall and for operations on crosswind runways so there was not as much radio talk as there is nowadays.

[markis10]

Originally Posted by BPA

Just found an article in an old Australian Flying Mag from Nov 1987 when they interviewed one of the tower controllers. In it the controller says they have a around 1700 movements on each day on weekends and 1000 movements on each week day. So that's a 8400 movements each week and 436800 movements per year.

Just came across this thread and have to say 1700 on a weekend day would have been normal in the late eighties when I worked there.

[airspace alpha]

I post this for pure historical interest. Can’t help withBankstown but here is data from Moorabbin from 1962 to 2015. If you look hardenough it is actually in the public domain- but from around 2000 it wasavailable on the internet or through airport master plans. I just updated from2008 to 2015 from ASA sources.

As in everything there are lies, damned lies and statistics,so look at the notes at the bottom.
As for me, nobody can tell me Moorabbin is not busy. Theother Thursday we sat at the 17L holding point for 22 minutes to get clearancefor night circuits- as CAE C172 after C172 did their thing. And when a gap camealong a bl**dy CAE Kingair snuck in! So it’s not the movements total that youneed to look at- it’s the content of the movements.

Enjoy the stats:

Year Movements(thousands)

1962 134
1963 189
1964 196
1965 258
1966 320
1967 320
1968 321
1969 240
1970 212
1971 208
1972 218
1973 254
1974 246
1975 257
1976 301
1977 327
1978 342
1979 327
1980 289
1981 270
1982 249
1983 238
1984 266
1985 299
1986 323
1987 289
1988 326
1989 395 airline pilot strike
1990 386
1991 357
1992 338
1993 328
1994 339
1995 347
1996 350
1997 363
1998 296 removal of fuel subsidies. Reducedtower hours. Airport sale
1999 259 Avgas crisis
2000 257 introduction of GST
2001 254
2002 253 effects of 911 attacks
2003 236 extensive bushfire season/poor weather
2004 229
2005 265
2006 234 suspect Airservices data this year(*)
2007 310 vast increase in overseas studenttraining
2008 352
2009 311
2010 252 Overseas student market collapse (mycomments)
2011 275
2012 235
2013 225
2014 236 overseas student market renewal (mycomments)
2015 242

• The period 1962-1986 is a historic recordderived from DCA files, no corroborating evidence is available. 1986-1988 fromDCA published data. 1998 onwards from Airservices data.
• In 1967 the peak week of July was 9,617. Peak day in April 2,077. Peak hour in September:343
• However data is only derived from times whentower was open. Tower hours were reduced in 1998 and increased when airportchanged from GAAP to class D.
• Weather has a disproportionate effect onmovements.
• (my comments) Most years are calendar years butsome are financial years, so caution advised over specific numbers. The trendis your friend.
• (my comments): huge proportionate increase inhelicopter movements from 2008 onwards
• (*)data derived from flight strips and faxed to Canberra-fax machine was at times faulty.

[OZBUSDRIVER]

Moorabbin has held on way better than Bankstown. Is there are a correlation comparing treatment of tenants by the leaseholder of each aerodrome?

Appols too, Dick. I was looking hard to see real effects of reg changes for airspace classification and charging regimes...Moorabbin doesn't stand out for any effects around 88 and late 90s early 2000s. Aviation despite doom and gloom predictions?

My bet is on GAAP aerodrome privatisation precipitating predatory practices of the new leaseholder.

[Dick Smith]

Just a one way ratchet of increased costs in just about all ways for GA.

Yes. Privatisation one thing but also government regulatory requirement costs have also increased. I disaster

[gerry111]

Oi! You not disaster, Dick.