The Pacific: General Aviation & Questions The place for students, instructors and charter guys in Oz, NZ and the rest of Oceania.

Wollongong name change

Old 21st Jun 2019, 14:54
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Around
Posts: 77
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Wollongong name change

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!


Hamley is offline  
Old 21st Jun 2019, 19:41
  #2 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Ground
Posts: 74
Received 3 Likes on 2 Posts
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’.
Jabberwocky82 is offline  
Old 22nd Jun 2019, 15:39
  #3 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 1998
Location: Escapee from Ultima Thule
Posts: 4,273
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
"The 'Gong traffic..."
Tinstaafl is offline  
Old 22nd Jun 2019, 15:44
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: australia
Age: 81
Posts: 207
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Worthy of Norman Gunston
harrryw is offline  
Old 23rd Jun 2019, 00:55
  #5 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: NSW Australia
Posts: 2,453
Received 29 Likes on 13 Posts
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 is offline  
Old 23rd Jun 2019, 00:56
  #6 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: NSW Australia
Posts: 2,453
Received 29 Likes on 13 Posts
...oh and I called inbound at 2FC the other day, just to fkn show 'em.
Horatio Leafblower is offline  
Old 23rd Jun 2019, 02:07
  #7 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,152
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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.
CaptainMidnight is offline  
Old 23rd Jun 2019, 06:12
  #8 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Sydney
Age: 62
Posts: 458
Received 21 Likes on 6 Posts
“Shellharbour Airport/ Wollongong Gateway”
the lunatics really are running the asylum.
roundsounds is offline  
Old 23rd Jun 2019, 06:51
  #9 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: moon
Posts: 3,564
Received 89 Likes on 32 Posts
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???”.
Sunfish is offline  
Old 23rd Jun 2019, 07:21
  #10 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Australia
Posts: 4,955
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
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!!
LeadSled is offline  
Old 23rd Jun 2019, 07:45
  #11 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: sydney
Posts: 1,469
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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.
thorn bird is offline  
Old 23rd Jun 2019, 08:48
  #12 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Sydney
Age: 65
Posts: 683
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Why not just called it "Sydney South"?......
sms777 is offline  
Old 23rd Jun 2019, 10:27
  #13 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,152
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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.
CaptainMidnight is offline  
Old 23rd Jun 2019, 10:39
  #14 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Australia
Posts: 555
Received 79 Likes on 38 Posts
Originally Posted by 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.
The name was changed from Kingscote to Kingscote/Kangaroo Island, Nuts!
Cloudee is offline  
Old 23rd Jun 2019, 22:54
  #15 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,152
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Cloudee
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 ....
CaptainMidnight is offline  
Old 24th Jun 2019, 00:27
  #16 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Australia
Posts: 4,955
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
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!!
LeadSled is offline  
Old 24th Jun 2019, 02:08
  #17 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: South of YSSY
Age: 72
Posts: 438
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes on 1 Post
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.
criticalmass is offline  
Old 24th Jun 2019, 02:57
  #18 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Australia
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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.
syzygy is offline  
Old 24th Jun 2019, 05:15
  #19 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 405
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Aviators call it Wollongong because that's how it's described in all the documentation, and there's obviously no need to change anything.
On Track is offline  
Old 24th Jun 2019, 06:11
  #20 (permalink)  
601
 
Join Date: Mar 1999
Location: Brisbane, Qld, Australia
Age: 77
Posts: 1,472
Received 17 Likes on 13 Posts
How about the "First Nation's" name for the area??
601 is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.