Katherine Aerodrome
 

Talking with a retired Flight Service Officer over the Christmas break, and he would like to know when the Katherine township airport closed and RAAF Tindal was opened? Anyone have an idea of the dates?

Can't remember the exact dates, but I do recall from my old army aviation days when we were based at RAAF Tindal (only a big strip and no other infrastructure to speak of in those days) in around mid 1976 on Survey Ops, that the FSU was still in operation at the old Katherine aerodrome. If you drive past the Knott's Crossing Resort at Katherine these days you will come across the old Katherine aerodrome still evident but be careful if you take a drive along it because there are some bloody big ditches that have been dug across the old runway to stop mug lairs from speeding down the strip!

Sounds like experience!?!?!?!:E

Tindal was officially opened in 87 or 88, but was operational for a while before that. I landed and took off from the Katherine airstip in 1999 in a C177RG (the pink and purple one that used to be in Darwin REJ perhaps?), but as stated below you do need to be wary of the ditch. I believe there was only one when I was there and it was about 2/3's of the length?

Also flew into the old strip just west of Tindal on a Mango farm - can't remember the name - but that was also fun, especially with an ALSAV parked smack bang in the middle of the road/runway at the upwind end!

Cheers
Nards

Oh Bushy would know this one
He was probably there when it was called Catherine.:hmm:
BTW what happened to the statue of John McDouall Stuart that was in the Humbug Mall in Darwhine?

My memory is fading but I thought that Katherin FS closed just before Cyclone Tracey and then was reopened after the event. Might be wrong though.

Went into the old Katherine strip in I think 81 in PNN (where is she now) on a Darwin aeroclub fly in DN -Materanka- DN for fuel on the way home. I beleive that TN was operational but Avgas was not.:)

And while we're discussing Katherine's various airports. Does anybody know which airport Ansett NT used at Katherine when it was flying the F28 on the centre run? I flew with them from Alice to Ayers Rock in the mid 80's (I think), so I'm guessing that pre-dates Tindal being used as Katherine's airport, therefore the F28's must have gone into the old "town" strip. But would be interested to know for sure.

My mate Disco Stu (He's not allowed to post in these hallowed Forums) spent time in '69 crewing a Caribou that was in support of 5 Airfield Construction Squadron building Katherine/Tindal. He doesn't remember much except it was boring and was glad to get back to his regular Unit.

tipsy:ok:

KN FSU closed in the mid 70's along with most FSU's by around 1990. The aerodrome closed in the early 90's as said above. It was certainly not (formally) available in 1983 when all civil movements were at TN.

TN did not become fully (RAAF) operational till around 85 or 86 and the F/A18 Sqn moved there a bit later, maybe 86/87. I remember diverting there in a 727 due wx at DN and it was still uncontrolled - that was about 85.

Memory not that flash these days, but best I can recall.

Those were the days!:ok::ok:

Res Bunny

TN, at that time known as Tindal Aerodrome was used in 82 by the Ansett centre run. It (officialy) became RAAF Tindal in the late 80's with the re-forming of 75SQN (F/A-18) after the move from Darwin. The aerodrome and some very basic infrastruture existed from WWII, when it was first constructed by the USAF. The RAAF later did it up (60's from an earlier post) and it became a joint user aerodrome, but the military infrastructure consisted of a few huts in the bush. The civil terminal has been there since the early 80's. Interesting to note the old terminal building is still at the airport, they just moved it over to the side and Chartair now uses it as its KTN offices.
(Yes I have spent many a night waiting for the Ambulance in the terminal building at KTN reading all the old pictures and history)

The strip just to the west is Manbuloo (the mango farms) it was an old WWII strip that is now on private property. Was once the home of the Katherine Drop Zone and the world famous "Rell Week". Ahh the days of KRH and FRO dropping "semi" naked female FLTLTs now WGCDRs. (or is that now GPCAPT)

The old terminal building still exists at the old TOWN strip, and was the last time I saw it used as a Museum of sorts. Mind you that was two floods ago, and it may now be gone. I have a mate who works in Katherine, and will get his to go and see if there is any info still available at the site.


Richo

RAAF Tindal became operational with 75 sqn F/A-18's in October 1988 (I was posted there at this time). The base itself was operated by the RAAF from late 1987 in the work up to the F/A-18's arriving. About half of the 75 sqn personnel either arrived in March/April 1988 to prepare and the other half (myself included) arrived in October as the aircraft departed Williamtown in NSW.

Tindal...and Katherine (Never a C!!!)
 

Let me tell you about Katherine and Tindal.....

Firstly it has and always be ...Katherine! With a K! ;)

Secondly, Tindal Airbase (WWII ish) always existed and was later in the Mirage days the storage facility during the cyclone season (a one stop shop hangar that the fleet was squashed into). The coolest thing was the Mirage boys used to smoke Katherine on their way to Tindal to store the jets for the cyclone season (only the Boo's and Herc's got in after that!!!! :ok:). The military in those days were God and we all wanted to be part of it!

When we shut down our local strip in the township and moved to Tindal, life as we knew it changed.

In the ol days when they (The RAAF) were trying to do the right thing by the locals they started acoustic trials for their new Base :p They smoked Mirages flat chat around/up and down the town with measuring sticks to see how much it would tick the locals off. Truth is it was a new season of The Goodies that week on ABC and nobody cared!! :D But it was cool as a kid seeing the ol Mirage down Stuart Highway at 25 Aggles doing a RNAV (Road Navigation) home :ok:

Here was my first article when the Hornets were working up to deploy to Tindal. I was.....18! Good mates Ross Fox and Mike Prior (JB) were flying the Hornets on the day of the trial, R.I.P Foxy!

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...netstindal.jpg

:hmm:

Picky....I know...

Katherine's River, the first perennial running water along the route north from Alice Springs, was originally dubbed The Catherine by John McDouall Stuart in 1862 after his patron's daughter, but the spelling changed and the town of Katherine was eventually settled to service the Overland Telegraph Line.

Old Rotor Head
 

I remember catching a Herc from Townsville to do an engine change on an LOH about a year after that. Were you with 162 or 171?

tinpis....

Possibly as there is conjecture over that issue, but Katherine, the township, was always Katherine. And over a 1000 K north of Alice springs.... :ok:

Resbunny..
 

I was with Ansett NT turning the F28's around for a while and we operated out of Tindal (mid 80's). Prior to that it was the F27 with TAA and Ansett which were also operated from Tindal after the old Katherine airport closed.

I've spent the night in that building a few years back. Didn't really get much sleep that night, they told me it was haunted. :uhoh:

Haunted hanger
 

Pseudo.

If it was haunted, I never heard a thing!!

Especialy since on most of the many nights I spent sleeping there, the RAAF always seemed to schedule some night flying. Considering the very close proximity to the threshold, I only wish that I had had a ghost problem!

I lived in that building too Richo. I frequently heard (what sounded like) somebody walking around the big common area in the middle. Hated that building. I was told that it used to be the town post office before it got moved to Tindal.