Difference between airport, airfield and aerodrome
 

Random question time - a mate is doing some work on state government planning rules and cannot find a definitive definition of the above terms. From my reading of AIP, they appear to be used interchangeably but I wondered if someone here knew for sure if they need to be separately defined?

Thanks

UTR

UTR

Which state govt would you be referring to?

Google. Plenty of explanations there.

Is there adifference? the terms ARE interchangeable as you allude, UTR. Not to forget airstrip and landing ground in your search. Only AirPORT connotes an aerodrome serviced by regular public transport aeroplanes..or is that aircraft, or airliners???

Airport: US English.

Airfield: English English.

Aerodrome: English French.

The ICAO Annex and CASR Part 139 only use the term aerodrome. That is what should be used for planning.

I also suggest that your mate look at this: https://infrastructure.gov.au/aviati...ion/index.aspx

and the attached paper.

ICAO definition: Aerodrome. A defined area on land or water (including any buildings, installations and equipment) intended to be used either
wholly or in part for the arrival, departure and surface movement of aircraft.

CASR Part 139 definition: aerodrome has the same meaning as in the Civil Aviation Act 1988.

Civil Aviation Act: aerodrome means an area of land or water (including any buildings, installations and equipment), the use of which as an aerodrome is authorised under the regulations, being such an area intended for use wholly or partly for the arrival, departure or movement of aircraft.

Well good luck arriving at Heathrow Airport on your way to Warton Aerodrome...

Back in the early 70s when I was an ATC cadet we were taught a definition which said:

"An airfield is a place where aircraft might normally take-off and land. An aerodrome is an airfield with explicitly defined runways, usually (but not always) with hard runways rather than or as well as grass ones. An Airport is an airfield or aerodrome where one would be able to get customs and immigration facilities (even if they were not normally resident)".

This all sounded sensible and rational, but I subsequently found out that these definitions were only found in a 1974 ATC Aircrft OOperations Syllabus - they were not accepted in the wider world.

PDR

Like the 'aircraft' and 'aeroplane' definitions.

Earlier connotations were 'field'...and originally they were...all over grass 'fields'..eg Para field, on the flats below the Para Hills.
I remember it well in the good old Tiggie days ! Start up, warm up, taxy out, look for the green light and take off into wind across the greensward in winter or the dusty yellow remnants in summer.

And for the Yanks....Higgins Field...Bamaga WW2. Hoevet Field YMBA WW2
And Horn Island Drome , title on the old WW2 island diagram.
At Iron Range, were 'strips',... Claudie 1 &2, and Gordon's. ( After a local gold miner)

My pet peeve is when the news media announce "New Airport " for an existing facility. This went on for years at Adelaide. The new airport is up and running. What media were referring to was the new Terminal building!

My pet hate is the ‘Americanisation’ of the English language and they call even a grass airfield an ‘Airport’. Just look at Google Maps!:ugh:

In the Australian context I believe an Airport is one with an RPT service/s.

Aerodrome and Airfield are appropriate for other ‘landing grounds’ in my view.

As for. ‘Airplanes’ what ever happened to ‘aeroplane’...? Even Oz media seem to copy the yanks!! Geeez!:ugh:

It pleases me that this upsets you. People who get upset about differences in language between countries deserve to lead unhappy existences. :ok:

Good spiel Rutan,
Apart from the discriminatory aspect of the behavior of Councils, ...and I believe Wagga Aero Club just had a win over the Council re the discrimination aspect of aerodrome charges. Free in the parks and road stops, a charge to park at the airfield.!!
Councils are all about sucking the buck..other peoples !..., so that they can spend it, waste it, and fritter it away ...and just jack up a 'fee' or a 'levy' for the next bite.

Well past time for a fightback and normal rights for aviation individuals.

AOPA please note !!!

Aircraft = anything that is capable of commiting flight
Aeroplane = a fixed wing aircraft.
Helicopter = a rotary wing aircraft.
so on and so on.
Airplane (american) = aeroplane (English)

KITE = Wartime British slang term for any flying machine of the above list.

Aerodrome is greek. Previously, pegasodrome :D

I seem to remember that that the definitions used to be in one of the docs way back, either AIP or RPAs. I can't really find any definition now but according to ICAO an aerodrome is: A defined area on land or water (including any buildings, installations, and equipment) intended to be used either wholly or in part for the arrival, departure, and surface movement of aircraft.
An Airport may be an aerodrome that has achieved a certain stature or certification. All airports are aerodromes, but not all aerodromes are airports.
Airfield and airport have mostly superseded aerodrome in common use.

...and a farm strip is what you might get if have to do a forced landing while the farmer's wife is alone by the haystack.

PDR