Prior permission to land at Gympie airport
 

The latest En Route Supplement Australia has come out dated 16 August and it now states that prior permission is required to land at Gympie Aerodrome.

Remember, this is an aerodrome that was built under the Australian Government system where about half of the funding came from the Commonwealth – that is, taxpayers from all around Australia. I would imagine this is just the start of councils putting this particular requirement in the ERSA.

It would be interesting to find out if Lead Balloon knows whether they can legally do this. It is a bit like saying if you want to enter the main street of Gympie, please write to us two days before and we may give you approval. It is amazing that our forefathers fought for certain freedoms which seem to be going.

Here is the article covering this in The Australian this morning.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.gmf...7d4d9d2ac4.jpg

What a sure way to drive away any business and recreational use of the airfield.
Council silliness started last year when they decided they 'controlled' the airspace and said they 'banned' night flying and helicopter circuits.
They have paid some large dollars to a consultant to come up with a "Master Plan" so whatever it says must be implemented to justify the dollars.
The council website contains this little pearl of wisdom "Other than rental for hangar sites, there are currently no fees or charges for the Gympie Aerodrome. Council will be introducing fees and charges in the 2018-19 financial year."

I just hope the good citizens of Gympie realise that they may have to wait 3 days for the RFDS or the Rescue Helicopter to seek prior permission before they can medivac them out. The same goes for the firefighting helicopters waiting those 3 days before they can put that fire out.

What is it about councils like Gympie and Busselton that appear such silly and inept organisations when it comes to airports.

It is understood the PPR for Yulara, that is until they actually enlarge the parking area and provide a more useable airport.

CC

Hmm, council paid a "Private" consultant for a "master" plan....
Who was that consultant? what were they paid? what qualifications did they have?what affiliation do they have
with development sharks? What political donations have been made to political parties involved in the council by development sharks?
"Money money money"... makes the world go round, also explains one or two passing strange policies.

Council website says "Council engaged Rehbein Airport Consulting to prepare a Master Plan and Feasibility Study"

REHBEIN Airport Consulting

CC

I can't see how you can possibly arrange prior approval to land somewhere, when you have "an unplanned operational requirement" to go there.

The mayor allegedly proffered the excuse: "it's so we can find out who is using the airfield".

The answer now is "no one'. Which means that the airport site is then slated for redevelopment as commercial or residential purposes as soon as the council can force the tenants out and bulldoze the runway.

Master Plan is here: https://www.gympie.qld.gov.au/docume...ter%20Plan.pdf
REHBEIN are a long established AND REPUTABLE COMPANY
This morning I submitted the PPR form available from the council website and was informed within an hour that one request will be valid for 12 months.
The aerodrome is the property of the council so they can impose conditions on access. It was built by the council with government assistance. Under ALOP they were given $40,000, 26 years ago. Not a lot for continuing maintenance.

Exactly. YBLN has no real desire to foster GA ops at their airport. YBUN on the other hand is very GA friendly and I believe still no landing fees.

As for having to fill out a PPR form for Gympie. If all they want to do is collect some data on what and when the airport is being used, I can think of a couple of low tech, more efficient and less costly methods.

So keep a log of who uses the airport...

While you're at it, put cameras on all the roads into town to find out who is using your streets...

Wheel clamp your aircraft? Have that unreliable tractor unfortunately break down right in front of your aircraft? There's a lot they could do. Then what will you do?

In the remote possibility that someone from the council is present at the same time you are and they are armed with a list of submitted aircraft details with associated permissions to land, provide them with the details they want, point out the "fait accompli" that you have in fact landed safely without their assistance and proceed on your way.

As of yet, there are no landing fees to pay, only a provision for them sometime in the future.

So if you land without prior notice what is the penalty and how do they know that you have been there? If they know then their argument is false.

Why not? It's private property, and they have stipulated the terms of use, and you have ignored them. What do you think all that fine print says on the sign you drive past as you enter a car park? You don't abide by them, and come back to find your car towed away. Boo Hoo.

This is what the consultants report said:

Traffic,
I earnestly suggest you acquaint yourself with the rules about interfering with aircraft, which are quite different to motor vehicle.

The real issue here is the treatment of what is or should be a public user facility (like a local road) as simple private property. As usual, the US situation is instructive, anywhere federal funding has been provided, no matter how small, or long ago, such an airfield must be open to everybody without discrimination.

The untold story, here, is how the then Minister, John Anderson, was literally conned by his department into changing the terms of all the ALOP airfields, to the very great disadvantage of the aviation users. And it was a con, we managed to stop it the first time around, but the second time it sneaked through, to the the everlasting gratefulness of real estate developers on local councils.

Don'y forget, most of these airfields were built with Commonwealth taxpayers money in the first place, NOT local ratepayers money.

I have also noted, over the years, and with notable honourable exceptions, how hard it is to get local users to band together to defend their local airfield, instead of apathy followed by whinging at the result, how about fighting for your interest. Usually it doesn't take much of a campaign to shift the local council, because ratepayers have about as much faith in the honesty and good intentions of their local Councillors as they do in politicians in general.

Tootle pip!!