SAVING OUR AIRPORTS

[Guest ozzie]

It may be to late for Hoxton and now others are comig under fire this podcast ma have a few good ideas to at least help prevent other airports suffering the save fate in the future.

 

http://www.ultraflightradio.com/impodcast/2008/08/19/ufr080819a.mp3

 

ozzie

 

 

[Guest AerospaceTechnology]

The Australian Govt got serious in destroying Australian aviation from 1989.

 

U.S. aviation has greater 'political clout'

 

The only hope for us here is to convey numbers (votes) but unfortunately it comes down to the lesser of two evils

 

 

[facthunter]

Overall Plan.

 

AT, the real pressure comes from the purchasers who see them as a good investment. and from day one the process is in one direction, ( sell for development ) and they work by getting the right views, (for them) put through local councils. The aerodromes will only survive in the densely populated areas If there is an over-riding PLAN or STIPULATION that they REMAIN as aerodromes into the future. Australia is doing very poorly in this respect, (retention of minor airports) but the same thing happens to Caravan parks(High rates based on what the land would be worth If it had a coastal skyscraper erected on it) and to good farming land near the major cities. Subdivide it and put wall to wall Mcmansions on it. (like Kellyville). Perhaps the real future is to go to the country areas before you have forgotten what clean air smells like , and persuade some local aviation-minded philanthropist to have his/her name forever in history by donating some land for aviation use. You would still have to keep your wits about or some pack of b***tards would do some sneaky deal to pinch it off the town. I feel quite bad about the lack of facilities in the Sydney basin, as I can recall often getting into an Auster (because it was the cheapest) and fly out of Bankstown (an all over field) and go out to Hoxton Park and do some stalls & F/Ls (it was all chook farms then) and breeze out to Camden, where nothing much was happening, except a few tigers being put together by Fawcett aviation, then back to Prospect Reservoir and Bankstown.

 

Realistically, It is hard to imagine how these facilities could be provided in these high-cost areas for any reasonable price, anymore. Maybe the times have moved on. They reckon that Melbourne will grow to 8 million, by 2050. Frightening thought. I thought we were out of water with the current population. Happy flying Nev..

 

 

[Guest airsick]

An email worth sending around to everyone who is concerned about airport access

 

Dear fellow pilot and traveller,

 

As the years go by the rights of pilots are eroded by the closure of airports and the restriction of access to those airports that remain open. This doesn’t just affect those who pilot their own aircraft, it will also result in a decline in numbers of student pilots which means we will have difficulty in finding suitably qualified people to pilot the aircraft used in airline operations. Standards will be lowered, safety will decline, costs will increase and we will be forced to find pilots from other markets outside of Australia. It appears that our calls for some sense in these areas are falling on deaf ears so it is about time we got a little louder.

 

I have written a short passage below highlighting the attitude of airport owners using Terry Snow, the owner of Canberra airport, as an example. He is currently implementing measures that severely restrict access to private aircraft despite the fact that we pay him for the privilege. I am sure other airport owners are watching with interest to see what happens. I urge you to copy the italicised passage below and forward it to the following list of recipients between 6am and 8pm on Tuesday 16 September 2008. It is a simple request, just cut and paste then hit send at the right time. Forward this email to your flying buddies or anyone else that has ever used a plane for work or pleasure and encourage them to do the same. We need to get as many people as possible involved so the message is clear. If you care about your ability to jump in a plane and go flying or just want to be able to book a cheap airfare to Bali then you should care about this too. So put it into your diaries and don’t forget to let the powers that be know that you are fed up.

 

“Terry Snow is restricting access to Canberra airport for GA pilots – this is not an isolated incident, similar restrictions are now in place all over the country and more are being implemented every day. GA pilots are the lifeline of aviation in Australia and the key to addressing pilot shortages in this country. The actions of Mr Snow and people like him are putting the future of aviation in Australia at risk. These issues need to be addressed so aviation can continue to grow and provide services so important to a country like Australia where the vast distances between major centres pose unique challenges to travellers.

 

 

 

Closing airports and restricting access to those few air fields that remain is ensuring smaller numbers of Australians will choose piloting as a career of choice. Please help us stop people like Terry Snow from cutting the throat of one of Australia's most important transport links - aviation.â€

 

Recipient list:

 

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So forward this onto all your associates that you think might care about this issue.

 

And don’t forget to set a reminder in your phone/calendar so you remember to let everyone know we aren’t happy with the way this is panning out!

 

Cheers,

 

One of many disgruntled aviation enthusiasts.