Civvie use of Military Airfields

[Jerry_Atrick]

11 hours ago, Ironpot said:

Is there any other place in the world where a civvy you can be no 2 to a F16?

Not F16s, but at RNAS Yeovilton you can fly in with PPR and they have F35s now (in days gone by Harriers were the go). So in theory, you could be #2 behind one...

 

 

[danny_galaga]

I learnt to fly at Darwin international. Can't get much more military then that! Sometimes you be in a circuit and Todd see two FA 18s take off together. Or your have to do orbits while a 747 landed. Certainly an experience but you don't get many touch n goes in an hour on a 3300 metre runway 😄

[RossK]

11 hours ago, danny_galaga said:

Certainly an experience but you don't get many touch n goes in an hour on a 3300 metre runway 😄

Should be able to get at least 5 sequential touch and go's on a 3300m runway 🤣

[Old Koreelah]

17 hours ago, danny_galaga said:

I learnt to fly at Darwin international. Can't get much more military then that! Sometimes you be in a circuit and Todd see two FA 18s take off together. Or your have to do orbits while a 747 landed. Certainly an experience but you don't get many touch n goes in an hour on a 3300 metre runway 😄

 But wait, there’s more! 
There is a persistent rumour that Darwin airport was selected as a possible Space Shuttle landing strip, there being room for 5km without crossing a road.

[pmccarthy]

9 minutes ago, Old Koreelah said:

 But wait, there’s more! 
There is a persistent rumour that Darwin airport was selected as a possible Space Shuttle landing strip, there being room for 5km without crossing a road.

Its a bit late for that now!

[danny_galaga]

3 hours ago, Old Koreelah said:

 But wait, there’s more! 
There is a persistent rumour that Darwin airport was selected as a possible Space Shuttle landing strip, there being room for 5km without crossing a road.

I think it was plausible. It's as simple as it being at the time the longest runway in the southern hemisphere and the us military were on friendly terms with Australia. Also it is RAAF property so if a shuttle did have to land at Darwin it would have been readily secured.

 

Dunno about 5km. Maybe if you count every metre of grass either end. Also there wasn't much civilian infrastructure either end. A few houses and then the sea at one end and some bushland at the other. 

[KRviator]

IIRC Darwin and Amberley were 'officially' emergency landing sites for the Shuttle program, with various other abort sites specified depending on the mission.

 

And to keep this on topic: Anyone landed at Point Cook in the last coue years? Did you have any problems getting authorization from Ronny? Where did they park you?

[facthunter]

Pt Cook has been a pretty security orientated place for a long time. I don't quite know why. They were going to close it down and  I kicked some money in, in a past life to keep it there. Me and many others. I think it's about the oldest  continually open place of a military aerodrome. Nev