Caboolture Airfield
Caboolture Airport | |||||||||||||||
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AMSL 40 ft / 12 m | | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 27°04.6′S 152°59.2′E / 27.0767°S 152.9867°E | ||||||||||||||
| Website | www.cabooltureaeroclub.com.au | ||||||||||||||
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  YCAB Location of airport in Queensland | |||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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Caboolture Airfield is an
History and overview
An airstrip was first established at Caboolture prior to 1965 by Norman Douglas Thurecht who would later be a founding member of the Redcliffe Aero Club, after being denied permission to construct an airport at the present site of the Redcliffe Aerodrome owing to a lack of radar coverage in an area with close proximity to the busy Archerfield and Eagle Farm airports serving the city of Brisbane. Following the construction of Redcliffe Aerodrome, the Caboolture airstrip was abandoned and its operations moved to the new facility.[1]
The present site of Caboolture Airfield is held by lease from the Queensland Government to Caboolture Aero Club. The Moreton Bay Regional Council acts as custodian of the land on behalf of the Queensland Government. Since its inception, the Caboolture Aero Club has owned and operated the site. The Brisbane Valley Gliding Club began operating from the airfield circa 1990, with the club changing its name to Caboolture Gliding Club in May 1991 and establishing its main base at Caboolture.[2]
The current lease arrangement for the airfield land is due to expire in 2034.
Operations
The primary user of the airport is the Caboolture Aero Club, however several other flying clubs also are based at the field. These include the Caboolture Gliding Club[3] and Caboolture Microlights, a Recreational Aviation Australia accredited flight training organisation.[4] Fixed wing and helicopter flight training is available onsite through several providers including Airwork Helicopters, Aero Dynamic Flight Academy and Caboolture Recreational Aviation.
In addition to general aviation, recreational and flight training users, the airport is a popular facility for the servicing and restoration of vintage aircraft. A number of organisations operate from Caboolture, including the Australian Aviation Heritage Centre (Queensland) Incorporated (formerly the Beaufort Restoration Group),[5] and Complete Aircraft Care. The vintage aviation community has attracted fly-ins and airshow events to the airport, notably hosting the Queensland Vintage Aeroplane Group's Festival of Flight in 2001 and 2011.
The airfield is also home to the Caboolture Warplane and Heritage Museum. Included in their display is a collection of warbird and other vintage aircraft in flying condition. Currently, the collection includes a P-51D Mustang, SNJ and Winjeel as well as a French built World War I Nieuport 17 fighter, as well as displays of aviation memorabilia and aircraft engines.[6]
Near the warplane museum is The Australian Vintage Aviation Society (TAVAS) Aviation Museum.[7]
Airport facilities
The airfield has two grass runways, both of which operate with a
While the airport charges no landing fees for visiting aircraft, a number of hazards exist which make Caboolture challenging for pilots who are unfamiliar with the facilities. Significant bird and wildlife hazards exist on the runways,[9] due in part to the airfield not being fenced and in close proximity to a landfill site. During periods of heavy rain, the unsealed taxiways are prone to becoming waterlogged with a possibility of aircraft becoming bogged.[8]
Accidents and incidents
- On 1 October 2012, vintage instrument flight and "... the pilot radioed air traffic control (ATC) and requested navigation assistance, advising that the aircraft was in cloud." They found that: "With no or limited visual references available in and near cloud, it would have been very difficult for the pilot to maintain control of the aircraft. After maintaining control in such conditions for about an hour, and being unable to navigate away from the mountain range, the pilot most likely became spatially disoriented and lost control of the aircraft before it impacted the ground."[10]
- On 22 March 2014, a Cessna 206 belonging to Adrenalin Skydivers crashed shortly after take-off and caught fire, killing the five occupants on board.[11][12]
- On 28 July 2023 a privately owned
Gallery
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Caboolture Airport from the western approach (2021). -
Taxi lane (2021). -
OldRoyal Flying Doctor Service VH-FDU 'George Simpson' de Havilland Australia DHA-3 Mk.3a Droveraircraft (2021). -
Caribou A4-228 at the airport (2021).
See also
- Queensland Air Museum, Caloundra
References
- ^ "Our History". Redcliffe Aero Club. Archived from the original on 10 April 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
- ^ "CGC - History". Glidingcaboolture.org.au. Archived from the original on 10 April 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
- ^ "Caboolture Gliding Club - Home Page". Glidingcaboolture.org.au. Archived from the original on 2 May 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
- ^ "Caboolture Microlights - ultralight trike flying school and club in Queensland". Caboolturemicrolights.info. 19 April 2013. Archived from the original on 29 May 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
- ^ "Welcome to Australian Aviation Heritage Centre Qld Inc". www.aahcqld.org.au. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
- ^ Museum, Caboolture Warplane. "Museum". Caboolture Warplane Museum. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
- ^ "TAVAS | Aircraft Collection | Early Aviation Museum". tavas.com.au. Archived from the original on 27 March 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
- ^ a b "Airfield Details". Cabaeroclub.org.au. Archived from the original on 20 April 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ "Investigation: AO-2012-130 - Collision with terrain involving de Havilland DH-84 Dragon, VH-UXG, 36 km SW of Gympie, Queensland on 1 October 2012". Atsb.gov.au. 19 December 2013. Archived from the original on 22 March 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
- ^ "Five dead as skydiving flight crashes and burns at Caboolture airfield". The Sunday Mail. Queensland. 22 March 2014. Archived from the original on 22 March 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
- ^ Anthony Gough; Kay Dibben; Thomas Chamberlin. "Investigation: AO-2014-053 - Collision with terrain involving Cessna U206G, VH-FRT, Caboolture Airfield, Qld on 22 March 2014". Atsb.gov.au. Archived from the original on 23 March 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
- ^ "Couple killed in Caboolture Airfield plane crash identified as David and Jan Maddern". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
- ^ "Mid-air collision involving Jabiru J430, VH-EDJ, and Piper PA-25-235, VH-SPA, at Caboolture Airfield, Queensland on 28 July 2023". Australian Transport Safety Bureau. Australian Transport Safety Bureau. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
External links
