Lake Macquarie Airport
Lake Macquarie Airport | |||||||||||
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Coordinates | 33°04′00″S 151°38′54″E / 33.06667°S 151.64833°E | ||||||||||
Website | lakemacquarieairport | ||||||||||
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Runways | |||||||||||
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Lake Macquarie Airport (
History
An airfield located between the suburbs of Swansea and Belmont was first proposed by local resident Keith Hilder, who intended to develop the site to host a flying school and air charter service. Approval was granted by the Department of Civil Aviation in 1962, with construction of a sealed runway and control tower completed by 1968. Although the site was already constrained, local residents opposed any expansion of the airport that would allow longer runways and expanded passenger services using larger aircraft.[3]
For most of its history, the airfield functioned as the base for Aeropelican Air Services formed by Hilder in 1971.[3] Aeropelican operated commuter flights to and from Sydney using DHC-6 Twin Otters. Once these services were withdrawn in 2006, the airfield was sold to the Mirvac Group for $5.5 million in 2008.[4]
There were a number of attempts to restore the airport as an aviation facility following the withdrawal of Aeropelican, particularly with the closure and redevelopment of Cooranbong Airport, another privately owned airfield located to the west of Lake Macquarie.[5] At the time of the 2008 sale, the Central Coast Aero Club was reported to have struck a deal with Mirvac to purchase the airport as a base of operations in exchange for the redevelopment of Warnervale Airport, owned by the club.[4] This deal did not eventuate.
In 2013, a consortium represented by Skyline Aviation Group and
Redevelopment
In July 2014, negotiations led by Airborne Windsports, Matt Hall Racing, Skyline Aviation Group, Anthony Penn Boucaut and a private investor concluded successfully, with airport upgrade works planned to commence immediately.[9]
Construction of a $5.5 million aeromedical base for use by New South Wales Ambulance and the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service was completed in 2017. Lake Macquarie City Council approved construction of a number of hangars (including office space and pilot's briefing rooms), as well as a two-storey terminal building with a cafe or restaurant in August 2018,[10] although as of January 2022, little progress had been made on these works. Further planned improvements include extended taxiways, additional car parking and on-site accommodation for visiting pilots.[11]
Airport facilities
The airfield has a single runway 07/25, 880 m (2,890 ft) long with a sealed bitumen surface, although the available takeoff and landing distances are shorter and there is a displaced threshold to allow sufficient clearance over the Pacific Highway, at the eastern end of the runway. As of 2020, there was no runway lighting or fuel facility available at Lake Macquarie Airport. Pilots utilise a
Operations
Current operations include aeromedical retrieval and search and rescue services across northern
See also
References
- ^ a b YLMQ – Lake Macquarie Airport (PDF). AIP En Route Supplement from Airservices Australia, effective 13 June 2024
- Aviation Safety Network
- ^ a b "Aeropelican Airport". Lake Macquarie City Library.
- ^ NBN Television. 4 July 2008. Archived from the originalon 1 January 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
- ^ Patrick, Arthur (18 April 2012). "The Cooranbong Airport and Adventist Aviation". Adventiststudies.
- The Newcastle Herald.
- Lake Macquarie City Council. 11 March 2013.
- The Newcastle Herald.
- ^ "Clean-up of Belmont airport to take flight soon". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 1 July 2014.
- ^ a b "Lake Macquarie Airport expanding". Hunter Business Review. 27 August 2018.
- The Newcastle Herald. 11 July 2018.
- ^ "General Procedures". Lake Macquarie Airport. July 2020.
- Lake Macquarie City Council. 21 February 2011.
- ^ "Media Release – $5.5 million Belmont Rescue Helicopter Base Opened". 1 July 2017.
- ^ "Newcastle, here we come!". Skydive the Beach and Beyond. 17 November 2014.