Bathurst Airport is an airport serving

Bathurst, New South Wales Bathurst () is a city in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. Bathurst is about 200 kilometres (120 mi) west-northwest of Sydney and is the seat of the Bathurst Regional Council. Bathurst is the oldest inland settlement in ...

, Australia. Located in the

Central Tablelands The Central Tablelands in New South Wales is a geographic area that lies between the Sydney Metropolitan Area and the Central Western Slopes and Plains. The Great Dividing Range passes in a north–south direction through the Central Tablelands ...

, Bathurst Airport is served by one airline,

FlyPelican Pelican Airlines Pty Ltd, operating as FlyPelican, is an Australian regional airline. It initially operated air charter services and subsequently commenced scheduled flights on 1 June 2015. The airline is based in Newcastle in New South Wales. ...

. The airport's history dates to just prior the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

when local politicians campaigned for an airport for Bathurst. The war prompted the Federal Government to establish the aerodrome during the war years, immediately following the war commercial air services commenced with passenger flights to Sydney. Today several flying schools operate at the airport and it is used frequently by trainee pilots during their navigation training. It is a popular destination for many pilots, mostly trainee pilots from

Bankstown Bankstown is a suburb south west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is 16 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is located in the local government area of the City of Canterbury-Bankstown, hav ...

and Camden Airports in the Sydney Basin. The airport has two primary runways: one sealed and one brown gravel (with large grass area either side of gravel). The airport also has one secondary runway used for glider traffic. The sealed runway, taxiway and apron have lighting facilities which are pilot-activated. There were 8,000 landings in 2010 which included recreational flying, business jets, charters, regular passenger flights, emergency services, and Air Force flights. The airport is owned, managed and maintained by the Bathurst Regional Council.

Facilities

Navigational aids *

Automatic weather station An automatic weather station (AWS) is an automated version of the traditional weather station, either to save human labour or to enable measurements from remote areas. An AWS will typically consist of a weather-proof enclosure containing the data ...

* Non Directional Beacon Radio Transmitter (NDB) * Aerodrome Frequency Response Unit "Beep Back" (frequency identifying Bathurst Airport) * Private aircraft hangars * Air conditioned passenger terminal * Unrestricted car park (security video surveillance) *

Public transport Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typi ...

–

taxi stand A taxicab stand (also called taxi rank, cab stand, taxi stand, cab rank, or hack stand) is a queue area on a street or on private property where taxicabs line up to wait for passengers. Operation Stands are normally located at high-traffic loc ...

History

On 2 December 1920 (predating the airport's opening) one of the earliest flights to land in Bathurst arrived with mail from Sydney. The aircraft, owned by the Bathurst Aviation Service Company, landed on a paddock at Kelso. 17 years later, in July 1937, General Air Transport commenced a weekly freight service transporting fresh fish from Nowra to Bathurst. This weekly flight landed in a paddock near to town and the lack of an aerodrome for Bathurst was noted in correspondence relating to this new air freight service. The airport's history starts between 1937 and 1939 when the municipal council investigated several sites considered suitable for an

aerodrome An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publ ...

. What finally forced the federal government to act on a site was the Second World War; in 1942 a military airfield was opened at Raglan to take overflow traffic and aircraft parking from the overcrowded Richmond Air Base in Sydney's west. A chronological list of events that document the development of the airport is below: *1945: First Groundsman appointed and

Ben Chifley Joseph Benedict Chifley (; 22 September 1885 – 13 June 1951) was an Australian politician who served as the 16th prime minister of Australia from 1945 to 1949. He held office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 1945, follow ...

(MP) assisted council with representations that Bathurst Aerodrome should be used for civil air services. *1946: Officially opened as a civil airfield on 14 December 1946 by Prime Minister Ben Chifley. No facilities or services were yet provided. *1946: First regular commercial passenger flights commenced by Butler Air Transport Pty. Ltd. on 16 December. *1947: Butler Air Transport Pty. Ltd. used a

DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper version ...

aircraft named ''Warrumbungle'' on the service to Bathurst, previously used in wartime service. Air fare £1 10s. *1948: Representations were made to the Minister for Air to secure land alongside the aerodrome for aero club training purposes, a shelter shed and other buildings. *1952: New buildings erected at the aerodrome and council agrees to the connect water supply. *1953: Radio navigational aids installed, and minor improvements to the shelter shed. *1954: Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

arrives by plane at Bathurst Aerodrome. *1954–55: A local 'Air Safety Committee' was formed to act as observers and to arrange assistance for pilots in difficulty. *1956: Approach made to the Minister for Civil Aviation seeking lighting of Raglan Aerodrome, and lengthening of the runway to take

Vickers Viscount The Vickers Viscount is a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs. A design requirement from the Brabazon Committee, it entered service in 1953 and was the first turboprop-powered airliner. The Vi ...

passenger planes. *1956–57: Representations to the

Postmaster-General's Department The Postmaster-General's Department (PMG) was a department of the Australian federal government, established at Federation in 1901, whose responsibilities included the provision of postal and telegraphic services throughout Australia. It was ...

to have a public telephone installed at the aerodrome – application was rejected. *1957: The ATC Hut was officially opened and the Bathurst Aero Club dropped leaflets from aircraft over the city, advertising joy flights. *1959: In December the Government of Australia transferred the aerodrome to City of Bathurst. The runway at that time was an unsealed pavement, and the aerodrome was situated in the Turon Shire. *1963: Landing charges proposed. *1963: Airlines of New South Wales introduced

Fokker F27 Friendship The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner developed and manufactured by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker. It is the most numerous post-war aircraft manufactured in the Netherlands; the F27 was also one of the most successful Eur ...

aeroplanes. *1964: New terminal building completed with Airlines of N.S.W. the first tenant, airport lighting now installed. Airlines of N.S.W. were operating a morning and an evening flight each way to Bathurst, then on to

Parkes Parkes may refer to: * Sir Henry Parkes (1815–1896), Australian politician, one of the earliest and most prominent advocates for Australian federation Named for Henry Parkes * Parkes, New South Wales, a regional town * Parkes Observatory, a radi ...

, using a Fokker Friendship aircraft. *1967: Submissions sent to the

Department of Civil Aviation A civil aviation authority (CAA) is a national or supranational statutory authority that oversees the regulation of civil aviation, including the maintenance of an aircraft register. Role Due to the inherent dangers in the use of flight vehicles, ...

for a new taxiway to access the hangar area and an apron for light aircraft, and Airlines of N.S.W. stops its service to Bathurst and East West Airlines commences services. *1967: Aerodrome closes for 11 months to allow reconstruction of the runway. *1969: BP Australia hosts the BP Australia Air Race for home built aircraft and the entrance road is named the PJ Moodie Memorial Drive. *1972:

Air ambulance Air medical services is a comprehensive term covering the use of air transportation, aeroplane or helicopter, to move patients to and from healthcare facilities and accident scenes. Personnel provide comprehensive prehospital and emergency and cri ...

services commenced operations. *1973: East West Airlines reports 16,348 total one-way passengers for 1973. *1974: Groundsman's Cottage constructed. *1977: A bus service was introduced by East West Airlines between the city and airport for passengers and freight. *1979: Runway resealed. *1981: The Southern Cross Air Race to Melbourne commenced from Bathurst Aerodrome. *1987: The basic structure for a

control tower Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airs ...

was erected at the aerodrome by Council and others for the 1987 October Car Races *1993: Runway resealed. *1994: The aircraft apron was extended. *2001: 12 September 2001,

Hazelton Airlines Hazelton Air Services Pty Limited, trading as Hazelton Airlines, was an Australian regional airline which operated until 2001. It was established as an independent airline but by the end of its existence had become a subsidiary of Ansett Australi ...

parent company, Ansett, closes down and all Hazelton flights are temporarily suspended, recommencing several weeks later on a reduced service. *2002: Rex Group took over services to Bathurst from the Administrator operated Hazelton Airlines on 1 August 2002. *2010: Regional Express Airlines report carrying 24,000 passengers per year from Bathurst. *2011: New runway lighting and

Precision approach path indicator A precision approach path indicator (PAPI) is a visual aid that provides guidance information to help a pilot to acquire and maintain the correct approach (in the vertical plane) to an airport or an aerodrome. It is generally located on the left- ...

installed on runway 17/35 including backup power supply – original runway lighting installed in 1960s. The local PJ Moodie Bathurst Aero Club and the PJ Moodie Memorial Drive into the airport facilities are memorials to Alderman PJ Moodie who campaigned constantly for an airfield to be built at Bathurst.

Airline and destination

Regional Express

Rex Airlines Regional Express Pty. Ltd., trading as Rex Airlines (and as Regional Express Airlines on regional routes), is an Australian airline based in Mascot, New South Wales. It operates scheduled regional and domestic services. It is Australia's larg ...

flew Bathurst to Sydney twice weekly (return) until 30 June 2022. At its peak, services previously operated up to three times daily. The airline also formerly operated flights three times weekly between Bathurst and Parkes. Regional Express is based in

Wagga Wagga Wagga Wagga (; informally called Wagga) is a major regional city in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, with an urban population of more than 56,000 as of June 2018, Wagga Wagga is the state's la ...

with its major NSW hub in Sydney. REX flew

Saab 340 The Saab 340 is a Swedish twin-engine turboprop aircraft designed and initially produced by Saab AB and Fairchild Aircraft. It is designed to seat 30-36 passengers and, as of July 2018, there were 240 operational aircraft used by 34 different o ...

, 34 seat turboprop aircraft on the Bathurst route.

Charter air services

Several companies provide charter services from the Bathurst Airport including Panorama Airways and Smartair.

Bathurst Aero Club

Bathurst Aero Club is a social club and training business founded in 1938 which has a club house beside the passenger terminal. The club has regular fly days and cross country excursions.

Flying Training

Several flying schools operate from the Bathurst Regional Airport, including Learn 2 Fly (18fifty3), Panair Panorama Airways and Ward Air.

Australian Air Force Cadets

No. 328 Squadron of Number 3 Wing

Australian Air Force Cadets The Australian Air Force Cadets (AAFC), known as the ''Air Training Corps (AIRTC)'' until 2001, is a Federal Government funded youth organisation. The parent force of the AAFC is the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Along with the Australia ...

(AAFC) is based at the Bathurst Regional Airport. Parades and training sessions are held in rooms located in the Airport grounds. Squadrons from around NSW converge on Bathurst for gliding training during school holidays at four, two-week gliding courses each year operating primarily on the grass 17/35 strip and the grass on either side of the gravel 08/26 runway.

Accidents and Incidents

*7 November 2008 – a Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain crashed shortly after takeoff, the aircraft attempted a return to the airport but crashed short of the runway. The aircraft was flying from Moorabin in Victoria to

Port Macquarie Port Macquarie is a coastal town in the local government area of Port Macquarie-Hastings. It is located on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, about north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. The town is located on the Tasman Sea c ...

with a refuelling stop at Bathurst. Four people were killed. *5 October 2006 – a

BAC Strikemaster The BAC 167 Strikemaster is a British jet-powered training and light attack aircraft. It was a development of the Hunting Jet Provost trainer, itself a jet engined version of the Percival Provost, which originally flew in 1950 with a radial pi ...

aircraft took off from Bathurst, for a 25-minute adventure flight with one passenger. The flight was to include high level aerobatics and a low level simulated attack routine. Two persons were killed when the aircraft broke up north east of Bathurst. Separation of the right wing was precipitated by pre-existing fatigue cracking in the right wing upper main spar attachment lug. *31 May 1974 – East West Airlines Flight 752/753, operated by a Fokker F-27, was scheduled to fly from Sydney to

Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

, Bathurst and back to Sydney. The flight was uneventful until approach to Bathurst; the first officer made a late decision to change from landing on runway 17 to runway 35 due to a light shower in the approach path. On late final the aircraft drifted to the left of the runway centreline and with rain increasing and moderate turbulence the pilot ordered a

go-around In aviation, a go-around is an aborted landing of an aircraft that is on final approach or has already touched down. A go-around can either be initiated by the pilot flying or requested by air traffic control for various reasons, such as an unst ...

just prior to the runway threshold. The aircraft impacted the runway past the runway 35 threshold and slid on the ground for tearing the starboard engine from the wing. It was determined following investigation that during the climb, performance of the aircraft was adversely affected by an unpredictable encounter with a large change in the horizontal wind component, and an associated

downdraft In meteorology, an updraft is a small-scale current of rising air, often within a cloud. Overview Localized regions of warm or cool air will exhibit vertical movement. A mass of warm air will typically be less dense than the surrounding region, ...

, at a height too low to effect recovery. There were no serious injuries, but the aircraft was written off.

References

External links

Official site
* {{Airports in New South Wales Airports in New South Wales Bathurst, New South Wales Airports established in 1946