Okay, it's Mr. Hyde Time
After my last warm fuzzy post about rescuing the Maisie Mouse, it's time for me to switch to dummy spit mode in the forlorn hope of rescuing an historic airfield, namely Parafield (YPPF for those who are interested). Talk is that the airport is to be closed and turned over to property developers, a common fate for small Aussie airports, and with no regard to history. There may be a replacement built in the Port Wakefield area. Whilst developers will probably make a finacial killing with the Parafield land, I wonder who will pay for the Pt. Wakefield replacement - private enterprise or taxpayers? Whichever way, there's a not inconsiderable cost to our heritage.
Parafield airport is part of Australian aviation history. It was established 1927. In its early days, Commercial Aviation (later MacRobertson Miller Airways in W.A.), Adelaide Airways and Guinea Airways operated from Parafield - ancestors of iconic airlines such as the late Ansett. The photo below is courtesy of Parafield Airport Ltd. and shows visitors to a 1934 show parked along Kings Road and around to the Aero Club hangar (later the Royal Aero Club of SA, one of the oldest "Royal" clubs in the world before closing in the 1980s.)
Names familiar to aviation historians are associated with the airfield. Possibly best known would be Charles Kingsford Smith and C.T.P. Ulm who arrived at Parafield on 27th August, 1928, after crossing the Pacific from the USA to Australia in Fokker F.VIIb-3m 'Southern Cross'.
A local regular was James Mollison. Mollison and his wife, Amy (Johnson) Mollison - yes, legendary aviatrix Amy Johnson - flew in the 1934 England-Australia air race in D.H. 88 Comet G-ACSP 'Black Magic'. Amy Johnson herself arrived in Adelaide, at Morphettville Race Course, after a solo flight from England on 28th June 1930, escorted by three Aero Club Moths.
In August 1929 Parafield was officially opened as "Adelaide Airport" by the Governor of South Australia, and it remained Adelaide's airport until the new facility at West Beach (YPAD) opened in 1955.
West Australian Airways two DH Hercules airliners arrived at Parafield on 29th May, 1929, on their inaugural flights on the Perth-Adelaide route, an immense distance by air at the time. The following January, Eyre Peninsula Airways Ltd. began a service from Adelaide to Broken Hill, NSW, with James Mollison as the first pilot.
Local lad C.J. ('Jimmy') Melrose landed at Parafield on 12 August, 1934, after his record-setting solo flight around Australia. On October 21st, he left Parafield for England, setting another record when he landed at Croydon after eight days and nine hours. Melrose then became the youngest entry in the MacRobertson Trophy Race of 1934, flying solo, and the only Australian entrant to finish.
In 1936 Australian National Airways Pty. Ltd. (A.N.A.), incorporating Adelaide Airways Ltd., West Australian Airways, and Holymans Airways, began passenger services between Parafield and Perth, WA, Melbourne, Vic., Sydney, NSW and to various S.A. country centres.
During its career Parafield served the RAAF, and was the arrival point for a royal visit when a giant Lockheed Constellation, the "Jumbo" of its day, landed there with Their Highnesses.
Today's Parafield (a composite of my photos is above) includes hangars on the east side dating from around 1927 and used by West Australian Airways, Guinea Airways and ANA, and along the south apron, large hangars used during WW2.
From its very beginning, families travelled miles to see the aeroplanes at Parafield, especially when an air show was on. As a kid, I and friends pedalled bikes out there just to enjoy the view, and I have been to several air displays there, and regularly visited the excellent Classic Jets Fighter Museum on the grounds. My own shots show (above) Victa Airtourers and DH Chipmunks on the east apron in the 1960s and (below) a view from the north when I flew in an old Auster to Port Pirie in the 1970s. I've flown from Parafield a number of times, the first time in a DC-3 to Melbourne when I was five, and most recently in June 2006 (see "Adelaide Flight 19 June 2006", below, or via this link which opens in a new tab or window).
In 2004 a master plan for Parafield airport was approved by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport and Regional Services, to "ensure that Parafield Airport continues to be a vital pilot training facility and general aviation airport." (I see now - 2010 - an expansion plan for the airfield has been rejected.)
It's not just a training and GA airport, it's also Adelaide's secondary airport. In 2006 funding to the extent of millions of dollars was allocated for airport security (the government link is now dead, but this one mentions 2009 allocations), at which time the Minister for Transport and Regional Services said "the Australian Government recognises the importance of aviation to regional communities such as Parafield Airport." The security measures resulted in clearing established trees, putting in cameras and erecting a high security fence between landside and airside. Between the investment in security and that recognition of its importance, one has to wonder if a politician's word - and their fiscal responsibility - has any value if they sit back and let the airport go in the name of private-sector profit.
Meanwhile, in an ill-written petition, some local residents complained about environmental issues resulting from what they considered unnecessary operations at the airport - such as flight training. The airport is not rated for jets - one which operated there had to get special dispensation and the most intrusive machines commonly seen would be twin turboprops, but small pistons are the daily traffic. My old pet argument - if you are happy to get cheaper housing because it's near an airport, and you are happy to buy it cheap, knowing full well that airports have aircraft, why complain?
On the other hand local traders in 2006 expressed concern about competition from any commercial development at the site. Whilst the trend is for major domestic and international airports to have associated business precincts, YPPF is not quite that class. It does arguably have relevance to some related commerce and to the local defence industry. Moving further out merely makes access by those services a tad more remote. It will make a difference to the actual airport users and to things like the Museum and on-airport businesses.
Primarily, my own personal concern is that someone sees profit to be made from the land. It happens everywhere. The thing is, if some patch of land is of heritage value to some group, activists gets up on their hind legs and block the move, regardless of competing commercial interests. It's probably time some of us ordinary common Aussies demanded similar rights and had our heritage sites recognised and preserved.
Parafield airport is part of Australian aviation history. It was established 1927. In its early days, Commercial Aviation (later MacRobertson Miller Airways in W.A.), Adelaide Airways and Guinea Airways operated from Parafield - ancestors of iconic airlines such as the late Ansett. The photo below is courtesy of Parafield Airport Ltd. and shows visitors to a 1934 show parked along Kings Road and around to the Aero Club hangar (later the Royal Aero Club of SA, one of the oldest "Royal" clubs in the world before closing in the 1980s.)
Names familiar to aviation historians are associated with the airfield. Possibly best known would be Charles Kingsford Smith and C.T.P. Ulm who arrived at Parafield on 27th August, 1928, after crossing the Pacific from the USA to Australia in Fokker F.VIIb-3m 'Southern Cross'.
A local regular was James Mollison. Mollison and his wife, Amy (Johnson) Mollison - yes, legendary aviatrix Amy Johnson - flew in the 1934 England-Australia air race in D.H. 88 Comet G-ACSP 'Black Magic'. Amy Johnson herself arrived in Adelaide, at Morphettville Race Course, after a solo flight from England on 28th June 1930, escorted by three Aero Club Moths.
In August 1929 Parafield was officially opened as "Adelaide Airport" by the Governor of South Australia, and it remained Adelaide's airport until the new facility at West Beach (YPAD) opened in 1955.
West Australian Airways two DH Hercules airliners arrived at Parafield on 29th May, 1929, on their inaugural flights on the Perth-Adelaide route, an immense distance by air at the time. The following January, Eyre Peninsula Airways Ltd. began a service from Adelaide to Broken Hill, NSW, with James Mollison as the first pilot.
Local lad C.J. ('Jimmy') Melrose landed at Parafield on 12 August, 1934, after his record-setting solo flight around Australia. On October 21st, he left Parafield for England, setting another record when he landed at Croydon after eight days and nine hours. Melrose then became the youngest entry in the MacRobertson Trophy Race of 1934, flying solo, and the only Australian entrant to finish.
In 1936 Australian National Airways Pty. Ltd. (A.N.A.), incorporating Adelaide Airways Ltd., West Australian Airways, and Holymans Airways, began passenger services between Parafield and Perth, WA, Melbourne, Vic., Sydney, NSW and to various S.A. country centres.
During its career Parafield served the RAAF, and was the arrival point for a royal visit when a giant Lockheed Constellation, the "Jumbo" of its day, landed there with Their Highnesses.
Today's Parafield (a composite of my photos is above) includes hangars on the east side dating from around 1927 and used by West Australian Airways, Guinea Airways and ANA, and along the south apron, large hangars used during WW2.
From its very beginning, families travelled miles to see the aeroplanes at Parafield, especially when an air show was on. As a kid, I and friends pedalled bikes out there just to enjoy the view, and I have been to several air displays there, and regularly visited the excellent Classic Jets Fighter Museum on the grounds. My own shots show (above) Victa Airtourers and DH Chipmunks on the east apron in the 1960s and (below) a view from the north when I flew in an old Auster to Port Pirie in the 1970s. I've flown from Parafield a number of times, the first time in a DC-3 to Melbourne when I was five, and most recently in June 2006 (see "Adelaide Flight 19 June 2006", below, or via this link which opens in a new tab or window).
In 2004 a master plan for Parafield airport was approved by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport and Regional Services, to "ensure that Parafield Airport continues to be a vital pilot training facility and general aviation airport." (I see now - 2010 - an expansion plan for the airfield has been rejected.)
It's not just a training and GA airport, it's also Adelaide's secondary airport. In 2006 funding to the extent of millions of dollars was allocated for airport security (the government link is now dead, but this one mentions 2009 allocations), at which time the Minister for Transport and Regional Services said "the Australian Government recognises the importance of aviation to regional communities such as Parafield Airport." The security measures resulted in clearing established trees, putting in cameras and erecting a high security fence between landside and airside. Between the investment in security and that recognition of its importance, one has to wonder if a politician's word - and their fiscal responsibility - has any value if they sit back and let the airport go in the name of private-sector profit.
Meanwhile, in an ill-written petition, some local residents complained about environmental issues resulting from what they considered unnecessary operations at the airport - such as flight training. The airport is not rated for jets - one which operated there had to get special dispensation and the most intrusive machines commonly seen would be twin turboprops, but small pistons are the daily traffic. My old pet argument - if you are happy to get cheaper housing because it's near an airport, and you are happy to buy it cheap, knowing full well that airports have aircraft, why complain?
On the other hand local traders in 2006 expressed concern about competition from any commercial development at the site. Whilst the trend is for major domestic and international airports to have associated business precincts, YPPF is not quite that class. It does arguably have relevance to some related commerce and to the local defence industry. Moving further out merely makes access by those services a tad more remote. It will make a difference to the actual airport users and to things like the Museum and on-airport businesses.
Primarily, my own personal concern is that someone sees profit to be made from the land. It happens everywhere. The thing is, if some patch of land is of heritage value to some group, activists gets up on their hind legs and block the move, regardless of competing commercial interests. It's probably time some of us ordinary common Aussies demanded similar rights and had our heritage sites recognised and preserved.
posted by DadB | 4:56 PM
1 Comments:
"OvO" NO WAI!
I didn't know it was going anywhere!
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