Ballarat Airport

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ballarat Airport
IATA: N/A – ICAO: YBLT
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator City of Ballarat
Location Ballarat, Victoria
Elevation AMSL 1,433 ft / 437 m
Coordinates 37°30′42″S 143°47′28″E / -37.51167, 143.79111
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
05/23 1,265 4,150 Asphalt
13/31 568 1,864 Grass
18/36 1,245 4,085 Asphalt

Ballarat Airport (ICAO: YBLT) is located Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.

The Ballarat Aero Club, Field Air and MAF-Air Services are located here along with the Ballarat Aviation Museum and the Anson Museum.

Contents

[edit] History

Pilot Training was first offered on the Ballarat Common in 1914-15. In 1934 the airport was formalised with a tin hangar being constructed. In 1940 the site was resumed by the Commonwealth of Australia and a RAAF Base known as Empire Air Training Scheme No 1 Wireless Air Gunner's School was established (EATS 1 WAGS). The hangar on site was relocated to the Commonwealth Flax Mill and 4 Bellman Hangar and numerous P hut buildings were established on site.

The WAGS operated until 1945. Unlike many other EATS sites the RAAF retained the base as its Radio School until 1961. The then Shire of Ballarat negotiated with the Department of Interior to become the civil operator of the airfield and sought the maintenance on site of the hangars and other structures however a majority of the P Huts were sold by the Commonwealth. [1]

In 2006 the aerodrome was recommended for listing on the Victorian Heritage Register due to its ability to illustrate the Empire Air Training Scheme in Victoria. The site was included on the register on 27 July 2007

During its operation as a WAGS the wireless operators were majority trained in panel vans and Wackett airplanes.

The aerodrome continues to perform an important role in emergency services operation, civial operation, flight training and as accommodation for many community groups and organisations.

[edit] Heritage Information

[edit] Empire Air Training Scheme information

The Empire Air Training Scheme operated in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Rhodesia . Initially the aim of the program was to undertake initial training in Australia with advanced training to occur in Canada. In 1941 the program was expanded to increase specialist training in Australia as it was considered that “many recruits were having difficulty with the twentyone lessons. From that time an extra four-week educational course was added to the eight weeks of instruction at ITS for pilots and gunners and to the four week course presented to wireless operator air gunners ”. [2]

The training was seen as long an arduous with 2 months in ITS plus: 3 months for pilots and navigators 2 months for wireless operator air gunners and 2 months for air gunners [3]

In all Victoria had 12 EATS schools representing all areas of training with the exception of air observers. The schools were: • Bairnsdale –General Reconnaissance School • Ballarat – Wireless Air Gunnery School • Benalla – Elementary Flying Training School, Central Gunnery School • Cressy - General Reconnaissance School • Essendon - Elementary Flying Training School • Laverton (Williams) General Reconnaissance School • Mildura – Operational Training Unit • Nhill – Air Navigation School • Point Cook (Williams) – Central Flying School, General Reconnaissance School • Sale East– Central Gunnery School • Sale West – Bombing and Gunnery School, Air Gunnery School • Somers – Initial Training School

[edit] External links

[edit] References

Shire of Ballarat History

[edit] Images

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Ballarat Airport - City of Ballarat
  2. ^ [McCarthy, John, Last Call to Empire p38.]
  3. ^ [ McCarthy, John, Last Call to Empire p52]