Eagle Farm Airport

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Eagle Farm Airport (disused)
IATA: none – ICAO: none
Summary
Airport type		Public and Military Airfield
Serves		Brisbane, Queensland
Location		Australia
Built		expanded in 1942
In use		1942 - 1946
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
Direction	ft	m	Surface
			... etc.
Helipads
Number	Length		Surface
Number	ft	m	Surface
			... etc.
Statistics
			... etc.

Eagle Farm Airport was a small airport located 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) south-west of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

1 History
- 1.1 World War II
  - 1.1.1 Units based at Eagle Farm Aerodrome
- 1.2 Post War
2 Aircraft Crashes
3 References

[edit] History

An area located near Eagle Farm Racecourse was initially used as a landing field in 1922 and Eagle Farm Aerodrome was officially opened in 1925. It was used for scheduled flights between Brisbane and Queensland regional centres, with QANTAS operating from Eagle Farm in 1926. QANTAS who formed the Brisbane Flying Training School in 1927.

Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, Charles Ulm, Harry Lyon (navigator) and James Warner (radio operator) landed the Southern Cross at Eagle Farm on 9 June 1928 after its trans-Pacific flight from Oakland, California. About 16,000 people greeted the Southern Cross upon its landing.

The Australian National Airways (ANA) began a aerial service to Sydney, New South Wales in 1930. Eagle Farm was closed in 1931 when civil operations were relocated to Archerfield Airport.

Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and Gordon Taylor took off from Eagle Farm airport on 20 October 1934 in the Lady Southern Cross attempting the first eastward trans-Pacific flight from Australia to the United States of America.

[edit] World War II

The aerodrome was compulsory acquired and taken over by the Royal Australian Air Force on 8 March 1940.

Eagle Farm was extended and reopened in January 1942, during World War II by the United States Army Air Force (USAAF), due to the proximity to the Brisbane River. The aerodrome was used as a reassembly and test airfield for aircraft shipped from the United States.

An Allison Engine Testing Area at Eagle Farm was built to test Allison Engines that had been assembled or overhauled at the GMH Allison Overhaul Assembly Plant at Albion, Queensland.

The Air Technical Intelligence Unit (ATIU) of the Allied Air Forces utilised Hangar No. 7 at Eagle Farm to test and to train in, captured damaged Imperial Japanese aircraft.

[edit] Units based at Eagle Farm Aerodrome

8th Fighter Group USAAF
35th Fighter Group USAAF
44th Depot Repair Squadron of 81st Air Depot Group USAAF

[edit] Post War

After World War II, Ansett ANA and Trans Australia Airlines moved their operations to Eagle Farm.

By the 1970's it was clear that the facilities at Eagle Farm were inadequate for a city of Brisbane's size and anticipated growth. The Federal Government announced the construction of a new airport to be built north of Eagle Farm. The new airport was built by Leighton Holdings and Brisbane Airport opened in 1988.