A really "cool" airport award
Thread Starter
A really "cool" airport award
The Australian Airports Association announced its annual airports awards this week.
Awards are based on membership categories and they were:
Rural Airport of the year: Latrobe Valley. For its development of the emergency helicopter operations and of course the growth of Gippsland aeronautics.
Regional Airport of the year: Port Macquarie. For its runway construction efforts to accommodate the Virgin Blue E jets.
Capital City airport of the year: Brisbane. For its water saving programme.
Aviation Personality of the Year: Michael Bridge. Managing Director of Airnorth and Chairman of the Regional Airtlines Association of Australia.
However the big surprise was that of Major Airport of the Year ( ie: not a capital city airport). This well deserved award went to Wilkins Aerodrome, Antarctica. It recognized the herculean efforts of a small number of people on a small budget (compared to the yanks that is) who established the first permanent air link between Australia and Antarctica that now acts as a summer based for the 2 CASA 212 supply aircraft and the intercontinental link from Hobart using the A319. This cuts the journey time down from 8-14 days one way to some 8 hours or so. It is a 4000m x 100 m glacial ice runway with and, err, “adequate” overrun area of some 600km.
There is a fairly basic history of air transportation in Antarctica at http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=2189 but it doesn’t really tell a lot of the story. For instance before EACH inbound A319 operation the airport runs a profile check on the runway that a major airport in Australia would only do once a year. And after each landing the tyre marks are removed immediately because otherwise solar radiation on the dark rubber marks would melt a groove into the runway. The airport was fully certified by CASA and that in itself is a good story as for once CASA was proactive in ensuring the project could succeed. For instance, standard Australian regs state airport gable markers should be white- not a good idea in Antarctica! This and many other anomalies were successfully changed. However the airport staff left it until after certification to tell CASA that the aerodrome actually moves 7 inches per year.
And why the A319 as opposed to the widespread use by the yanks of C130 and C17 equipment, or the Russians with IL76? Apparently both the A319 and the Boeing BBJ can be configured allowing them to tank fuel from Hobart allowing an approach, hold, and single engined unpressurised diversion return to Hobart thus reducing the cost of storing fuel stocks at Wilkins. Final choice was largely down to lowest price.
For once a really worthwhile award winner and they should find a wider audience for their story.
Awards are based on membership categories and they were:
Rural Airport of the year: Latrobe Valley. For its development of the emergency helicopter operations and of course the growth of Gippsland aeronautics.
Regional Airport of the year: Port Macquarie. For its runway construction efforts to accommodate the Virgin Blue E jets.
Capital City airport of the year: Brisbane. For its water saving programme.
Aviation Personality of the Year: Michael Bridge. Managing Director of Airnorth and Chairman of the Regional Airtlines Association of Australia.
However the big surprise was that of Major Airport of the Year ( ie: not a capital city airport). This well deserved award went to Wilkins Aerodrome, Antarctica. It recognized the herculean efforts of a small number of people on a small budget (compared to the yanks that is) who established the first permanent air link between Australia and Antarctica that now acts as a summer based for the 2 CASA 212 supply aircraft and the intercontinental link from Hobart using the A319. This cuts the journey time down from 8-14 days one way to some 8 hours or so. It is a 4000m x 100 m glacial ice runway with and, err, “adequate” overrun area of some 600km.
There is a fairly basic history of air transportation in Antarctica at http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=2189 but it doesn’t really tell a lot of the story. For instance before EACH inbound A319 operation the airport runs a profile check on the runway that a major airport in Australia would only do once a year. And after each landing the tyre marks are removed immediately because otherwise solar radiation on the dark rubber marks would melt a groove into the runway. The airport was fully certified by CASA and that in itself is a good story as for once CASA was proactive in ensuring the project could succeed. For instance, standard Australian regs state airport gable markers should be white- not a good idea in Antarctica! This and many other anomalies were successfully changed. However the airport staff left it until after certification to tell CASA that the aerodrome actually moves 7 inches per year.
And why the A319 as opposed to the widespread use by the yanks of C130 and C17 equipment, or the Russians with IL76? Apparently both the A319 and the Boeing BBJ can be configured allowing them to tank fuel from Hobart allowing an approach, hold, and single engined unpressurised diversion return to Hobart thus reducing the cost of storing fuel stocks at Wilkins. Final choice was largely down to lowest price.
For once a really worthwhile award winner and they should find a wider audience for their story.
