Bairnsdale Airport

Pilots operating in the vicinity of Bairnsdale Airport should be aware of the NOTAM issued today due to the heavy military involvement and changes to CTAF procedures ..... Bob 

Due to the bushfires, Bairnsdale with its military build-up is now reminiscent of places like Townsville, with tent villages and camouflaged army vehicles almost everywhere. The aero club was offered to the RAAF, and provides accomodation for up to 10 military personnel. 

    A private security firm patrols the base and, even as a hanger owner, I had to answer many questions to a rather officious person, who finally let me proceed .

      Last Saturday was the first day with VMC for over a week, so decided to blow the dust off the Jab., but found the military and others had the same idea, with much activity around the Chinook and BlackHawks on the grass along with an increase in activity at the Fire bomber base refuelling via the mobile tankers.

     After taxiing to the AVGAS bowser, and during refuelling, a Black Hawk decided to put down at the terminal nearly blowing me into the next paddock. I eventually got out of there, making the usual taxi and departure call for 13, as the sea breeze had started to come in, and heard the controller in the temporary “control” tower advise all aircraft in the vicinity of my intentions.

      I decided that as most of the activity was to the North I would head South to the coast, even though a strong wind warning was current for the coast. The East Sale airspace is currently activated 7 days a week, with traffic  lanes through East Sale to the West and a 4000’ limit to the East, but I decided to remain reasonably close in case the smoke returned.

    I soon noticed the traffic increasing with Police Heli, Air Ambulance, BlackHawks, many other Govt.helis. and fixed wing aircraft, not to mention the 4 fire bombers working continuously on the fires to the North,returning to do tight low level approaches and wondered how an old septuagenarian would get back amongst the continual traffic. I gave an inbound call with ETA and was pleased to hear the ‘controller’ advise all traffic of my intentions.  

   Full marks to the RAAF controllers for their professionalism shown when dealing with a diversity of aircraft with a variety of flight envelopes. Right now, ( Wednesday AM ) visibility is less than 500 metres so no flying today! 

    Things go pretty quiet when the smoke covers the area, but be warned, when the smoke clears the traffic density can be frenzied and continuous  ...... Bob 

Bairnsdale temporary control tower.

                     Images

          At the fuel bowser with BlackHawk

*cough* Its an MRH-90 Taipan

Still "Blows you away " much the same..   Nev

*cough* Its an MRH-90 Taipan

 

LOL, a "Cessna" report from within!

   Yes , it’s an age thing TP, but looks like after nearly 14 years I’ve been inducted kicking and screaming into the ‘porkies club’, in company with other prominent luminaries here  ?

Was the "tower" just an advisery or was it controlled airspace? If just an advisery seems all that would do would be to add more transmissions to an already busy airspace, just talk directly to any conflicting traffic. Broadcast your intensions and keep your calls to a minimum. 

Here’s the NOTAM Glenn , seems to work pretty well with the   high volume of traffic when VMC . Can’t really imagine 
 traffic being as orderly as an unassisted CTAF with pilot 
control....Bob 

BAIRNSDALE (YBNS)
                                                                  B6/20
   DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROVIDING AD FLT INFO SERVICE ON CTAF 126.70 
   CALLSIGN 'BAIRNSDALE RADIO'. REF YMMM FIR FOR TEMPORARY DANGER AREA
   NOTAM. CTC: 0490 148 160 OR 0431 245 100
   IFR ACFT TO CTC MELBOURNE CENTRE FREQ 124.0 TO CNL SARWATCH AND TO
   PROVIDE TAXI ADVICE
   FROM 01 102000 TO 04 301000 EST
   DAILY 2000/1000

                                                  C6/20 REVIEW C4/20
   TEMPORARY DANGER AREA ACT
   WI 5NM RADIUS OF 375315S 1473404E (YBNS AD) DUE TO AERIAL FIRE
   FIGHTING ACTIVITY. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE WILL
   PROVIDE AN AERODROME FLIGHT INFORMATION SERVICE ON CTAF 126.7 FROM
   2000 TO 1000 (UTC) DAILY CTC: 0490 148 160 OR 0431 245 100
   SFC TO 2000FT AMSL
   FROM 01 100326 TO 04 301600 EST

                                                                  C5/20
   FREQ 126.2 AVBL DURING FIS HR FOR LTD WX AND OPR INFO 
   FROM 01 062000 TO 02 011000 EST

FIS...back to the future.

good on the controller for taking on this job where Probably not familiar with many civil aircraft in the Area.

Is the controller physically located at YBNS and have they established temporary radar coverage at Bairnsdale or are they relying on East Sale?

fly safe

See photo of mobile tower.

It's not a control tower only traffic advisory. Things have been very busy in some area's with the fires. In the last few months I have been Operating out of ordinary CTAFs with over 10 aircraft just associated with the fires plus GA traffic. Corryong, Mansfield, Hamilton just a couple. As long as you keep calls to a minimum and use common sense everything Ok, the 10 calls from inbound to clear are not welcome when things are very busy.

Kaz, East Sale ops.as normal. No radar coverage at YBNS.
   
                                                                  C5/20
   

It's not a control tower only traffic advisory. Things have been very busy in some area's with the fires. In the last few months I have been Operating out of ordinary CTAFs with over 10 aircraft just associated with the fires plus GA traffic. Corryong, Mansfield, Hamilton just a couple. As long as you keep calls to a minimum and use common sense everything Ok, the 10 calls from inbound to clear are not welcome when things are very busy.

 

   My experience at YBNS with the RAAF ‘traffic co-ordinator’ is that the system seems to work very effectively. 

     In a normal pilot controlled environment it is not unusual for pilots to either give too much information , give too little, or none at all. Communicating with the ‘co-ordinator’( like a policeman/supervisor ) does away with all that, with transmissions being clear and concise. The feeling I get from other pilots is that they are more confident, operating in what now can be a very busy Civilian/Military environment ..... Bob 

Shame it doesn’t work like that at West Sale, we cannot even get off the ground when they are active

I was in YWSL just the other day, the RAAF where very helpful, no delays in or out ?

I was in YWSL just the other day, the RAAF where very helpful, no delays in or out ?

Machtuk,

You GA or RAA or both.

Machtuk,

 

You GA or RAA or both.

Both, like a bit each way -:) The D353 lane they have now is a 'get out of jail free card, -:)

Military recently vacated, so YBNS now back to “ops normal“..... Bob