Drag Racing at Airstrips

[Jayz]

I agree with country kid. If it is managed properly I can't see the issue most events are held at night have some One man the radios, if all the insurances are in place I think it could keep a lot of airstrips open with getting more use out of them

 

 

[Skip]

Innisfail had one a couple of years ago

 

 

[Guest burbles1]

Would the racers want to use airport land and build their own strip to ADRA specifications? I've read that Mackay flyers were successful relocating to a drag strip - it could work the other way too for racers to relocate to an aerodrome.

 

 

[facthunter]

If the situation is able to be made to work, obviously you are better to share an airport than have NONE. The high powered stuff would need a decent tarmac and as has been stated the aircraft should have a crowned surface (to clear water), and the cars should have a flat one. We certainly have trouble with airports dissappearing. If the recent flood have shown anything it should be that aircraft are essential in moving things around as all other means are cut off. I would suggest that a priority should be to have a network of flood free Airports available. Nev

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

I mentioned the building of a purpose build dragstrip on airport land, last time this topic came up. wasn't well recieved from memory.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Aside from the certain pavement damage, and things like lubricating the pavement for wheelspin effects, there are major Public Liabilities to overcome and some fly by night operators recklessly just allow the risks to occur, hoping nothing will happen. For public liabilty insurance there are some near insurmountable problems with a the combination of flying and motor sports.

 

For most forms of motor sport safety fences are required, interlocked and with foundations (not water filled plastic) to prevent a high speed vehicle from diverting into the crowd. On top of this structure, a secure catch fence is required to restrain airborne vehicles or components.

 

The safety fences need to be close to the action, so they deflect at shallow angles, and to allow the crow close enough for reasonable vision, so they present a hazard to aircraft, and would have to be removed before the strip could be used for flying, then replaced for every race meeting.

 

There are "street"/"hoon" events conducted on country strips, and the photos I've seen indicate the above safety requirements arten't usually met.

 

Furthermore, these activities often don't include such requirements as fire suits and personal safety gear, roll cages, safety nets, formal standards, checking procedures etc., and if an accident did occur then the owner of the facility, the Promoter, the directors, and the people involved would find it virtually impossible to claim they were exercising Due Care when they virtually complied with none of the safety requirements of a dedicated track with controls on vehicle specifications, driver qualification etc.

 

The reason you see it occuring is that Governments have stepped back from public liability, and it all rests on the heads of the participants, so while nothing happens, nothing happens, but once the accident occurs, you live with it for a few years.

 

I would be surprised if any Council owned strips allowed this, on these grounds.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

I can understand why most councils are happy to see the end of most airstrips, once the strip is gone they can make a lot more money as housing.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

If only that was true, I don't know much about the history of local airports in Australia, how many new airports have been opened in the last 20 yrs?

 

 

[jetjr]

The issue for me is that many councils are nearly broke, they may jump for the income they see from a few motorsport events, then if the surface is arguably damaged, they wont have the funding or committment to repair it. It may not be ruined but degraded.

 

Locally they made an airpark - a good thing - but the deal was that funds from the sale were to be placed in reserve, some $600K, interest was to fund the upkeep of airfield forever. Recently it was raised regarding "ridiculous cost" of airfield running costs and landing fees should be imposed.

 

The returns on this money was questioned and apparantly no one knows anything about it. Its gone.

 

We now have an airpark, with houses close enough to main strip prevent overhead flying displays and no money to fund the airport upkeep. They have the go ahead to sell off some more lots now.

 

We also had a dismantled Bellman hanger donated and trucked in, council just had to put it up, there are two locations where old ones used to be with footings intact. It sat there for years then we see it was sold to scrap metal man.

 

This is a small regional council, no big developers clawing away here and still we are loosing the battle slowly

 

 

[fly_tornado]

I live in Toowoomba and for years the council has avoided doing anything to the airport, the main reason being, I think, that locals don't want jets flying in. I can see now with the advent of emergency services using helos, there isn't a lot of justification for community airports.

 

 

[dunlopdangler]

I live in Toowoomba and for years the council has avoided doing anything to the airport, the main reason being, I think, that locals don't want jets flying in. I can see now with the advent of emergency services using helos, there isn't a lot of justification for community airports.

I don't know where you got your info F_T about the airport in Toowoomba, but the council does a pretty good job at maintaining and there is an approval and funding in place to extend 11/29 to take larger RPT aircraft.

 

Further to my earlier post, I would like to add that I pointed out a fairly important issue in regard to insurance and risk to council. Apart from that, I don't have a problem with multi use at aerodromes.. The advantages having "toxic" sports such as motorsports and aviation together far outways the disadvantages. If controlled properly can be of a huge benefit to an aerodrome's continuing viability. The other thing we found was that the young blokes who participated in the burn outs etc were very quiet in the months afterwards because they had to save up to get some more tyres... also a few of them actually started learning to fly since..

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

... now with the advent of emergency services using helos, there isn't a lot of justification for community airports.

We get both fixed and rotary wing ambulances landing at Yarrawonga.

With a significant aged population here, and two nursing homes, there's usually more than one visit per week.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

The issue with the Toowoomba airport is that it really needs to be moved. The upgrade they are doing is the cheaper option ($5M) because to build a decent airport would require spending a lot more money ($25M+).

 

 

[winsor68]

The issue with the Toowoomba airport is that it really needs to be moved. The upgrade they are doing is the cheaper option ($5M) because to build a decent airport would require spending a lot more money ($25M+).

I don't think moving the airport will ever happen. Being so close to Brisbane you would be mad to want to upgrade to a full security airport as this will mean the end of recreational flying in Toowoomba.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

No they aren't moving the airport now, its another missed opportunity. Low cloud and fog are real problems for its current position.

 

 

[littlesky]

Kempsey Airport is dealing with this issue at the moment. Kempsey Flying Club would be the ones to contact. I think they are trying to find a way to keep the drag racing off the runway, or contain them to one end to minimise damage.