Wallan news (YWAN Victoria)

[Guest Ken deVos]

Many of you would know that council rejected the proposed property development of YWAN. Something to do with requiring very expensive drainage work.

 

The old flying school had closed, not sure, but I understand the operator passed away. However, the rumour I've heard is that an offshoot from Shepparton will operate a school at Wallan and have ordered a new Tecnam. Can anyone verify or add to this information?

 

Cheers.

 

 

[Guest pelorus32]

Hi Ken,

 

I had heard some gossip about this so I went to Wallan briefly on Sunday for a sticky beak. There was a new Tecnam P92ES on line there.

 

The school is staffed by ex-Shepparton instructor(s) but to the best of my knowledge is not associated with the Shepparton school in any way. Others may be able to clarify this.

 

The price sheet I saw was $180/hr dual and $140/hr solo.

 

Regards

 

Mike

 

PS: in my wanderings around the wilds of Melbourne on Sunday I was also at Riddells Creek. Ron Jackson was looking very sore and sorry for himself having just got home from quite a few days in hospital. He has a broken ankle which is in a cast and he is on crutches. Something to do with an altercation with a trailer which had a car on it.

 

Mike

 

 

[Guest Ken deVos]

Thanks for the information Mike.

 

At those prices for a Tecnam, I think I will also pop in to Wallan.

 

Cheers.

 

 

[Guest pelorus32]

Thanks for the information Mike.At those prices for a Tecnam, I think I will also pop in to Wallan.

Cheers.

Ken,

 

those prices are a bit over $20/hr more than Shepparton for a Tecnam...if you really want a bargain Shepparton's the place to go

 

Regards

 

Mike

 

 

[storchy neil]

the instructor is worth it at wallan neil

 

 

[Admin]

I have kept quiet about this but will let you know now what I know.

 

Nathan Muller is an instructor at Wallan - he is absolutely brilliant and you would be so lucky to get him to teach you to fly - I have many great stories about him.

 

The owner of the school was showing off doing beat ups at Shepparton in his helicopter when I was there one day - with a crowd outside the clubrooms he flew over the rooms doing a severe turn missing the top of the flagpole by only feet - I along with other people there were shocked, only 1 little thing to go wrong and 10-20 lives could have been lost - no thanks!

 

The Wallan airfield has been sold and a couple of days before Christmas everyone was given their marching orders - including the airfield manager and long time LAME there. This is the last I heard about 2 weeks ago.

 

 

[Doug Mc.]

I have just transferred schools from Shep to Wallan as it is much closer to home for me. Nathan and Sue (originally from Shep) and two other guys have done a fantastic job at setting up a ftf. they have built a great clubhouse and the brand new Tecnam arrived last week. Sue is my instructor and I think she is brilliant, I have not flown with Nathan yet but am told you would be hard pressed to find a better instructor. I have not heard anything about marching orders yet and I was down there last night, I have another lesson on Sat afternoon so I will let you know. I hope you are wrong Ian . Doug.

 

 

[Admin]

Doug

 

Thinks may have changed since another forum member and I were there a couple of weeks ago talking to both the AME and Nathan. Please let me know what you find out - much interested!

 

 

[Doug Mc.]

No worries Ian.

 

 

[mark689]

Wallan Flying School

 

Hi all I am an interested party to this thread being a partner in the new school at Wallan. I wish to clarify a few things. Firstly the new school was jointly established by 4 aviation enthusiasts. Nathan and Sue are 2 of those people with equal ownership. Secondly the rates are slightly more expensive than Shep however we have kept them as low as operationally possible without the financial backing of club members paying a membership to subsidize hire rates. Check the rates of other RAA schools in the area and then tell us we are too expensive. We are not there to reap huge profits we just want to cover costs. That aside Nathan and Sue are worth every cent they charge for their time as they are both very high quality instructors dedicated to teaching people to be safe pilots and not just churning pilots out the door en mass for maximum profit.

 

Regarding the Wallan airfield, yes we were given a letter before Christmas telling us to vacate by the end of January however this was a legal requirement of the seller to do this to offer the new owner vacant possession of the property. We are in talks with the new owner and things are looking positive for the continued operation of the field for the medium term. I find it disappointing to hear people within the aviation community bagging a new operation at a time when we should all be sticking together. Wallan is not the only location threatened with closure as developers gobble up all the land they can get their hands on with disregard to the Aviation community. We as a flying community do not have too many outside supporters I can think of so if we bicker between ourselves we have little chance of survival.

 

Mark Robinson

 

Secure Air Flight Training

 

Wallan Airfield

 

 

[slartibartfast]

Well said Mark and good luck with the continuing negotiations.

 

Cheers,

 

Ross

 

 

[storchy neil]

yes if some took the time to asked the right questons to the right people :;)2:neil

 

 

[Ben Longden]

Slartibartfast said; Well said Mark and good luck with the continuing negotiations.

 

Cheers,

 

Ross

 

Amen to that.

 

Wallan has basically scored itself the services of two of the most competent and safe instructors there is.

 

Nathan and Sue are just bloody brilliant. Time spent with them is money seriously invested in training. They are passionate about what they do, and manage to impart the maximum knowledge in the minimal time.

 

Ben

 

 

[Guest AusDarren]

keeping locals on side keeps airports open

 

glad to hear the positive news, I did a BFR at Wallan a while ago,

 

good location. community support from residents would be a big asset, any thought of doing an open day / fly in and invite residents via local paper and a few notices around town? might drum up some new students as well fly tifs all day. ;) It sure helps when the locals (especially those on council) view the airport as an asset to the town.

 

Good Luck

 

AusDarren

 

 

[mark689]

Thanks for the support. AusDarren we have had discussions re a fly in or even an airshow at Wallan to attract interest back to the airfield. We are awaiting our GA certification and will organize something along those lines when all is finalised. We have met with the council and received no support or interest from them whatsoever. They are more interested in collecting rates from any potential development on the site and don,t care about the airfield. Very disappointing. I will keep all informed as things progress.

 

Cheers Mark

 

 

[Ben Longden]

Thats really disapointing to hear.

 

A local Airport is the major asset to the community.

 

Apart from the obvious (air Ambulance etc) the industry that thrives around an airport is positive for the health of the LOCAL economy.

 

Temora is a prime example of how to do it.

 

Believe it or not, Echuca Council (Campaspe Shire) have woken up to this fact and are encouraging the sale of land for hangarage and the business that goes with them.

 

Maybe the RAA and AOPA might be able to do some heavyweight marketing on the advantages of a local airport to local government - like; Money in the towns pockets.

 

Remember the movie "16 Right" ? There it clearly stated the airport developers believed that the airfield was the most important aspect of the local economy. Forty years on, look at it - the worlds busiest non-RPT airport.

 

Ben

 

 

[Guest Bendorn]

I agree 100%. I'm currently looking for one to buy......

 

 

[Guest erron]

Flew there with Sue today, and the biggest surprise of my life is my wife flew a 'mini-tif' with her! This from a woman who needed Valium in order to board a plane to Europe! Sue is a fantastic instructor, and I can't speak highly enough of Wallan in general.

 

Also, I wouldn't be too down-hearted about the prospects out there; it all sounded positive to me, big changes notwithstanding. Fingers crossed...

 

Erron

 

 

[Ben Longden]

Never mind Sue being a fantastic instructor, she is a passionate and very accomplished pilot (although she will never say that). These are two of the three ingredients that make an outstanding instructor and mentor.

 

10/10 for Wallan!

 

Ben

 

 

[shafs64]

i am going to give these people a call. they sound like the people who would help me move from GA to RAA.

 

Shafs:thumb_up:

 

 

[mark689]

Wallan Airfield Update

 

Hi All, as promised in an earlier post I have the latest news regarding the future of the airfield at Wallan.

 

Extensive talks with the owner of the land involved have concluded and unfortunately there is no place in his plans for an airfield..

 

The flying school and private hangers all must be removed from the property by the end of June 2008 to make way for an extensive housing development.thumb_down

 

However all is not lost. The airfield at Locksley has been purchased to accomodate the flying school and hangers.:thumb_up: This gives the school and aircraft owners long term security. The flying school will be flying the last flights out of Wallan this weekend (17/18 May) and commencing operations at locksley on Monday the 19th of May.

 

The Locksley Airfield is located 9nm NE of Mangalore and consists of 2 grass runways, the main being 01/19 1800metres long! The current facilities include a large maintenance hanger, aircraft storage hanger capable of holding a dozen Tecnam size aircraft, 5 private hangers, toilet and shower facilities, club room and a 21 site caravan park for overnight stays.

 

Hanger space will be available to interested parties over the next month so keep an eye out for further updates in the coming weeks.

 

 

[Guest AusDarren]

This is tragic..

 

Once Airfields close to town are lost, they never return to Aviation use.

 

The facility at locksley sounds very promising.

 

Just further out. Fields that are owned by the aviators think Co -Op are the only ones truly safe.. Fields owned by an individual are often sold. The purchaers too often are developers.

 

Thanks for letting us know

 

Regards,

 

AusDarren

 

 

[markendee]

Recreational Flying,

 

Who owns Locksley? Do they encourage visitors?

 

We are just north of there and it sounds like a nice place to drop into.

 

Another Mark

 

 

[storchy neil]

yes they do welcome visitors one hell off a nice team there well worth a look nathan cfi:hug: and sue are the instructors there neil

 

 

[Guest brentc]

It's hard for the airfield owners to not sell out based on the land's potential value.

 

I know of a gent who owns a property in Berwick to the east of Melbourne. As an example it would be a great spot for an airfield and it's around 450 acres.

 

Trouble is that the housing developers have recently offered him $420 million, yes $420 MILLION for his property!

 

There's not many airfields in the country that would not sell out for that kind of cash with the exception of perhaps Tullamarine / Bankstown etc.