Promoting Aviation?

[old man emu]

When the Federal Government decided to step back from operating the metropolitan Secondary Airports, and offered leases for their operation, one of the conditions of those leases was that the lessee continued the use of the encompassed land for aviation and aviation related activities.

 

So far, Sydney Metro Airports has closed the grass North/South strip so that it could build a bus depot. It has jacked up rents without consideration of the economic realities of aircraft maintenance and pilot training and the maintenance of pilots' competencies. For many ancillary businesses, these rent hikes have been the death knell and they have either shut their doors, or moved off airport. Once the original business has folded, Sydney Metro Airports absorbs any buildings the business may have erected over the years, without compensating the owner. I was almost brought to tears recently when I was at Bankstown and saw that the building which had housed one of Australia's few propeller maintenance organisations was now being used as a gymnasium.

 

Early in their lease Sydney Metro Airports sold off Hoxton Park Airport. The land is now a warehousing estate. As I was researching material for this post I came across the latest blow to aviation by Sydney Metro Airports - massive rent increases for the gliding clubs at Camden Airport - another Sydney Metro Airports lease. Sydney Metro Airports blame grass mowing fees for 500% rent increase

 

Over the past few years, Bankstown Airport has seen the erection of a massive freight terminal for TOLL Transport and an operational centre for the Air Ambulance and NSW Police which SMA holds out as their fulfilling of their lease commitments. Bankstown Airport- Historic Origins, Bright Future - Australian Aviation All this smacks of "looking after the Big Boys" and "up yours" to the small players.

 

Are the skies above Bankstown and Camden Airports black with aircraft coming and going? NO. Are the basic support services for General Aviation thriving? NO. Are people seeking to become pilots in the numbers that were in the past? No.

[facthunter]

ALL true. (Corruption and palm greasing gets us to that situation).. Small aircraft charter (carefully monitored for medical security) MUST be maintained for the ESSENTIAL trips that will come up inevitably like transplants and medicines and surgeons etc. It's the safest and fastest way to move critical things. IF we bring EVERYTHING to a grinding HALT, we are Phucked.. NOW we are finding out that just mining( including nearly ALL our gas) and export agriculture (and Kill the Darling) is not enough for anything but a 3rd world country for a few to make a fast buck from. Nev

[Student Pilot]

True ^