Accommodation on airfields

[JG3]

With increasing age, setting up camp and sleeping on the ground isn't as easy as it used to be, and in the vent of wet weather it sucks.... 

There are several airfields that have basic accommodation on site. Coonamble, has a donga, South Grafton has a couple of bunks in the clubhouse, Broken Hill has similar, Yarram has similar very convenient for trips across the water. That's all I can think of right now but hopefully there are more.

 

I reckon more airfields should make the effort to provide such a service. A disused donga is great, but even easier would be an old unregistered caravan.  Nothing fancy, just a couple of dry bunks at the right price.

 

Please add others that you know about. If there are enough I will draw up a Google Map to make flight planning and sleeping comfort easier.

[Area-51]

Warkworth Gliding Club 15min south of Scone has bunkhouses and good facilities

[pmccarthy]

Nice room at Tumut.

[APenNameAndThatA]

Birdsville pub is across the road from the tie-down area. Amazing. 

Edited October 12, 2022 by APenNameAndThatA

[JG3]

10 hours ago, APenNameAndThatA said:

Birdsville pub is across the road from the tie-down area. Amazing. 

 

[JG3]

Birdsville Pub $100+, not suitable for this list........

[FlyBoy1960]

Mudgee Aero Club is another, Rylstone is another. Heck Field has lost its accommodation a few years ago.  O think Boonah has something 

[JG3]

Rylstone is a residential airpark, any more details?? 

I'm familiar with Boonah but don't know of any accommodation other than the hangar floor....

[FlyBoy1960]

apparently Rylstone have a couple of bunks set up for visitors and people transiting through the area that can't get over the hill into the Sydney basin because of weather around Mount Victoria and the closed airspace around Williamstown/Richmond. They are also happy to take you in town where there are dozens of accommodation options

 

[JG3]

Thank you. That can be a savior for fliers who run into weather, better than trying to push thro..... 

[Kenlsa]

Gawler has bunk accommodation available 

[Area-51]

9 hours ago, JG3 said:

Rylstone is a residential airpark, any more details?? 

I'm familiar with Boonah but don't know of any accommodation other than the hangar floor....

Boonah has bunkhouse and facilities at the gliding club

Edited October 13, 2022 by Area-51

[APenNameAndThatA]

12 hours ago, JG3 said:

Birdsville Pub $100+, not suitable for this list........

 

12 hours ago, JG3 said:

Birdsville Pub $100+, not suitable for this list........

Noted. 

[JG3]

The map is looking useful already. Airfields with Accommodation 

But surely there must be plenty more........

[FlyBoy1960]

Its access is blocked when you look

 

[waraton]

Renmark aero club has bunks. 

[JG3]

1 hour ago, FlyBoy1960 said:

Its access is blocked when you look

 

Oops, forgot to allow share. Fixed now.

[spacesailor]

J g

What to use ro open it ?.

spacesailor

[JG3]

I think it should open just when you click on the link.

Have you tried it recently??

I can't test it because it recognizes my computer automatically....

[peterg]

10 minutes ago, JG3 said:

think it should open just when you click on the link.

Works for me

[Neil_S]

Me too.....

 

[spacesailor]

It ask,s for the choice of ' internet , chrome , maps or streeview .

I tried maps & streeview.

spacesailor

[APenNameAndThatA]

12 hours ago, JG3 said:

The map is looking useful already. Airfields with Accommodation 

But surely there must be plenty more........

This is a great resource. 🏆

[old man emu]

The biggest hurdle to provision of accommodation is that the aerodromes are owned by local councils which usually are not pro-aviation. Most of these council-owned aerodromes were handed over to them by the Federal Government around 1975 (I think that date is correct). The aerodromes are a liability to councils as they have to be maintained. Our council will mow the runway at Tooraweenah, but won't touch the shoulders or taxiway to the "terminal". That's the battle the museum society is having as we want the whole site to be pristine. We are trying to convince the council to hand over maintenance to the society so the job can be done right.

 

So if councils won't spend money keeping the aerodrome safe for operation, what makes you think that they would fork out hundreds of thousands to build short term accommodation? We are trying to work out how to finance the building of a simple accessible toilet block with two stalls and a water tank for hand washing. Our proposal for such a block was $20,000. A cabin, with a bedroom;  kitchenette/dining room, and bathroom/toilet is going to cost over $50,000. Then there is the costs for a caretaker.

 

At Tooraweenah we could get cabins built on the next-door property, but that would depend on the financial capabilities of the landowner and Council approval for the development.

 

I'm afraid that it's going to be a swag and a tarp over the wing for aerial tourists for a long time. 

[Old Koreelah]

OME is absoloutely correct about airports being given to local governments. I believe John Anderson was the minister we can blame for this short-sighted blunder. Our Aero Club bought a hangar that had been built to house a small flying school. It has bunkrooms upstairs, toilets, shower and kitchen. When council officers heard that an apprentice had camped overnight there for a few days they went ballistic; it’s not zoned residential! 

 

We bought the building with big hopes of establishing a “safe haven” for southbound pilots.

Despite pointing out to the council officer the many fatalities caused by cloud and turbulence over the Liverpool Range, it took a long campaign for us to be allowed to use the bunk rooms for “emergency overnight accomodation” only.