Parafield Airport
Encyclopedia
Parafield Airport is on the edge of the residential suburb of Parafield
, South Australia, 18 kilometres north of the Adelaide
Central business district (CBD) and adjacent to the Mawson Lakes
campus of the University of South Australia
. It is Adelaide's second airport and the fifth busiest airport in Australia by aircraft movements. Although owned by the Government of Australia
, the airport is leased to and managed independently by Parafield Airport Ltd.
Parafield was Adelaide's only civil airport until Adelaide Airport was opened in February 1955 and is currently used for small aircraft, pilot training and recreational aviation. The airport is home to the Parafield Aviation campus of TAFE South Australia
(TAFE SA) and to the UniSA
Aviation Academy. The airport hosts a jet fighter
museum and historic aircraft displays. The museum now houses an authentic flight worthy Wirraway There are also multiple flight training schools like the University of South Australia
Aviation Academy, FTA (Flight Training Adelaide) formerly known as Australian Aviation College, Bruce Hartwig Flying School, AFTC (Adelaide Flight Training Center) and Forsyth Aviation, which is the only school that offers training for the Recreational Aviation Australia
pilot certificate at Parafield. Parafield Squadron of the Australian Air League
, a National uniformed cadet organisation promoting and encouraging the interest of aviation and flying training in the youth of Australia, is also located at Parafield Airport.
monoplane
in 1910, south-west of Salisbury
. In the 1920s investigations began into construction of an airport in Adelaide. Land was initially purchased in Cheltenham
but the cost of acquiring sufficient land, neighbouring residential development and the erection of power transmission lines all interfered with airport plans. In 1927, the Commonwealth government purchased 318 acres (129 ha) of land at Parafield from a family owned farming company for £17,000
. The area had been used for fattening sheep
on lucerne
and other fodder plants. The airport was expanded in 1942, with the boundary extending west to the Gawler
railway line.
On 1 October 1927, H.C. "Horrie" Miller was the first to land on the site, ground preparation was completed on the 17th and flights began on 26 November by the Aero club of South Australia. The site was officially opened as an airport in August 1929 by Governor-General of Australia
Alexander Hore-Ruthven
. The control tower opened shortly prior to World War II
. Prior to the war Gúinea Airways was the main company flying out of the airport using:
During World War II, the Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF) occupied the airfield as a station
for basic flight training
and was home to No. 1 Elementary Flying Training School (No. 1 EFTS) between 1939 and 1944 until it moved to Tamworth
, New South Wales. A relief landing ground was located near Virginia
. No. 34 Squadron
utilised Parafield to deliever supplies to operational bases and aerodromes in the Northern Territory
and Western Australia between 1943 and February 1945.
After the war ended, transport was also handled by Australian National Airways
and Trans Australia Airlines
both moving to Adelaide Airport in 1955 which now handles all regular passenger transport.
In 1983 a group of trees was planted by local high school students. When fully grown, from the air they clearly spell out the word "PARAFIELD". As of 2007 the trees had been removed.
Parafield, South Australia
Parafield is a non-residential suburb of Adelaide approximately 18 km north of the CBD. It is completely occupied by Parafield Airport.It is bordered by Main North Road to the east, Kings Road to the north and the Gawler railway line to the west, where it is served by Parafield station...
, South Australia, 18 kilometres north of the Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
Central business district (CBD) and adjacent to the Mawson Lakes
Mawson Lakes, South Australia
Mawson Lakes is a suburb and new residential development in the City of Salisbury, Adelaide, with the first land being released in 1998. It has a census area population of 5,246 people. The suburb is located in the northern suburbs of Adelaide around 12 km north of the Central business...
campus of the University of South Australia
University of South Australia
The University of South Australia is a public university in the Australian state of South Australia. It was formed in 1991 with the merger of the South Australian Institute of Technology and Colleges of Advanced Education. It is the largest university in South Australia, with more than 36,000...
. It is Adelaide's second airport and the fifth busiest airport in Australia by aircraft movements. Although owned by the Government of Australia
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
, the airport is leased to and managed independently by Parafield Airport Ltd.
Parafield was Adelaide's only civil airport until Adelaide Airport was opened in February 1955 and is currently used for small aircraft, pilot training and recreational aviation. The airport is home to the Parafield Aviation campus of TAFE South Australia
TAFE South Australia
TAFE South Australia provides vocational education and training in South Australia. The acronym TAFE stands for Technical and Further Education and is used and recognised nationally throughout Australia....
(TAFE SA) and to the UniSA
University of South Australia
The University of South Australia is a public university in the Australian state of South Australia. It was formed in 1991 with the merger of the South Australian Institute of Technology and Colleges of Advanced Education. It is the largest university in South Australia, with more than 36,000...
Aviation Academy. The airport hosts a jet fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
museum and historic aircraft displays. The museum now houses an authentic flight worthy Wirraway There are also multiple flight training schools like the University of South Australia
University of South Australia
The University of South Australia is a public university in the Australian state of South Australia. It was formed in 1991 with the merger of the South Australian Institute of Technology and Colleges of Advanced Education. It is the largest university in South Australia, with more than 36,000...
Aviation Academy, FTA (Flight Training Adelaide) formerly known as Australian Aviation College, Bruce Hartwig Flying School, AFTC (Adelaide Flight Training Center) and Forsyth Aviation, which is the only school that offers training for the Recreational Aviation Australia
Recreational Aviation Australia
Recreational Aviation Australia , formerly known as the Australian Ultralight Federation , is the governing body for ultralights in Australia....
pilot certificate at Parafield. Parafield Squadron of the Australian Air League
Australian Air League
The Australian Air League is a not-for-profit, civilian operated aviation youth organisation in Australia. Its objective is to encourage the spirit of aviation and air-mindedness in the youth of Australia. The Australian Air League receives no money or assistance of any government department and...
, a National uniformed cadet organisation promoting and encouraging the interest of aviation and flying training in the youth of Australia, is also located at Parafield Airport.
History
The first powered flight in South Australia was of a Blériot AéronautiqueBlériot Aéronautique
Blériot Aéronautique was a French aircraft manufacturer founded by Louis Blériot. It also made a few cyclecars from 1921 to 1922.After Louis Blériot became famous for being the first to fly over the English Channel in 1909, he established an aircraft manufacturing company. This company really took...
monoplane
Monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. Since the late 1930s it has been the most common form for a fixed wing aircraft.-Types of monoplane:...
in 1910, south-west of Salisbury
Salisbury, South Australia
Salisbury is a northern suburb in Adelaide, South Australia. It is the seat of the City of Salisbury, and in the South Australian Legislative Assembly electoral district of Ramsay and the Australian House of Representatives divisions of Wakefield and Port Adelaide...
. In the 1920s investigations began into construction of an airport in Adelaide. Land was initially purchased in Cheltenham
Cheltenham, South Australia
Cheltenham is a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the City of Charles Sturt.-Geography:The suburb lies between Port Road and Cheltenham Parade, which form its southwest and eastern boundaries respectively...
but the cost of acquiring sufficient land, neighbouring residential development and the erection of power transmission lines all interfered with airport plans. In 1927, the Commonwealth government purchased 318 acres (129 ha) of land at Parafield from a family owned farming company for £17,000
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
. The area had been used for fattening sheep
Domestic sheep
Sheep are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries...
on lucerne
Alfalfa
Alfalfa is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop in the US, Canada, Argentina, France, Australia, the Middle East, South Africa, and many other countries. It is known as lucerne in the UK, France, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, and known as...
and other fodder plants. The airport was expanded in 1942, with the boundary extending west to the Gawler
Gawler, South Australia
Gawler is the first country town in the state of South Australia, and is named after the second Governor of the colony of South Australia, George Gawler. It is located north of the centre of the state capital, Adelaide, and is close to the major wine producing district of the Barossa Valley...
railway line.
On 1 October 1927, H.C. "Horrie" Miller was the first to land on the site, ground preparation was completed on the 17th and flights began on 26 November by the Aero club of South Australia. The site was officially opened as an airport in August 1929 by Governor-General of Australia
Governor-General of Australia
The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...
Alexander Hore-Ruthven
Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie
Brigadier General Alexander Gore Arkwright Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie VC, GCMG, CB, DSO & Bar, PC was a British soldier and colonial governor and the tenth Governor-General of Australia. Serving for 9 years and 7 days, he is the longest serving Governor-General in Australia's history...
. The control tower opened shortly prior to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Prior to the war Gúinea Airways was the main company flying out of the airport using:
- de Havilland Fox MothDe Havilland Fox Moth|-References:NotesBibliography* Hotson, Fred W. The de Havilland Canada Story. Toronto: CANAV Books, 1983. ISBN 0-07-549483-3.* Jackson, A. J. British Civil Aircraft 1919-1972: Volume II. London: Putnam , 1988. ISBN 0-85177-813-5....
– DH83 - de Havilland Dragon RapideDe Havilland Dragon RapideThe de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide was a British short-haul passenger airliner of the 1930s.-Design and development:Designed by the de Havilland company in late 1933 as a faster and more comfortable successor to the DH.84 Dragon, it was in effect a twin-engined, scaled-down version of the...
– DH89 - Lockheed Electra Model 10ALockheed Model 10 ElectraThe Lockheed Model 10 Electra was a twin-engine, all-metal monoplane airliner developed by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in the 1930s to compete with the Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2...
- Lockheed Model 14 Super ElectraLockheed Model 14 Super Electra|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Francillon, René J. Lockheed Aircraft since 1913. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1987. ISBN 0-85177-835-6.-External links:*...
- Messerschmidt TaifunMesserschmitt Bf 108-Popular culture:Bf 108s and postwar Nord 1000s, played the role of Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters in war movies, including The Longest Day, 633 Squadron, Von Ryan's Express and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.-See also:-References:Notes...
- Douglas DC-3Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
- Lockheed 18 LodestarLockheed LodestarThe Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar was a passenger transport aircraft of the World War II era.-Design and development:The prototype of the Lockheed Model 18, which first flew in 1939, was constructed from one of a batch of Lockheed Model 14 Super Electras which had been returned to the manufacturer by...
- Ford TrimotorFord TrimotorThe Ford Trimotor was an American three-engined transport plane that was first produced in 1925 by the companies of Henry Ford and that continued to be produced until June 7, 1933. Throughout its time in production, a total of 199 Ford Trimotors were produced...
5-A
During World War II, the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
(RAAF) occupied the airfield as a station
Air station
Air station may refer to:* AirStation is the name given to a series of wireless LAN equipment sold by Buffalo Technology* Airbase* Naval air station* A station to refill an air car....
for basic flight training
Flight training
Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills....
and was home to No. 1 Elementary Flying Training School (No. 1 EFTS) between 1939 and 1944 until it moved to Tamworth
Tamworth Airport
Tamworth Airport is a regional airport serving Tamworth, a city in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is located from the town centre, on New Winton Road. The airport is owned and operated by the Tamworth Regional Council...
, New South Wales. A relief landing ground was located near Virginia
Virginia, South Australia
Virginia is a suburb on the rural outskirts of Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. Port Wakefield Road, the main highway taking traffic to the north of Adelaide, passes through the area. Market gardening is the main activity there.-References:...
. No. 34 Squadron
No. 34 Squadron RAAF
No. 34 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force transport squadron. It is currently based at Canberra International Airport in the Australian capital Canberra, where it operates two Boeing 737 Business Jets and three Bombardier Challenger 604s.-History:...
utilised Parafield to deliever supplies to operational bases and aerodromes in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
and Western Australia between 1943 and February 1945.
After the war ended, transport was also handled by Australian National Airways
Australian National Airways
Australian National Airways was Australia's predominant carrier from the mid-1930s to the early 1950s.-The Holyman Airways Period:On 19 March 1932 Flinders Island Airways began a regular aerial service using the Desoutter Mk.II VH-UEE Miss Launceston between Launceston, Tasmania and Flinders...
and Trans Australia Airlines
Trans Australia Airlines
Trans Australia Airlines or TAA, was one of the two major Australian domestic airlines between its inception in 1946 and its sale to Qantas in May 1996. During that period TAA played a major part in the development of the Australian air transport industry...
both moving to Adelaide Airport in 1955 which now handles all regular passenger transport.
In 1983 a group of trees was planted by local high school students. When fully grown, from the air they clearly spell out the word "PARAFIELD". As of 2007 the trees had been removed.