Tamworth Airport
Encyclopedia
Tamworth Airport is a regional airport serving Tamworth
, a city in the Australia
n state
of New South Wales
. It is located 10 km (6.2 mi) from the town centre, on New Winton Road. The airport is owned and operated by the Tamworth Regional Council
. It is also known as Tamworth Regional Airport.
Tamworth Airport is the northern base of the Hunter Region Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service
and the location for BAE Systems
Flight Training College
was formed in 1940, during the Second World War, at the original airfield (located in what is now the Taminda industrial area) as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme
. Training included 50 hours of basic aviation instruction on a simple trainer like the Tiger Moth
. Pilots who showed promise went on to advanced training at a Service Flying Training School. Others went on to different specialties, such as Wireless Schools, Air Observer Schools or Bombing and Gunnery Schools. The RAAF airfield went on to become the original home of East West Airlines after WW2.
In 1951 a decision was taken to relocate the aerodrome with the council commencing construction in 1952 and the official opening of the new airport in 1956. The airport received a further upgrade to medium jet standard in 1982. The addition of the 1110m parallel runway and associated facility expansion was undertaken between 1990 and 1993 as part of the establishment of the British Aerospace/ Ansett pilot training joint venture which has evolved into the current Bae systems college.
of 1334 feet (407 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt
paved runway
s: 12L/30R measuring 2200 by 45 m (7,217.8 by 147.6 ) and 12R/30L measuring 1110 by 18 m (3,641.7 by 59.1 ). It also has two runways with a grass
ed brown clay
surface: 18/36 measuring 1020 by 30 m (3,346.5 by 98.4 ) and 06/24 measuring 842 by 30 m (2,762.5 by 98.4 ).
s served in financial year 2009-2010.
Tamworth, New South Wales
Tamworth is a city in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Peel River, Tamworth, which contains an estimated population of 47,595 people, is the major regional centre for southern New England and in the local government area of Tamworth Regional Council. The city...
, a city in the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n state
States and territories of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...
of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. It is located 10 km (6.2 mi) from the town centre, on New Winton Road. The airport is owned and operated by the Tamworth Regional Council
Tamworth Regional Council
Tamworth Regional Council is a Local Government Area in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. It is on the New England Highway and the Main North railway line.- Incomes :According to the during 2003-04, there:...
. It is also known as Tamworth Regional Airport.
Tamworth Airport is the northern base of the Hunter Region Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service
Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service
The Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service was founded in 1973 by Surf Life Saving Australia. Since this time, the Service has carried out more than 50,000 flights ranging from patient transfers to search and rescue missions...
and the location for BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
Flight Training College
History
No. 6 Elementary Flying Training School of the Royal Australian Air ForceRoyal 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...
was formed in 1940, during the Second World War, at the original airfield (located in what is now the Taminda industrial area) as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan , known in some countries as the Empire Air Training Scheme , was a massive, joint military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, during the Second World War...
. Training included 50 hours of basic aviation instruction on a simple trainer like the Tiger Moth
De Havilland Tiger Moth
The de Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and was operated by the Royal Air Force and others as a primary trainer. The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk in 1952, when many of the surplus aircraft...
. Pilots who showed promise went on to advanced training at a Service Flying Training School. Others went on to different specialties, such as Wireless Schools, Air Observer Schools or Bombing and Gunnery Schools. The RAAF airfield went on to become the original home of East West Airlines after WW2.
In 1951 a decision was taken to relocate the aerodrome with the council commencing construction in 1952 and the official opening of the new airport in 1956. The airport received a further upgrade to medium jet standard in 1982. The addition of the 1110m parallel runway and associated facility expansion was undertaken between 1990 and 1993 as part of the establishment of the British Aerospace/ Ansett pilot training joint venture which has evolved into the current Bae systems college.
Facilities
The airport resides at an elevationElevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 1334 feet (407 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
paved runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
s: 12L/30R measuring 2200 by 45 m (7,217.8 by 147.6 ) and 12R/30L measuring 1110 by 18 m (3,641.7 by 59.1 ). It also has two runways with a grass
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
ed brown clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
surface: 18/36 measuring 1020 by 30 m (3,346.5 by 98.4 ) and 06/24 measuring 842 by 30 m (2,762.5 by 98.4 ).
Airlines and destinations
Statistics
Tamworth Airport was ranked 38th in Australia for the number of revenue passengerRevenue passenger
A revenue passenger is someone who has paid the transport operator for her or his trip. That excludes non-paying passengers such as airline employees flying on free or nearly-free passes, babies and children who do not have a seat of their own, etc...
s served in financial year 2009-2010.