BANKSTOWN AIRPORT

'Sydney Metropolitan Airport - Bankstown' (formerly 'Bankstown Airport' is a general aviation airport and business park located in the City of Bankstown, 22 km from the central business district of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The airport is situated on 313 hectares of land and has three parallel runways, several apron areas, a small passenger terminal and a thriving business park, home to over 170 successful businesses.
Sydney Metropolitan Airport - Bankstown operates 24 hours a day with limitations placed on night circuit training. In the calendar year of 2006, AirServices Australia (ASA) recorded over 320,000 aircraft movements at the airport. The airport is generally considered the centre of Australian general aviation, is home to numerous fixed-wing and helicopter flying schools, charter operators, aircraft maintenance businesses, and private aircraft.
Established in 1940, it was an important base during World War II for RAAF, Royal Australian Navy and USAAF aircraft.

Contents

Facilities

Runways

Taxiways & Aprons

Lighting

Air Traffic Control

Navaids

Development history

1940 to 1962

70s to 90s

2000 to present

Future changes

Private user's turmoil

See also

External links

Facilities

Runways

The airport has three runways. The primary runway (11C/29C) is 1,415m x 30m, is rated at 20 tonnes and limited at 50 tonnes MTOW. Further details can be obtained in the Enroute Supplement published by AirServices Australia.

Taxiways & Aprons

Selective taxiways and aprons are rated at 20 tonnes and limited to 50 tonnes MTOW. Further details can be obtained in the Enroute Supplement published by AirServices Australia.

Lighting

Runway 11C/29C has three stage, high intensity edge lights and a Precision Approach Path Indicator or (PAPI).

Air Traffic Control

Bankstown has it's own dedicated Air Traffic Control Tower, operated by AirServices Australia, and uses GAAP airspace procedures. The operating hours for the tower are published in the Enroute Supplement.

Navaids

Runway 11C/29C has a straight in GPS approach procedure. There is also a Radar Approach Procedure and a Non Directional Beacon (NDB) located at the airport.

Development history

1940 to 1962

The airport was originally developed in 1940 with two runways, 11/29, and 05/23 which were both originally dirt. In 1962 a parallel runway was added to the south of the 11/29 runway forming what is now the centre runway. Runway 05/23 was however decommissioned to become what is now sealed taxiways T1, T2, T3, T4. The original runway (northern) 11/29 became taxiways K2 through K7 and runway 18/36 was added on the western end of the field.
Both of the more northerly facing runways (36 and 05) had issues with nearby hills Condell Park and Georges Hall and there is speculation about any incidents that have occurred as a result, however it is unlikely that this played any part in the decision to disband the runways.

70s to 90s

Throughout the 70s and 80s (arguably Bankstown’s prime despite the general aviation downturn) parallel runways were added, once again on the northern side of 11/29 and to the south. Also a short period a dirt strip parallel to 18/36 was used, located between what are now taxiways W5 & W6 and Y1 and Y2; however by 2000 this dirt strip was not operating. During 2005 runway 18/36 was shortened by almost half and then in late 2005/early 2006 abandoned completely and has become taxiway Y1 & Y2.
Throughout the 80s Hawker Sidley Aircraft Australia had portion of southern end of the airport at is disposal and was quite extensive and well connected to the rest of the apron areas. This same industrial area of the aerodrome has since been severed from the rest of the aerodrome. This area was south of L4, L5, L6 and the former runway 05/23.

2000 to present

During 2005 runway 18/36 was shortened by almost half and then in late 2005/early 2006 abandoned completely and has become taxiway Y1 & Y2.
In the later half of 2006 the development of a Hangar facility for TOLL logistics has been constructed around taxiways A4, X and K5. This caused for a period of time engine run-up bays on the northern side of the airfield from runway 29R to be unavailable. As a result there has been much disapproval by local flying schools and pilots.

Future changes

The abandonment of runway 18/36 shifted a load of training for operations such as crosswind circuits to nearby Hoxton park about 6 Miles west with a 16/34 single runway configuration. Hoxton Park is due for sale in the early parts 2008. Its resident operators will likely move to Camden to the south west while some will inevitably move to Bankstown. The land will be sold simply as real estate. There have been expressions of concern regarding the lack of a north south generally aviation runway in the Sydney basin and its impact on safety.
There had been talk of re-developing a north south runway on the western side of where the old one was. This would allow larger regional aircraft to operate into the airport in less favourable wind conditions, as well as quelling much angst regarding the decommissioning of 18/36, which largely cantered around the impending loss of practically all north south GA runways in the Sydney basin. However some speculate that Bankstown Airport Limited has been intending to make the aerodrome suitable for more regional aircraft up to aircraft like the Boeing 737.
Bankstown airport has a number of published instrument approaches both GPS and RNAV(GPS), however it is likely that the NDB and its associated approaches will be abandoned along with an international push to replace NDB technology with RNAV systems lole GNSS and GPS. (Sydney Kingsford Smith already does not publish its NDB on aeronautical charts)

Private user's turmoil

Many Aerial photographs of Bankstown airport over the past 7 years indicate a decline in popularity of the GA parking lot, particularly the northwest and southwest corner of the aerodrome. ASA's published records of aircraft movements at Bankstown show an increase from 275,846 movements in the calendar year 2005 to 323306 for the calendar year 2006. This is apparently contested on the Australian AOPA website which posses that activity at Bankstown is actually on the decrease.
Bankstown airport is considered by many pilots and citizens as one of the most influential airfield in Australia (one of the 5 GAAP airfields). As such many pilots feel that a decline in general aviation across the whole nation not least Bankstown is taking its toll. As such many Australian aviation facilities are falling into a state of disrepair due to lack of use, this in turn discourages pilots, who as a result fly less and the cycle continues. However, although GA is suffering more and more regional aviation aimed infrastructure is in place indicating that one way or another Bankstown airport is not likely to be lost any time soon.

See also

★ List of airports in Australia

★ Transportation in Australia

External links

★ Bankstown Airport website

★ [1]

★ YSBK - ERSA [2]

★ Travelmate - Bankstown, New South Wales

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