Katoomba Airfield: Pilots’ bid to build RFS aerocentre

Pilots from the Blue Mountains are offering to build an aerocentre to help the RFS in fighting fires from the air. But they need something from government.

Blue Mountains Aviation Club’s Patrick Ryan at Katoomba Airfield where he took his first flight as a six-year-old and then did his first 20 hours of flying under the late Rod Hay.

Pilots from the Blue Mountains want to build an aerocentre to help the Rural Fire Service (RFS) in fighting fires from the air — such as Ruined Castle, now burning into the Megalong Valley.

Pilots from the Blue Mountains want to build an aerocentre to help the Rural Fire Service (RFS) in fighting fires from the air — such as Ruined Castle, now burning into the Megalong Valley.

But the Blue Mountains Aviators Club wants to build it on Crown land at Katoomba Airfield and needs assurance from the government that the 36ha air field’s long-term future is secure.

The non-profit club used to be based there.

“It’s the only site in the Blue Mountains that can accommodate the big Erickson Skycrane, which has a 26m rotor span,” club secretary/treasurer Patrick Ryan, a fixed wing private pilot, said.

Gypsy Lady seen from Narrowneck, Blue Mountains. Picture: Christopher Indyka.

Aerial firefighters such as Gypsy Lady, which can hold 9500 litres of water or retardant, “need a proper airport to operate from”, he said.

“There is no other site in the Blue Mountains that can accommodate helicopter operations and meet Environment Protection Authority regulations, because any helicopter landing pad must be at least one kilometre from the nearest residential dwelling,” Mr Ryan said.

“If it’s not, it can only have 15 helicopter movements a week, with the exception of aeromedical transfers and under a section 44 fire event.”

“As an aeroclub we need somewhere to put our club; we need a hangar, club facilities — as a community organisation it just makes sense to do it with a bigger focus than ourselves,” Patrick Ryan said.

“The Katoomba airfield is also the only place in the Blue Mountains where you can land humanitarian aid in heavy fixed wing aircraft if the roads and rail are out,” Mr Ryan said.

“Why should the taxpayer fund it only for emergency purposes usage when we will?”

Yet, currently only commercial helicopters operate from the site and the runway, which is unsealed, has been closed to fixed wing aircraft since early 2018 due to conditions of the movement surfaces.

Former leaseholder of the airfield, the late Rod Hay, with Blue Mountains Aviators Club president Fred Taylor. Club members have operated private and commercial aircraft from Katoomba Airfield since it opened.

The NSW Department of Planning, Industry - Crown Lands is still considering the new long-term commercial lease over the airfield on Grand Canyon Rd, Medlow Bath.

“The department is finalising the report on the community engagement process which will then be published on the department’s website,” its spokesman said.

After the existing lease came to an end in 2017 a lease applicant — Derek and Floyd Larsen of FlyBlue Management — was identified by an expression of interest process.

The Blue Mountains RFS aviation support unit coordinating helicopter firefighting resources from Katoomba Airfield this week.

“If Derek and Floyd Larson are granted a lease we’ll consider building, and paying for, a multi-use aero-centre that would accommodate the needs of emergency services,” Mr Ryan, of Wentworth Falls, said.

The Australian Business Aviation Association’s chief executive, David Bell, agreed it was very important Katoomba aerodrome be retained for emergency purposes, both rotary and fixed wing aircraft.

“Fire trails could be created radiating from the aerodrome to protect the pristine environment,” he said.

The NPWS helicopter getting airborne from Katoomba Airfield on Thursday 5th December in blustery conditions to patrol the Ruined Castle fire.

Posted by Katoomba Airfield on Sunday, December 8, 2019

How is Katoomba Airfield funded?

“The airfield was built by local pilots using private money in the 1960s,” Mr Ryan said.

“It has always paid a lease to the Crown to use it and it’s always had a commercial foundation, because it has to be funded somehow. It’s never taken anything from the taxpayer.

“It’s been used for military training in the past, including Blackhawk training during Afghanistan and Iraq, and has always served as a base of service for the RFS and National Parks and Wildlife Service including during the 2013 Blue Mountains bushfires.

“But it’s only ever been open to local emergency services because local pilots have built and maintained it.”

Three Sisters views shrouded by smoke on Monday. (AAP IMAGE / Carmela Roche)

A brief history of Katoomba Airfield

• Located on Crown land at Medlow Bath, it was opened in 1965 and established as a facility for recreational flying, tourism, and emergency services operations
• Existing runways limit the use of the airfield by fixed wing aircraft
• Helicopter operations into and out of the airfield are permitted, provided the aerodrome operator is notified in advance
• A lease of the site started in 1968, ending in 2008, with the last leaseholder occupying the land from month to month until October 2017
• In 2017 NSW Department of Industry held an expression of interest process to establish public interest in managing and/or developing the site, and identified a suitable tenant and granted a licence
• Over 1500 submissions were received as part of the community consultation.
  
• In January 2019 the tenant’s company submitted a lease application and business case to the department