Aviator expert Dick Smith blasts airport rules for prior permission to land

Regional airports have come under fire from high profile aviator and businessman Dick Smith.

Dick Smith says early notice prior permission requests are further evidence the general aviation industry is dying. Picture: Renne Nowytarger

Regional airports have come under fire from high profile aviator and businessman Dick Smith for demanding aircraft operators seek “prior permission” days in advance, before accessing their airstrips.

Gympie Aerodrome owned by Gympie Regional Council in southeast Queensland, has become the latest to add an extra layer of red tape that opponents say will “kill aviation in the town”.

Mr Smith said Ayers Rock and Mount Isa Airports also required operators to seek prior approval — with between 24 and 72-hours notice.

He said it was ridiculous to expect operators to fill out forms days ahead to simply land at a regional airstrip in order to refuel and “get a pie”.

“It makes no sense at all. You can land at Maroochydore or the Gold Coast without this sort of rigmorale but sadly I know others will follow suit,” said Mr Smith.

“They just don’t understand the potential for aviation in this country.”

Local flight instructor Paul McKeown said the changes at Gympie Aerodrome came after the council spent $140,000 on private consultants to develop a new masterplan.

“The Mayor (Mick Curran) says it’s so we can keep track of who’s coming to the airfield,” said Mr McKeown.

“That’s absurd. You can’t possibly have a system where people have got to apply to come to a public airfield and give three days notice in writing.”

He said the new policy would threaten the viability of the 29 aerodrome tenants that relied on Gympie.

“It’s a very active public airfield,” Mr McKeown said. “To have this change placed on it, just pulls the rug out from under it.”

A statement from Gympie Regional Council said the 72-hours prior notice requirement was designed to help them understand who used the aerodrome, and to ensure it was safe for all operators and passengers.

The council had also imposed a ban on night flying and helicopter training.

Mr Smith said his advice to Mr McKeown was to get out of the aviation industry.

“The problem is not just local councils, it’s the federal government and the elected ministers over the last few decades have been pretty well opposed to general aviation,” he said.

Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association CEO Benjamin Morgan said most airports allowed aircraft to phone or radio ahead to get permission to land.

“This is what you get when you privatise Australian airports and you don’t put any controls on them,” Mr Morgan said. “You get to the stage where they put in processes to the point where they’re no longer viable.”

Ayers Rock airport manager John Cebalo said their policy of requiring 24-hours notice from aircraft was due to limited parking space.

“That’s the main reason because of availability, and we also have never turned anybody away,” Mr Cebalo said. “People come here because it’s an iconic area and they want to come here.”