Sydney Australia airports…help

Thanks everyone

I will pass on the info, he is down for only 3 weeks and most of that is contract work but he is a closet aircraft freak with very eclectic tastes.

I really appreciate the offer to tour him about in Melbourne gentlemen and will PM you if he is able.

Thanks again all…wish it was me.

Tom H

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I’m not sure if your friend’s interest is limited to civilian airports/aircraft, but there are two major RAAF Bases near Sydney being RAAF Richmond base to the north west (@1h?), and RAAF Williamtown base to the north (@ 1.5h?), both are obviously secure bases but I understand runway activity can viewed from public areas, Richmond is primarily a Transport base with Hercules and C17s, VIP flight and perhaps some Wedge Tail activity?, while Williamtown is a fighter base with FA18’s.

Williamtown also has the Fighter World Museum with a collection of former RAAF fighter aircraft and replica’s on display.

While in Sydney a visit to the Camden Aviation Museum is well worth seeking (it is currently closed to the public but has monthly volunteer days that may provide for oversea’s visitor access? see website via link below for details

As James has mentioned the Powerhouse Museum is well worth a visit right in the city of Sydney with an historic PB2B (Boeing Canada built Catalina Flying Boat, last survivor world wide – and a trans-pacific pioneer flight holder as well) and original 1914 Melb to Syd Airmail Bleriot being the highlights in my opinion, then there is the Australian Aviation Museum at Bankstown, and if a car can be hired, or a flight to Canberra included, then the marvellous Australian War Memorial is well worth a visit.

And a car will get you down south to HARS at Albion Airport (@1h?) and the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Nowra (@1.5h-2h??)

There is a big contigent of flying antique and vintage aircraft at Wedderburn to the south west and another at Newcastle (near RAAF Williamtown) to the north at Luskinshire at the Luskinshire Aviation Flying Museum http://www.luskintigers.com.au/

And of course a trip to Temora on a flying day weekend is also well worth it, but I suspect its a long car trip from Sydney??

Of course if Melbourne can be included on the itinery major airports include Tullarmarine (Melb passenger) Essendon (Melb Commuter and Bus Jet) and Moorabbin (Melb GA) with Point Cook and Tyabb providing other interesting vintage and antique aircraft and the same visits providing access to the RAAF Museum at Point Cook, the Werribee B24 and the Museum at Moorabbin as previously mentioned by James.

Here’s a links page from our museum website that identifies the major collections around Sydney, and into Canberra and Melbourne, (I noticed a couple of the links may need updating)

http://www.aarg.com.au/Links-Museums-Australia.htm

Regards

Mark Pilkington

Hoxton Park is due to close so check before going. Some of the residents have gone to Wedderburn. HARS keep their Connie and the rest of the fleet at Woollangong.

If you hire a car you can drop in to or from Nowra, the RAN Air Station and Museum. Otherwise:

1. Come to Melbourne. 😉

2. While stuck in Sydney, the Maritime Museum has a helicopter, but is also an excellent museum of history and, obviously, ships. Well worth a visit.

3. The Powerhouse Museum has the historic Consolidated Catalina ‘Frigate Bird’ of PG Taylor – see the thread in the WIX Vintage section:
http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=27547

It also has several other aircraft – Dick Smith’s first solo-around the world helicopter, the Bell Jetranger, a Cierva C-30 and so forth. Another good transport and technology museum.

4. Hire a car, drive five hours inland and visit Temora.

5. Take a short flight to Canberra and visit the Australian War Memorial.

Or, 6 just come to Melbourne… There’s the RAAF Museum (flying an aircraft for demo at 1pm Tues/Thurs/Sun, the Wirribee B-24 resto, Moorabbin – a great airport and museum (check opening times) as well as lotsa other stuff. With notice, I may be able to show a mutual friend a few of the sights.

HTH.

A couple more worth mention:
1. Schofields Airfield
2. Rose Bay – ex QANTAS flying boat base location. I believe some Cessna and Beaver floatplane operators are based in that general area now.

Again, you may want to check that these are still active (in existance) before visiting.

Hooten Park has closed already according to AiX;
http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/yhox-the-death-of-an-airfield-t1848.html

Thanks for the information

Tom

Hoxton Park is due to close so check before going. Some of the residents have gone to Wedderburn. HARS keep their Connie and the rest of the fleet at Woollangong.