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AirCentre Aviation News Digest
DECEMBER 1997
Monday 1
Early morning bomb scare near the 'Field disrupts motor vehicle traffic
around the airport causing major delays and headaches for the airfields' "groundside" customers
trying to enter
Meanwhile, the "fuel farm" building takes shape in the middle
of runways 10 and 04's
. . . . . the local grapevine is also a-buzz with the recent changes occurring
within the local F.A.C. office
. . . . and a local operator leaves to-morrow for the U.S.A. to "certify" the new
Government Jet now in its final stages of delivery
Tombstone  Territory
Friday 5
Considerable groundside activity airside to-day when a convoy of three semi-trailers
with underground fuel tanks a-top arrive at the 'Field
The Oil Companies are installing modern aircraft re-fueling bowsers at the new fuel farm
after more than 60 safe years "groundside"
. . . . . for those who are old enough to remember, it must come as a bit of a shock
to see a fuel depot on the very spot where many a landing and take-off was achieved
. . . . well
. . . it was an "all over" 'field back in those days!
Expensive  Tanks
Monday 15
It's "party time" at the Airfield as the airport
operators farewell one year and gear-up to welcome the next
On Saturday the Acro Sport homebuilt had it's first engine run
and is now in the final stage prior to the issue of a "Flight Permit"
And at Archerfield's nearest neighbour
ThomasField the taxi-way surface from the airstrip to the hangar is now been re-sealed
with a "no stones" hot mix
. . . . . . propeller destroying stones found on Archerfield's taxi-ways have always
been of deep concern to aircraft owners
. . . . . guess where the "no stones" surface is on Archerfield?
. . . . . why, in the "groundside" car park of course !!
Tuesday 16
A Citation Jet pays a visit to the 'Field
Dick Smith from the Board of CASA drops in for a conference with the local CAA staff
Dick's re-entry into the decision making process of aviation policy is welcomed by most of
the "old-time" aviators who have witnessed a serious decline over the past decades of the
private sector "sport and recreation" flying activity
. . . . . up to now the apparent "lack of knowledge"
by the CAA staff and advisors has lead to what can only be described as a "large hole" in the
aviation "safety net"
. . . . .and recent statistics show that the declining private and business flying
activity is been compared with figures that a decade ago were already "in decline"
Dick for  President?
Sunday 21
The Airport swelters from a heat wave, meanwhile on the "home" front,
the latest Domain report for AirCentre indicates these pages are widely read around the world
26 countries "looked in" over the past few months, the following list is compiled from the
records with the highest number of "hits" first
U.S.A (com), N.Z. (nz), U.S.A. Educ.(edu), U.K. (uk), Sweden (se), Canada (ca), South Africa
(za), Finland (fi), Czech Republic (cz), Denmark (dk), Italy (it), Ireland (ie), Indonesia
(id), Norway (no), Belgium (be), Brazil (br), Singapore (sg), Japan (jp), South Korea (kr),
Poland (pl), India (in), Malaysia (my), Slovak Republic (sk), Netherlands (nl), France (fr),
Kazakhstan (kz)..
. . . . . so now you know where all those countries are with those abbreviations
! !
. . . . and the heat wave conditions at the 'Field this week has only encouraged the
flyers to "go for height" in an endeavour to keep "cool"
Wednesday 24
The day before Christmas and all is quite at the 'Field
. . . . . not so !
The Airport Cafeteria has been sold and the building is now in the process of been shifted
And quoting an old pilot saying "the most dangerous part of the flight is driving to the
airport", check out the photo below for an accident just outside the main entrance to
the 'Field
. . . . . a reminder that any transport medium can inflict injury to anyone at
anytime
. . . drive carefully and fly sensibly
Car  Crash
And Click HERE for Cafeteria
Wednesday 31
The '97 Year ends with an "off airfield drama" when Archerfields Jabiru
tries out a local school athletic track as another airport site, but discovers after "landing" that it's
far too small
The Bundaberg designed and built engine in the aircraft failed to respond for the GFPT
"student" pilot returning to Archerfield necessitating a classic forced landing in a
Sunnybank school yard
The uninjured pilot landed the powerless aircraft on a "postage stamp" and collapsed the
undercart carrying out what must be the shortest of all "short
landings"
. . . . . another "old pilot" saying . . . . .
. . . . . . any landing you can walk away from must be considered a good one!
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