Yes it all happened prior to me joining, must have been early '80s (I joined in 1986). We used to operate from the Snowy Mountains Authority airfield at Polo Flat (and a number of others prior to that over the years) and SMA decided they didn't want us anymore. (Ironically they sold that airfield some years ago and it was bought by one of our former members.)
Owning your own bit of ground does come with it's own set of issues, like controlling rabbits and noxious weeds, but there is a real security about it. Even operating from an established airfield is no proof against problems, as other can attest. Our biggest medium-long term concern on the land front is that slowly but surely the rural dwellings are creeping out from Cooma. Although we have - and cultivate - good relations with our neighbours it may only be a matter of time before someone buys a block and "suddenly discovers" that an airfield is nearby and it makes a noise on weekends. Bit like some of the Pitt Street Farmers who buy their little bit or rural paradise only to find that the dairy farmer down the road takes his cows across the road for milking and the cow pats make a mess on their four wheel drive! Shock horror! Unfortunately the "we were here first" defence doesn't necessarily carry a lot of weight. However, hopefully if it comes to that our land will be a valuable subdivision proposition and we can sell up for a handsome reward and buy something a bit more isolated from those sorts of pressures. But that's a way down the track yet. If you possibly can, buy your own bit of dirt. Allan Armistead ph (02) 6249 6470, fax (02) 6249 6555, mobile 0413 013 911 PO Box 908, Dickson ACT 2602, Australia "When once you have tasted flight, you will always walk with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you always will be." Leonardo da Vinci, 1452-1519 -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, 3 February 2006 17:06 To: Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia. Subject: RE: [Aus-soaring] Gliding at major airports - Own your AFLD!! > Fortunately we are in the excellent situation of owning our own bit of > ground. > > Allan Armistead > ph (02) 6249 6470, fax (02) 6249 6555, mobile 0413 013 911 > PO Box 908, Dickson ACT 2602, Australia ******************************************************* Allan, I think from memory at the time you bought your own AFLD, you had been kicked out of Cooma AFLD and put an article in Australian Gliding about clubs buying their own AFLF or suffer some dire consequences down the line. We at Beverley (100 members - largest club in WA) are battling a part owner of our AFLD now. Depending on court directed mediation/court action, we fight, move or operate as a shadow of our former self just to survive! The peppercorn lease arrangement for 30+ years has been great and helped us get ahead but now we may have to move two huge hangars, 20 odd private hangars, good accommodation/club rooms, maintenance workshop, ablution blocks (last one recently build to new council requirements) laundry, caravan park with power etc, etc. Cunderdin could have gone the same way a few years ago and I believe Narrogin have had their concerns too. I have often wondered about the wisdom of that article (some 20yrs ago?) and would suggest all clubs consider the problem. Own your AFLD and you can control its use by others instead of it being the other way round. The club in Germany (see below)started out like Canberra, bought their dirt and now have RPT traffic using it under their terms. (.."the airportmanagement has to find and to give us a new airfield for our own, ready and licensed for sports flying. They didn´t find one......."!) It will just be a matter of time for many clubs out there right now! ********************************************* Quoting Allan Armistead <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Kittel, > Stephen W (ETSA) > Sent: Thursday, 2 February 2006 8:03 > To: Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia. > Subject: RE: [Aus-soaring] Gliding at major airports > > > Yes, it is possible to do it differently. > When I visited the Akafleig Braunschweig I found that their workshop and > hangar are in one corner (albeit out of the way) of the Braunschweig > airport. The Akafleig aerotow, and I think, winch off the aerodrome, but not > off the runways. The stuff that boggled me though, was that Braunschweig is > the capital of Lower Saxony, a state of between 1 and 2 million people, so > very comparable to, say, Adelaide. The airport has a control tower on top of > a big two storey terminal building (including restaurant). The offices of > the German airministry (LBA) and also their equivalent of our ATSB are on > the edge of the aerodrome. I don't know what the actual movement numbers > were but I was told they did include big jets. Very comparable to the > smaller Australian capital city airports. > > Regards > SWK > > >-----Original Message----- > >From: Leigh Bunting > > > > >Imagine doing this at Tullamarine or one of the other major > >airports in Australia. The regulators and security people > >would have a right royal hissy-fit. But it happens elsewhere - > >but that's in the northern hemisphere. Things like this and > >high-tow just don't work in the southern hemisphere, do they ........ > > > >Below is part of a communication with a German glider pilot, I've been > >having: > > > >"We fly at the internatiol Airport Münster-Osnabrück (FMO) > >because we were there first, and a part of this is oure own > >ground. In the time the Airport was build (growing from the > >airfield of the "Luftfahrtvereinigung Greven") they made an > >agreement that if there whould be to many jet traffic the > >airportmanagement has to find and to give us a new airfield > >for oure own, ready and licensed for sports flying. > > > >They didn´t find one......." > > > >-- > >Leigh Bunting > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Aus-soaring mailing list > Aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net > To check or change subscription details, visit: > http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring > > _______________________________________________ > Aus-soaring mailing list > Aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net > To check or change subscription details, visit: > http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring > Best regards, Daryl _____________________________________________ This email (including all attachments) is confidential. 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