Bankstown 14/08/2010

[Peter Agatsiotis]

Thanks Mick

Yes big change and even with Hoxton Park closed the numbers are reducing. Haven't been to Camden for many years but I think a few have moved there and other places like Wedderburn, Warnervale.

[Peter Agatsiotis]

Yes Adam that's them; they're still marked I think and in all the times I have been to Bankstown I have never seen them used.

[Adam P.]

Nope - RWY18 (the sealed one) closed maybe four or five years ago. It's now a taxiway.

I think there used to be a RWY23 there as well - you can still see the (obliterated) threshold markings for that one on one of the particularly wide taxiways leading to what's now RWY29R.

[Grahame Hutchison]

When I was a student pilot back in 1968, Runway 05/23 was gravel and 18/36 was grass. It was a long taxi in the C150 from Illawarra, near the current terminal, to the 05 threshold near Chieftan where the old Schofields were. The runway actually had a hollow in middle, and when on approach to Runway 25, we would turn onto final above the water tank on the hill. I can remember doing, circuits on the 18/36 grass.

Things were very busy back then, and the main hangers near the current terminal had the Cessna, Piper and Beechcraft dealerships, GA was quite healthy back then. When I was training with Illawarra, they had a Sea Fury that was used to tow banners and targets and would park amoungst the C150s/C172s. There were some great characters around then, one of my instructors was Sonia Robey (wife of Sir Keith Robey), then there was Barry Sargeant (Qantas & DOT), and Eric Greathead (who flew the Sea Fury). The C150 was $12/hr solo, a very different world today.

[Peter Agatsiotis]

Nice memories Grahame. Just looking at my photos I recall that 11R/29L which is the 'touch & go runway' was gravel back in '81.

In 1992 C150 was $112 per hr (dual).

Visited the 'dealers' many times in my early spotting days; all the big twins would be ferried in and the single engined types came in crates with the 'reg' marked on the crate.

Following on from Adam's point, there looks like another runway was in op earlier (close to 29L); you can just see the 'threshold' markings.

[Adam P.]

Long shot - anyone got an ERSA for the time?? (or whatever they called them then - maybe airfield info was carved onto stone tablets?? )

[Grahame Hutchison]

Peter, it does look like 18L & 18R but I only remember 18/36.

[Peter Agatsiotis]

I can see those two Grahame, this marking is just below the Hawker(Boeing) buildings next to 11R/29L

[Grahame Hutchison]

Found this one of Bankstown in 1965, more how I remember it with only 29R/29L, 05/23 and 18/36. No evidence here of any other runways.

[Richard U]

Hi Everyone,
Just quickly back to EAJ.This aircraft is used for survey/photographic work.Has been spending a lot of time recently back and forth over YSSY at 6000FT.

Cheers