Recce

Delays into Sydney during peak traffic times are far and wide regarded as cataclysmic. One problem is that the third runway was brought into operation almost a year before its supporting Caa tower and radar units. Things should get better by Easter when the tower comes on line and will be fully operational late this year when all the required radar systems are finally established. In the meantime though the closure of a previously operational runway has done nothing to enhance operations at what is one of the region’s most important airports.

What it has done is to make Ksa almost inoperable in the peak times whilst simultaneously alienating hundreds of thousands of Sydney residents who previously experienced little or no aircraft noise. Even as far north as Wahroongah, an hours drive from the airport in non peak times, the noise is growing as barely a minute passes without an aircraft commencing its line up for the 16/34 Ils. Furthermore, aircraft approaching from the south or west and tracking via Bindook (west of Warragamba Dam) now make an approach over Sydney as if they were lining up on the now closed 07 only to be suddenly vectored at around 3000ft altitude northwards (where Agl is often only 2000ft) to intersect the Pymble beacon located on the upper north shore. Thus tens of thousands of extra people around Sydney can enjoy the spectre of low flying 747s at 80% power with all their gear hanging out instead of the previously small number who knowingly purchased homes under a designated flightpath.

That the cross runway was closed purely for political reasons is little more than mind boggling though when you compare this minister’s ‘achievements’ over the past year you begin to realise that the rights or wrongs in this matter account for little, unless of course you are fortunate enough to live in Mr Brereton’s electorate. The Caa belatedly states that it would be unsafe to now use the cross runway. Of course it would say this, after all this is what its political master has told it to say. Why, for instance, is it suddenly unsafe to use this runway now but not before the third runway was opened?

Think about it. The majority of the time Ksa’s weather is benign enough to allow operations largely irrespective of wind direction. However, both Ansett and Qantas refuse to land downwind when the wind component is apparently more than a few knots though this is a luxury that they obviously cannot afford to enjoy at overseas ports. With grooved runways of the length of Ksa’s is it really an operational problem landing downwind with up to eight or ten knots in a large and stable jetliner? So why isn’t it done at Ksa?

There is no real reason that traffic cannot be accommodated on all three runways with the third runway specialising in arrivals and departures to and from the south as the winds dictate in concert with the long established north/south 16/34 and east/west 07/25 runways. Even if vision of some parts of the new taxiway/runway from the existing tower is obscured then why not simply place somebody out there in a mobile tower to cross check with the tower as required? Is this really all that difficult? After all, it was okay to run these two runways for all the years that Ksa has been an airport but suddenly close it when the extra runway became a reality. The reason of course is simply that the Aviation Minister has his electorate at the end of the cross runway. That sadly is the only real reason that 07/25 now lies dormant. Good one Laurie.

Airspace Battle Begins Again

Remember the long drawn out lead up to selling the 11/11 airspace proposal that died at the last moment? Well, its back with a vengeance via a recently distributed colour brochure from the Caa detailing what the Authority believes we should have as an airspace system later this year. It’s a real hoot too, full of zones that have been cleverly designed by the various unions to maximise career and further employment opportunities within the Caa at the expense of industry and ultimately the travelling public.

In typical fashion the glossy airspace brochure was received by most people just before Christmas and the close off date for industry comment, you guessed it — March 1! Despite this obvious attempt to again outfox industry the various aviation associations (led by Aopa) have reacted quickly and will be promoting a counter proposal to try and get some logic and fiscal sanity back into the airspace debate. A full report is carried elsewhere in this issue.