Parafield Airport

Infobox Airport
name = Parafield Airport


IATA = PAL
ICAO = YPPF
type = Public
owner = Government of Australia
operator = Parafield Airport Ltd.
city-served = Adelaide
location = Parafield, South Australia
elevation-f = 57
elevation-m = 17
coordinates = coord|34|47|36|S|138|37|59|E|type:airport
website = [http://www.aal.com.au/parafield www.aal.com.au/parafield]
metric-rwy = Yes
r1-number = 03L/21R
r1-length-f = 4,429
r1-length-m = 1,350
r1-surface = Asphalt
r2-number = 03R/21L
r2-length-f = 4,196
r2-length-m = 1,279
r2-surface = Gravel
r3-number = 08L/26R
r3-length-f = 3,143
r3-length-m = 958
r3-surface = Asphalt
r4-number = 08R/26L
r4-length-f = 3,255
r4-length-m = 992
r4-surface = Asphalt
footnotes = Source: DAFIF [WAD|YPPF|source=DAFIF]

Parafield Airport Airport codes|PAL|YPPF is on the edge of the residential suburb of Parafield, South Australia, 18 kilometres north of the Adelaide Central business district (CBD) and adjacent to the Mawson Lakes campus of the University of South Australia. It is Adelaide's second airport and the fifth busiest airport in Australia by aircraft movements. [231,430 total aircraft movements reported for July 2007 to June 2008 placing it behind Sydney, Jandakot, Moorabbin and Bankstown airports cite web|url=http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/reports/movements/finlytd07_08.pdf|title=Movements at Australian Airports,2008 Financial Year Totals|date=August 8 2008|publisher=Airservices Australia|accessdate=2008-08-16] Although owned by the Government of Australia, the airport is leased to and managed independently by Parafield Airport Ltd.

Parafield was Adelaide's only civil airport until Adelaide Airport was opened in February 1955 and is currently used for small aircraft, pilot training and recreational aviation. The airport is home to the Parafield Aviation campus of TAFE South Australia (TAFE SA) and to the UniSA Aviation Academy. The airport hosts a jet fighter museum and historic aircraft displays. The museum now houses an authentic flight worthy Wirraway There are also multiple flight training schools like FTA (Flight Training Australia), Bruce Hartwig Flying School and AFTC (Adelaide Flight Training Center). Parafield Squadron [ [http://sa.airleague.com.au/ Australian Air League - Parafield Squadron] ] of the Australian Air League, a National uniformed cadet organisation promoting and encouraging the interest of aviation and flying training in the youth of Australia, is also located at Parafield Airport.

History

The first powered flight in South Australia was of a Blériot Aéronautique monoplane in 1910, south-west of Salisbury. In the 1920s investigations began into construction of an airport in Adelaide. Land was initially purchased in Cheltenham but the cost of acquiring sufficient land, neighbouring residential development and the erection of power transmission lines all interfered with airport plans. In 1927, the Commonwealth government purchased convert|318|acre|ha|0 of land at Parafield from a family owned farming company for £17,000. The area had been used for fattening sheep on lucerne and other fodder plants. The airport was expanded in 1942, with the boundary extending west to the Gawler railway line.cite book |title=Salisbury South Australia, a history of town and district |last=Lewis |first=H. John |pages=pp.201-204 |publisher=Investigator Press |location=Hawthorndene, South Australia |year=1980 |isbn=0-85864-049-X]

In October 1 1927, H.C. "Horrie" Miller was the first to land on the site, ground preparation was completed on the 17th and flights began on November 26 by the Aero club of South Australia. The site was officially opened as an airport in August 1929 by Governor-General of Australia Alexander Hore-Ruthven. [cite book |title=Parafield: From paddock to airport |last= Lataan| first = Damien | year = 1992 |isbn=0-646-11023-3 |location=Hahndorf, South Australia | publisher = D&S Publications |pages=p.5] The tower opened shortly prior to World War II during which the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) occupied the airfield for basic flight training. Prior to the war Gúinea Airways was the main company flying out of the airport using: [cite book |title= A study of Para Hills |year=1976 |last =Varley |first = G |publisher =Unpublished manuscript stored in the local history room, Len Beadell library Salisbury, South Australia]
* de Havilland Fox Moth - DH83
* de Havilland Dragon Rapide - DH89
* Lockheed Electra Model 10A
* Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra
* Messerschmidt Taifun
* Douglas DC-3
* Lockheed 18 Lodestar
* Ford Trimotor 5-ATAfter the war ended, transport was also handled by Australian National Airways and Trans Australia Airlines both moving to Adelaide Airport in 1955 which now handles all regular passenger transport.In 1983 a group of trees was planted by local high school students. When fully grown, from the air they clearly spell out the word "PARAFIELD". As of 2007 the trees had been removed.

Airlines and destinations

* Air South Charter (Adelaide, Port Lincoln, Whyalla, Port Augusta, Coober Pedy, Woomera, Kingscote, Mount Gambier, Melbourne, Ballarat, Albury, Horsham, Mallacoota, Sydney, Broken Hill, Cobar, Canberra, Alice Springs, Brisbane, Rockhampton, Forrest) [Per Request]

See also

* List of Australian airports
* Transport in Australia

References

External links

* [http://www.aal.com.au/parafield Parafield Airport website]
* [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?placesearch=Adelaide%20-%20Parafield%20(YPPF)&distinct_entry=true Airliners.Net pictures at Parafield Airport]
* [http://www.classicjets.com/ Classic Jets Fighter Museum]
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