SAFETY CHECKS AT 16 VICTORIAN AERODROMES
Important flight path safety checks are being carried out at 16 Victorian aerodromes in December 2019.
The checks are being conducted by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to make sure instrument procedure flight paths at the aerodromes operate safely.
Victorian aerodromes being checked between Monday 2 December and Sunday 8 December 2019 are:
Mt Hotham
Benalla
Mangalore
Bendigo
Stawell
Horsham
Hamilton
Portland
Warrnambool
Ballarat
Avalon
Pt Cook
Tooradin
Moorabbin
Essendon
Melbourne.
Checks will also be carried out at Naracoorte and Mt Gambier in South Australia.
A twin-engine Cessna Conquest aircraft will be used to carry out the safety checks within an area up to 35 kilometres from the aerodromes.
Low-level flying is an essential part of the safety exercise, with the aircraft down as low as several hundred feet at times.
Local residents may notice an uncommon flying pattern, but this is to make sure obstacles are accurately marked on charts and no new obstacles exist. Obstacles can be towers, trees, masts or buildings that can be a danger to aircraft.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority requires aerodrome flight path safety checks to be carried out every three years to maintain a high level of air safety at all aerodromes.
If poor weather or other factors do not allow the safety checks to go ahead on the planned days they will be carried out as soon as possible.
CASA has contracted the operation of the special check flights to Corporate Air, one of Australia's largest and longest established aviation services providers.
