Safety checks at South Australian aerodromes

Civil Aviation Safety Authority

SAFETY CHECKS AT SOUTH AUSTRALIAN AERODROMES

Important flight path safety checks are being carried out at two South Australian aerodromes in December 2019.

The checks are being conducted at Naracoorte and Mount Gambier by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to make sure instrument procedure flight paths at the aerodromes operate safely.

Flights will be in the week starting Monday 2 December 2019. Naracoorte and Mount Gambier are likely to be undertaken in the middle of that week.

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.

/Public Release.