Ballarat Airstrip circuit
| Ballarat Airport | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||||||
| Operator | City of Ballarat | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Mitchell Park, Ballarat, Victoria | ||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 1,433 ft / 437 m | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 37°30′42″S 143°47′28″E / 37.51167°S 143.79111°ECoordinates: 37°30′42″S 143°47′28″E / 37.51167°S 143.79111°E | ||||||||||||||||||
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 YBLT
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Sources: Australian AIP and aerodrome chart
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| Location | Ballarat, Victoria, Australia |
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| Time zone | UTC +10 |
| Operator | Light Car Club of Australia Victorian Sporting Car Club |
| Opened | 26 January 1947 |
| Closed | 12 February 1961 |
| Major events | Victoria Cup, Victoria Trophy |
| Length | 5.1 km (3.2 mi) |
| Turns | 6 |
| Lap record | 1:51 (Dan Gurney, BRM P48, 1961, Formula Libre) |
Ballarat Airport (ICAO: YBLT) (known officially as the Ballarat Aerodrome) is located 4 nautical miles (7.4 km; 4.6 mi) west of Ballarat in the outer suburb of Mitchell Park, Victoria, Australia. Flights to Echuca
Pilot training was first offered on the Ballarat Common in 1914-15. In 1934 the airport was formalised with the construction of a tin hangar.
In 1940 the site was resumed by the Commonwealth of Australia and a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) airfield known as Empire Air Training Scheme No 1 Wireless Air Gunners School was established (EATS 1 WAGS) at the Ballarat Showgrounds on 22 April 1940.
The hangar already on the site was relocated to the Commonwealth Flax Mill, and four Bellman hangars and numerous "P"-type hut buildings were erected. In mid-1940 the Wireless Air Gunners School relocated to the aerodrome. During its operation as a WAGS the wireless operators were mainly trained in panel vans and, from mid-1941, in CAC Wackett trainer aircraft.
The Wackett was used up until 1941 and then the Avro Anson was used up until 1945. The Avro Anson was a twin engine model, coloured yellow for training purposes. The plane was flown around the regions of Ballarat, and western Victoria.
No 1 WAGS was disbanded on 31 December 1945.
Unlike many other EATS sites the RAAF retained the airfield as its Radio School until 1961. The then-Shire of Ballarat negotiated with the Department of Interior to become the civil operator of the airfield and sought the maintenance on site of the hangars and other structures, however a majority of the P Huts were sold by the Commonwealth.
In 2006 the aerodrome was recommended for listing on the Victorian Heritage Register due to its ability to illustrate the Empire Air Training Scheme in Victoria. The site was included on the register on 27 July 2007.
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Wikipedia