Maitland Airport
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Maitland Airport Russell Field |
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||||||
| Owner/Operator | Royal Newcastle Aero Club | ||||||||||||||||||
| Serves | Maitland, Lower Hunter Valley | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Rutherford, New South Wales, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 85 ft / 26 m | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 32°42′12″S 151°29′18″E / 32.70333°S 151.48833°ECoordinates: 32°42′12″S 151°29′18″E / 32.70333°S 151.48833°E | ||||||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||||||
 YMND
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| Runways | |||||||||||||||||||
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Sources: Australian AIP and aerodrome chart
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Maitland Airport, also known as Russell Field (IATA: MTL, ICAO: YMND) is a general aviation airport located in the suburb of Rutherford, approximately 5 km (3.1 mi) from Maitland in the Australian state of New South Wales. There are currently no airline services, with the airfield catering mostly to general aviation and recreational category aircraft. The airport has been owned and operated by the Royal Newcastle Aero Club since 1963 and shares a large training area with the nearby Cessnock Airport. Throughout its history, the airport has played host to many airshows, races and flying competitions. The field is named for the fifth President of the Royal Newcastle Aero Club, Robert Russell, who suffered a fatal heart attack while on the premises in 1966.
In 1948, the Rutherford site was chosen by Maitland Aero Club to build an airfield. By 1957, the club was defunct and the land acquired by the flourishing Royal Newcastle Aero Club. Both organisations shared close ties, with the former club having been formed by RNAC members. By 1963 urban development meant that the Broadmeadow Aerodrome site was no longer viable as the RNACs base of operations and all headquarters and flying activities were relocated to Maitland Airport. A second runway was added in 1968, and sealed in 1972. The main runway, 05/23 was sealed in 1977. Additional land was purchased by the club to the east and west of the airport between 1977 and 1979 to create buffer zones and limit development on the fringes.
During the 1980s, a local company called Club Air linked the airport with Sydney using two 14 seat Australian built GAF Nomad aircraft. These services were discontinued after the company was purchased by Wings Australia and the aircraft retired around 1990.Yanda Airlines also offered commuter flights between Maitland and Sydney from 1988 until the airline's Air Operators Certificate was suspended by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority in 2001 and the company wrapped up.
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