Gillieston Heights, AU 🇦🇺 Closed Airport
AU-0683
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- ft
AU-NSW
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Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: -32.756699° N, 151.529999° E
Continent: OC
Type: Closed Airport
Keywords: YWMD YWMD
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Operations were largely phased out starting in the early 1960s. The site was officially closed and progressively redeveloped for housing from the late 1980s through the early 1990s.
The closure was driven by two main factors: 1) The primary operator, the Royal Newcastle Aero Club, relocated to the superior, all-weather Maitland Airport (YMND) at nearby Rutherford. 2) The land was subsequently rezoned and sold for a large, lucrative suburban housing development, driven by the urban expansion of Maitland.
The site of the former airport has been completely redeveloped and is now a dense residential housing estate within the suburb of Gillieston Heights. The layout of the former runways and taxiways is now covered by streets, including Redwood Drive, Avery Street, and sections of Cessnock Road. There are no remaining traces of any airport infrastructure such as hangars, terminals, or runway surfaces.
The airport, historically known as Gillieston Heights Aerodrome, holds significance as the former home of the Royal Newcastle Aero Club (RNAC) from 1963. The club relocated here after its original airfield at Broadmeadow, Newcastle, was closed. For several years, it was a vital hub for general aviation and flight training in the Hunter Region. Operations consisted of ab-initio and advanced pilot training, private aircraft hire, and social club flying. The fleet included classic training aircraft of the era such as the de Havilland Tiger Moth and Chipmunk, before transitioning to more modern types. The airfield itself had unsealed grass runways. It should not be confused with the current and active Maitland Airport (YMND) in Rutherford, which is also sometimes referred to as West Maitland.
There are no prospects for reopening the airport. The land has been fully and irreversibly converted to high-density residential use, making a return to aviation operations at this location impossible.