Port Pirie Airport

Port Pirie Airport (IATA: PPI, ICAO: YPIR) is an airport that is located 3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) south[2] of Port Pirie, South Australia, Australia. The airport is owned by the Port Pirie Regional Council.

Port Pirie Airport
Bellman hangar at the airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorPort Pirie Regional Council
LocationPirie East, South Australia[1]
Elevation AMSL39 ft / 12 m
Coordinates33°14′20″S 137°59′42″E
Map
YPIR
Location in South Australia
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
08/26 1,043 3,422 Bitumen
17/35 1,069 3,507 Gravel
03/21 672 2,205 Grass
Sources: Australian AIP and aerodrome chart[2]

History

The airfield was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) station and home to No. 2 Bombing and Gunnery School (No. 2 BAGS) during World War II. No. 2 BAGS provided bombing and gunnery training for pilots, air observers and air gunners. No. 2 Operational Training Unit was formed at Port Pirie on 6 April 1942, and operated initially with Wirraways and Fairey Battles at the aerodrome until it moved to Mildura, Victoria in May 1942. No. 2 BAGS was renamed No. 3 Air Observers School in December 1943. After World War II, the station housed No. 5 Central Recovery Depot where aircraft and parts were stored until disposal. The station closed in early 1947, with the aerodrome reverting to civilian use thereafter.[3][4] A Bellman hangar is still standing at the airport and is in good condition, it remains in use by light aircraft based at the airport.[5]

See also

References
  1. "Search result for "Port Pirie Aerodrome, AF" (Record no SA0040648) with the following layers selected - "Suburbs and Localities"". Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  2. YPIR – Port Pirie (PDF). AIP En Route Supplement from Airservices Australia, effective 05 Nov 2020, Aeronautical Chart
  3. RAAF Museum details for Port Pirie
  4. Fairey Battles buried at Port Pirie
  5. Newsletter of the Australasian Society for Historical Archaeology Inc.


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