| Iata | PPI |
|---|---|
| Icao | YPIR |
| Operator | Port Pirie Regional Council |
| Location | Pirie East, South Australia[1] |
| Elevation-f | 39 |
| Coordinates | 33°14′20″S 137°59′42″E |
| Metric-rwy | Y |
| R1-number | 08/26 |
| R1-length-m | 1,043 |
| R1-surface | Bitumen |
| R2-number | 17/35 |
| R2-length-m | 1,069 |
| R2-surface | Gravel |
| R3-number | 03/21 |
| R3-length-m | 672 |
| R3-surface | Grass |
Port Pirie Airport 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.
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
- ^ "Search result for "Port Pirie Aerodrome, AF" (Record no SA0040648) with the following layers selected – "Suburbs and Localities"". Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure. Archived from the original on 12 October 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ^ , Aeronautical Chart
- ^ RAAF Museum details for Port Pirie
- ^ Fairey Battles buried at Port Pirie
- ^ Newsletter of the Australasian Society for Historical Archaeology Inc.