Smithton Airport
Smithton Airport | |||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | Department of State Growth | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Smithton, Tasmania | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 31 ft (9.4 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 40°50′06″S 145°05′00″E / 40.83500°S 145.08333°E | ||||||||||||||
| Maps | |||||||||||||||
  YSMI Location in Tasmania | |||||||||||||||
Interactive map of Smithton Airport | |||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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| Sources: Australian AIP and aerodrome chart[1][2] | |||||||||||||||
Smithton Airport (IATA: SIO, ICAO: YSMI) is an Australian regional airport located west of Smithton, Tasmania.[1] It is operated by the Department of State Growth. In addition to aviation uses, the airport has previously hosted a care farm and commercial goat dairy.[3] This unusual dual occpancy that allowed grazing goats on the airport grounds assisted in fire prevention and maintaining the grass for aircraft operations.[3]
History
The airfield was initially developed by the community in 1932, who paid unemployed volunteers for 200 hours of labour to clear and drain the land to prepare an aircraft landing site.[4] The first aircraft to land at the site was a Westland Wapiti of the Royal Australian Air Force on 27 February 1932.[4] On completion of further drainage works, the aerodrome was licensed and Holyman's Airways commenced services in November 1933 as a leg of the milk run connecting communities along the North West coast to Launceston.[4]
A fire that ignited in a nearby sawmill spread to the airfield in February 1947. As there was no water or firefighting equipment available on the site, the fire quickly destroyed several buildings, including an aircraft hangar.[5]
In 1953, the Department of Civil Aviation cancelled the aerodrome's operating licence, citing a lack of maintenance of the facilities by the Tasmanian Government.[6] Following significant pressure from the Circular Head Council and local aero club, funding was secured to rebuild and upgrade the airfield to handle large aircraft like the Douglas DC-4 by the middle of 1955.[7]
Accidents and incidents
- On 14 March 2003, four people were killed when a Cessna 172 crashed while operating a series of charter flights between Smithton and Trefoil Island. The aircraft, which had been carrying construction crews to the island, was overloaded when it lost engine power due to carburetor icing, leading to a stall at low altitude.[8] The victims were locals from the Smithton area including two young apprentices aged 17 and 18.[9]
References
- 1 2 YSMI – Smithton (PDF). AIP En Route Supplement from Airservices Australia, effective 9 July 2026
- ↑ Aeronautical Chart Airservices Australia
- 1 2 Lachlan Bennett (17 January 2021). "Gift of goats helps Tasmanian dairy farmer recover mental health". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 C Byrne (December 2022). "The Development of Smithton Aerodrome 1931-1944". Tasmanian Aviation Historical Society Incorporated. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
- ↑ "Fire Sweeps Smithton Aerodrome". The Advocate. Burnie, Tas. 5 February 1947. p. 4. Retrieved 5 June 2026 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "Closing of Smithton Aerodrome". The Advocate. Burnie, Tas. 14 January 1953. p. 6. Retrieved 5 June 2026 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "To rebuild Smithton aerodrome". The Examiner Launceston, Tas. 22 July 1954. p. 8. Retrieved 5 June 2026 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "Cessna 172G, VH-RPI 200300929". Australian Transport Safety Bureau. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
- ↑ "Plane crash shocks region". The Agedate=16 March 2003. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
External links