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Port Pirie Airport

Coordinates: 33°14′20″S 137°59′42″E / 33.23889°S 137.99500°E / -33.23889; 137.99500
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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 / 33.23889°S 137.99500°E / -33.23889; 137.99500
Map
YPIR is located in South Australia
YPIR
YPIR
Location in South Australia
Map
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]

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.

History

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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

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References

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  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. ^ a b YPIR – Port Pirie (PDF). AIP En Route Supplement from Airservices Australia, effective 13 June 2024, 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.