Old Bar Airfield, Heritage-listed airstrip in Old Bar, Australia
Old Bar Airfield is a grass airstrip with a compacted clay base located near Old Bar Beach on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. The runway stretches across the landscape with enough width to accommodate the general aviation operations and emergency landings that have taken place here over the decades.
The airfield emerged in the 1920s as a landing site for early aircraft and became a strategic asset during World War II as an emergency landing and refueling point for the Royal Australian Air Force. Its role in aviation infrastructure shaped regional development during that period.
The November 1930 Air Pageant gathered 35 planes at the airfield, including aircraft piloted by Australian aviation pioneers Charles Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm.
The airfield is located near Old Bar Beach and is maintained by the local council to ensure its continued preservation and accessibility. Visitors should be aware this is an active aviation facility where flight operations may still occur.
The site hosted a major aviation gathering in 1930 that drew pioneering pilots from across the region, demonstrating its importance in early Australian aviation. This event marked a high point in the airfield's role within the broader aviation landscape of that era.
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