Flying high at Tooradin

By Jim Mynard
HAREWOOD Airfield, about five kilometres east of Tooradin, on the South Gippsland Highway, helps make up one of the most historic spots in the south east.
Heritage listed Harewood Maines, the first home built on the Kooweerup Swamp, adjoins the airport.
William Lyall selected the site on a sandy ridge during the 1850s to build a hunting lodge among a sea of beautiful ferns and estuaries alive with swans and other birds.
He released English hares into the environment to provide quarry for hunting parties.
Thus the name Harewood Maines.
Lyall later extended the lodge, brought his family to Harewood, and became a leading pioneer farmer and businessman.
During the mid 20th century its ownership went to the Balas family, and Glenn Balas still owns the section on which the airfield operates.
Glenn’s father Hugh was a keen pilot, and from that the airfield grew and became home to the Tooradin Recreational Flying School.
Gary Morrison owns the school, and Ian Loveridge is the chief flying instructor. Flying goes on all day every day.
This fascinating mixture of the heritage homestead next to a busy flying school, the popular Wings and Fins Restaurant, and for good measure a ship sitting on the foreshore in the background has given the whole scene iconic status.
Probably more questions have been asked about who owns the ship and how it came to be at Harewood, and as many versions told, than about any other landmark in the east.
Ship enthusiast and builder of the ill-fated Darwin Princess, Max Curtin, and the late Ron Mantel, brought the ship to Harewood many years ago, but plans for its future were set aside.
Today, Ian says, people can fly in for a meal, and the establishment is open to passing traffic.
The restaurant is open Tuesday to Sunday and provides a good bite.
The flying school owns the four Jabiru aircraft used for training.
These are Australian made, built at Bundaberg in Queensland.
“They are registered with Recreation Aviation Australia (RA-AUS), and the school is open seven days a week,” Ian said.
“We start flying at 7.30am to just before last light.”
The school has two full-time instructors and three part timers.
Ian said the airport was ideal for training because of its runway layout.
“We have several cross wind runways, and only a really strong wind stops us flying.
“With our position we are free of air traffic control involvement with commercial flying.
“Generally there is no sitting on the taxi runways waiting for a clearance, and this means more flying time for the student dollars,” he said.
Ian said recreational flying was the fastest growing category in Australian aviation because it was relatively affordable.
“Our aircraft are all fairly new as opposed to general aviation where planes are at least five years old.
“Students are not required to hold an aviation medical certificate.
“If their health is adequate for a car licence they can train to become a recreation pilot.
“Once they achieve their pilot’s certificate and cross country licence they are free to travel anywhere in Australia, with the exception of restricted zones,” he said.
A recreational pilot can comfortably circumnavigate Australia but is restricted to a two-seat recreational aircraft, must travel during daylight, and in appropriate weather.
Once a pilot has reached this level of training he or she can move to the next level and obtain a private pilot licence.
Ian said a recreational licence was a good and cost-effective way to start an aviation career.
He said the minimum requirement for a recreational licence was 20 hours training and five hours solo.
“We have students from school age to mature age.
“We have a lad ready to go solo now but he has to wait until he is 15,” he said.
People can check the web for updated information on the school.
Ian said people interested in flying could start by doing a trial introductory flight with an instructor.
“The instructor will take off and land and the student is able to fly the plane once in the air.
“This enables people to get the feel of the aeroplane and what it is like to fly.
“Usually this is a full hour flight,” he said.
Harewood has a charter service and provides aeroplane flights to anywhere someone wants to go.
The most popular flights are for fishing trips to Flinders Island. These are dream trips for keen anglers and include accommodation and deep sea fishing on the luxury charter boat Catapult.
Guests fly from Tooradin to Lady Barron Airfield on Flinders Island, where the afternoon is free time.
The next day is set aside for fishing from Catapult and the last day is for fishing along the river bank until the flight home at 3.30pm.
Tiger Moth flights are available from Tooradin on weekends.
The double winger flights can be either scenic or aerobatic, and scenic flights can be taken in a Cessna or GA-8 Airvan.
A helicopter service owned by the company is based at the Phillip Island Airfield just past Newhaven and offers spectacular scenic flights.
He said the Jarrow Helicopter service also had space at the airfield.
Some private planes and a sky diving service are based at Tooradin Airfield, so it is a reasonably busy airport.
“People who fly in to dine at the Wings and Fins are not charged landing fees, and Avgas is available for visiting aircraft.
“We also have an aviation maintenance facility,” he said.
The nearest airfield is the flying club at Tyabb.
Training flights are over French Island or over the mainland east of Harewood.
Ian said the school was all about flying for fun and provided a great stepping stone for young people to consider a career in aviation.
“Because of the location we do not have issues with neighbours over noise and we can be open 24 hours a day.
Lights are always on the approaches to both main runways, one over water and one over Kooweerup, but planes are still at high level as they go over Kooweerup.
“Our main runway is 1000 metres long and can accommodate single and twin engine planes. We even get an occasional jet fly in,” he said.