Victoria > West Inland
Castlemaine Aerodrome (YCAL)
| Type | Towing site |
| Conditions | Easterly and westerly, 0 to 12 knots |
| Height | 300m |
| Rating | Tow endorsed PG and HG |
Central Victoria, 1hr 35min drive north west of Melbourne. Either via the Calder Freeway turning off at Malsbury or Castlemaine. Or Western Freeway via Dalesford. About 4km north of Guidford turn west onto Mukleford Yapeen Road. 3km in turn south onto Meins lane. The gate to the airstrip is at the 90ยบ bend in Meins lane. Keep gates closed.
Landowners
Gary Mclure contacted by WVHGC reps Tim Preston 0405 564 206 or Marcus De Vecchi 0423 521 561
Contact/Responsible
WVHGCDescription
Castlemaine Aerodrome is an ALA (authorised landing area) general aviation dirt airstrip on the plateau above the township of Guildford. The east / west runway is about 900m, north / south about 650m. Long flights are posible if thermic. This is a small community run towing site where we share setup and driving (induction available). It is supported by the work of local WVHGC members, the VHPA and loans of a winch and other equipment. Please consider joining the WVHGC and participating in this community.
Pilots must be tow endorsed. VHF radio must be caried by ground operators and is recomended for pilots. Contact Tim Preston or Marcus De Vicchi WVHGC about towing here.
Takeoff
Tow into wind mainly on the east / west runway which is the longest. Current towing is via a payout winch and shared driving.
Runway 27
(Westerly 0 to 12kts (WNW to WSW))Runway 09
(Easterly 0 to 12kts (ENE to ESE))Landing
No landing zone on property east of the airstrip down in the valley. Now low flying or landing near the houses north of the airstrip. Due to the short strip and low tow heights if no thermal found land on the runway or adjacent fields if not in crop
Flight
Avoid flying low over the houses to the north of the airstrip. Early flights indicate thermals trigger from the airstrip and a couple of long flights have tow launched from here. Thermals may trigger from the escarpment
Hazards / Comments
HT power line running north / south about 3km west of the runway