Hughes Airfield
Hughes Airfield | |||||||||||
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Location | Hughes, Northern Territory | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 12°41′20.13″S 131°05′21.11″E / 12.6889250°S 131.0891972°ECoordinates: 12°41′20.13″S 131°05′21.11″E / 12.6889250°S 131.0891972°E | ||||||||||
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Hughes Airfield Location of airport in Northern Territory | |||||||||||
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Hughes Airfield (32 Mile) is an airfield in the Northern Territory of Australia located in the locality of Hughes.[1] It was constructed during World War II for military use. The airfield now functions as a base for aerial firefighting aircraft to protect the outer rural suburbs of Darwin.
The airfield was built by the U.S. Army engineering unit, the , from 10 March 1942 until 13 April 1942. The runway was 5,000 feet (1,500 m) long and 100 feet (30 m) wide.[2]
World War II use[]
Units based at Hughes Airfield[]
- No. 2 Squadron RAAF
- No. 13 Squadron RAAF
- No. 34 Squadron RAAF (15 July 1942 – 27 August 1942)
- No. 82 Squadron RAAF
Japanese Bombing Raids against Hughes Airfield[]
- 23 August 1942 (12:12 pm)
- 26 November 1942 (03.20 a.m.)
- 27 November 1942 (03:56 - 04:46 am)
Present Day[]
On 5 September 2011, the Hughes Airfield was added to the Northern Territory Heritage Register.[3]
On 25 January 2012, the Northern Territory Government awarded a contract to repair and resurface the airstrip to Downer EDI Works.[4] This will better enable access to the strip for the Air Tractor AT-802 water-bombing aircraft, operated from the strip by Bushfires NT since 2009.[5] In addition to the resurfacing works, a water tank has also been installed on site, allowing mobile pumps to be used to load firefighting aircraft.[6]
It has been proposed that construction of the new satellite city of Weddell to the northwest should include a general aviation airport separate from Darwin International Airport. While no formal commitment to building a new general aviation facility in the Greater Darwin area has yet been made by the Northern Territory Government, the runway alignment of 11/29 at Hughes is the preferred option for such a concept.[7]
References[]
- ^ "WWII Hughes Airfield". Heritage Register. Northern Territory Government. 5 September 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
- ^ Dunn, Peter. "HUGHES AIRFIELD, NT (32 MILE) DURING WWII". www.ozatwar.com. Peter Dunn. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- ^ Hampton, Karl Rio (5 September 2011). "Heritage Conservation Act DECLARATION OF HERITAGE PLACE WWII HUGHES AIRFIELD" (PDF). Northern Territory of Australia Government Gazette. Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- ^ "502 Bad Gateway". www.onbid.org. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
- ^ "Wartime airfield in another battle role". Northern Territory News. 13 June 2009.
- ^ "Hughes Airstrip". Northern Territory Bushfire Volunteers. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
External links[]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hughes Airfield, Northern Territory. |
- Former Royal Australian Air Force bases
- World War II airfields in Australia
- Airports established in 1942
- 1942 establishments in Australia
- Northern Territory Heritage Register
- Australian military stubs
- Australian airport stubs
- Military aviation stubs
- Northern Territory stubs