Dick Smith has made a further $8,000 donation to Aus Web Cams (myairportcams.com) to support expansion and maintenance of the aviation weather camera network, building on his initial $10,000 contribution and subsequent donations.
Aus Web Cams director Brent Christensen, who in late 2024 was named Australian Aviation’s Aviation Safety Professional of the Year, said Smith has been a long-time supporter of the network.
“Weather cameras are a passion for Dick, having invested significantly in their expansion initially back in 2016,” Christensen said.
“Dick’s passion for aviation safety has led to this latest donation and all of you out there can benefit from this. There’s a very real possibility that these cameras will save lives if they haven’t already, not to mention the economic and environmental savings as a result of the network.”
Aus Web Cams says the funding will be used primarily to purchase weather camera equipment for airports and other suitable sites, supporting safer decision-making for pilots across regional and remote locations.
The network currently includes around 1,350 cameras across more than 340 locations throughout Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
Smith’s earlier contributions helped expand Aus Web Cams into one of the largest community-supported aviation weather camera networks in the region.
Applications open for new sites and replacement equipment
Aus Web Cams has invited airports, aero clubs, hangars and other aviation locations to submit proposals for new camera installations or replacement units.
A range of equipment is available, including regular cameras, night vision models, WiFi and PoE units, routers, 4G data plans, WiFi extenders, PoE switches and replacement cameras.
While Aus Web Cams provides the equipment free of charge, applicants are responsible for installation. The organisation asks that successful applicants commit to installing the equipment within a few months, or return the equipment so it can be deployed to another location.
Once live, the cameras appear on myairportcams.com and platforms including Windy, Ventusky and Meteoblue, and are also available through EFB products including AvPlan EFB and OzRunways.
Interested parties can email cameraoffer@auswebcams.com with contact details, the proposed location, and an explanation of how the installation would improve aviation safety. Applications are also open for additional cameras at existing sites, or to replace faulty units that have not yet been repaired.