Wellington Shire today announced new partnerships with the Royal Australian Air Force and Federation Training that the council believes will make West Sale Airport a key player in aviation.
West Sale Airport sits beneath the RAAF East Sale control zone and during the week is controlled from East Sale tower. It is home to several general aviation companies.
The new partnerships announced today will see the RAAF Air Academy make more use of the airport and Federation Training relocate facilities from Essendon to Fulham TAFE campus, made possible by a $6 million upgrade that includes a runway extension and a new lighting system.
"This runway extension and lighting upgrade, funded both by council and the state government, brings the West Sale Airport up to the high standard required by RAAF Air Academy," said Wellington Shire Mayor Alan Hall, "and with the addition of Federation Training, provides an attractive investment opportunity for aviation businesses and investors."
Federation Training will expand its aeroskills course and relocate the avionics training to West Sale, whilst moving their non-aeroskills training into the new TAFE building at Port of Sale, which will free up more airport land for development.
According to Hall, West Sale is becoming a major aviation centre that he believes will be attractive to aviation companies.
"Opportunities abound here in Wellington Shire for solid investment, state-of-the-art facilities, located only two hours from Melbourne, but also offering the best of what a rural lifestyle has to offer."
RAAF East Sale has been the home to the RAAF Central Flying School for many years, and since the closure of Basic Flight Training at Tamworth, will become the home of all basic training and flight screening for the Australian Defence Force.