Departure
96%
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MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Bendigo Airport is a regional aerodrome in East Bendigo, Victoria, about 5 kilometres northeast of the city centre, serving as the main gateway for north-central Victoria. It combines scheduled QantasLink services, a busy general aviation and flying training scene, and an Ambulance Victoria helicopter base, making it a varied and useful destination for the VFR pilot.
Bendigo Airport sits on the eastern edge of the city of Bendigo, Victoria, and functions as the principal airport for north-central Victoria, drawing traffic from a wide catchment that extends into southern New South Wales and regional centres such as Shepparton, Echuca and Swan Hill. It hosts scheduled QantasLink flights to Sydney, is home to the Bendigo Flying Club and other general aviation operators, and has been a base for Ambulance Victoria's HEMS 3 helicopter since 2001. For the simulator pilot it offers a straightforward regional field with two crossing runways, a modern terminal, and a mix of airline, training and emergency-service traffic.
The airport lies in East Bendigo, close to the city's central business district, with local sources giving the distance as anywhere between about 4 and 6 kilometres. It is monitored on a common traffic advisory frequency with flight service support from Melbourne Centre, consistent with operation in non-towered Class G airspace typical of Australian regional aerodromes of this size.
Bendigo has two paired runways. The primary runway, 17/35, is 5,251 feet long with a hard surface and is lit for night operations. The secondary runway, 05/23, is 2,091 feet long, also with a hard surface, but is not lit. Local sources describe the 17/35 strip as a 1,600 metre bitumen runway 30 metres wide, and the 05/23 strip as a partially paved runway subject to restriction or closure during wet periods.
Bendigo's automatic weather information service broadcasts on 128.15 MHz. The common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) is 119.3 MHz. Flight service on 126.8 MHz is provided by Melbourne Centre. The airport does not have an ILS.
Local traffic regulations require right-hand circuits for runways 05 and 35. Circuit training is not permitted between 10pm and 7am local time. Pilots should refer to the current ERSA entry for full and up-to-date joining and circuit information before flight.
The airport lies immediately northeast of Bendigo's built-up area, close enough to the city centre to use the urban area itself as a general locating reference when inbound from the south or west.
The airfield underwent a significant upgrade in 2017 with the construction of a new 1.6 kilometre north-south runway (now 17/35), along with a new taxiway system, lighting and signage. Ambulance Victoria has based a helicopter, known as HEMS 3, at Bendigo since 2001, flown as part of the state's regional aeromedical network. Scheduled airline services to Sydney began in December 2018 with the introduction of a QantasLink route. The terminal itself was redeveloped in stages, with the first stage opening in June 2023, the old terminal subsequently demolished, and the completed new terminal opening in April 2024.
Bendigo Airport today combines scheduled QantasLink flights to Sydney with general aviation, flying training and emergency-service operations. The Bendigo Flying Club is based on the field, and the main apron immediately west of runway 17/35 is available for tie-down and short-term parking, with long-term parking available north of the fuel bowsers along taxiway Charlie; the area in front of the terminal is reserved for RPT and ambulance aircraft. Operators requiring a pavement concession, and those affected by the wet-weather restrictions on runway 05/23, should arrange this with the airport manager in advance.
