Departure
96%
vs 95% ▲ 1
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
West Sale Airport (YWSL) lies a few nautical miles west of Sale in Victoria's Gippsland region, just off the Princes Highway, and is operated by Wellington Shire Council as a general aviation and business aviation hub. It offers a long sealed east-west runway alongside two grass strips, making it a versatile destination for visiting VFR and light commercial traffic in a part of Victoria closely associated with military and civil flight training.
West Sale Airport is a council-owned aerodrome serving the town of Sale in Victoria's Gippsland region. It combines a sealed all-weather runway with two grass cross-strips and hosts a mix of general aviation, business aviation and aerospace-industry activity, making it a practical and interesting stop for the visiting sim pilot given its wartime pedigree and its proximity to the active military airfield at RAAF Base East Sale.
The airfield sits about 5 nautical miles west of Sale, Victoria, just off the Princes Highway. It lies close to RAAF Base East Sale, and the surrounding airspace can at times be activated and controlled from East Sale's air traffic control, so pilots should be alert to temporary airspace restrictions in the vicinity when planning a flight to or from West Sale.
West Sale has three physical runways. The main runway, 09/27, is a hard-surfaced, lit strip of roughly 4,992-4,993 feet, suitable for general aviation and most regional turboprop traffic. Two grass runways complement this: 14/32, at 2,685 feet and lit, and 05/23, at 2,046 feet and lit. There is no ILS at the field.
The common traffic advisory frequency is 118.3 MHz. Sale Approach operates on 123.3 MHz, and Sale Clearance Delivery is available on 133.6 MHz. Melbourne Centre, providing flight service, can be reached on 124 MHz. There is no instrument landing system at West Sale.
Specific published circuit heights and joining procedures are not detailed in the available material, but pilots should note that airspace around West Sale can be activated and controlled by RAAF Base East Sale's air traffic control at certain times, which may affect circuit and transit planning in the local area.
The aerodrome was requisitioned by the Royal Australian Air Force in 1941 and operated during the Second World War as RAAF Base West Sale, also known as RAAF Station West Sale. It was home to No. 3 Bombing and Gunnery School and an Air Gunnery School until December 1945, when it was returned to its civilian owners. From 1991 to 2016 the airport stored eleven Grumman S-2 Tracker anti-submarine aircraft formerly operated by the Royal Australian Navy's Fleet Air Arm. The Gippsland Armed Forces Museum is located on the airport site today.
West Sale Airport is one of two airports operated by Wellington Shire Council and is regarded as a high-standard general aviation facility supporting business investment, training and employment in the Gippsland region. The main sealed runway, 09/27, was upgraded to accommodate aircraft up to Dash 8 Q400 size under the airport's master planning process. The field sits within a wider Sale aviation cluster that includes RAAF Base East Sale and a number of aerospace companies such as Lockheed Martin, Pilatus, Airflite, Hawker Pacific and CHC Helicopters, which maintain a presence in the area. Prior permission may be required for some operations at the airport.