Changes at MKT
Jun 2
posted by Mark Christie in
MKT Airfield, TEFC, Top End Flying Club, Flying School
| 0 Comments
I attended the monthly meeting last Friday and it was entertaining and productive with a great salad and sausage sizzzle to top it off. Thanks to Arti. We learnt that MKT will be covered in 1km of bitumen in about two weeks time and this will be paid by friends of MKT without any external funding from taxpayers to top up, prop up or support this massive infrastructure investment.
It's funny that millions are spent to support small airstrips for communities of less than 100 people and yet with a resident community of aviatiors larger than some of these small communities we independently and legally establish, maintain and improve facilities that are used by hundreds and hundreds of pilots for a variety of flying activities.
With fuel facilities, a bitumen strip on arguably the best ridge location (solid rock and dirt underneath - not swampy marshlands of the Elizabeth River delta) and a renewed vigour to expand and improve the hangar accomodation status of MKT, the physical infrastructure improvements confirm MKT's role as the alternaive light aircraft destination to Darwin.
On another note - The flying school, which is now an entity independant of the Top End Flying Club has two aircraft, both Jabirus for training and the number of new pilots and club members is impressive. I think this model of building a club identity with the school incubated within the club and then, when ready established independantly is the way to go. The club assets like buildings, hangars and clubrooms provide that sense of belonging and atmosphere that are important to maintaining a learning environment that is stimulating for the students.
In Darwin, the aviation institute provided a bridge between those students starting out and the old and bolds... I see MKT transforming into a location like that where independant operations like flying schools (trikes, RA-Aus, Gyro?) and the GA operations, maintenance all perform their roles, but the club, the Top End Flying Club provides the social destination where the end of day debrief or quiet drink can be carried out among friends.
Our curious want to be pilots and those who have been there, done that and now just want to swap yarns have a place to come to and feel welcome. That's MKT, that's the Top end Flying club.
On a boring computer note... I have moved our minutes into a new free location provided by Microsoft and if you are a member you will be receiving an invitation to that site. The current ning site that we use is changing to a charged model so I have had to whittle down some of the members who are no longer participating in the club at MKT and some who never were members.
This blog on TEFC remains completely open to all and although not necessarily the source of truth on all matters TEFC is a place where we try to provide updates out to those who read this blog.
On an even more boring money note (but an extremely important one) ... TEFC memberships are due at the end of this month and you will need to sign the indemnity form which specifies the conditions under which you can operate from MKT. This is to ensure that we have a common set of understood rules and that the owners of the property, the Meyerings are held harmless against any potential actions by pilots or others operating at MKT.
You can part with your money by using our great online banking system rather than giving cheques to our treasurer who also has a day job... Please make sure that you state in the little comment field "name - tefcdues 10-11" or something similar.
