Flying High at Parafield Parafield, South Australia, Australia
By ParisLaura on 08-Apr-18. Waypoint GA12072

This is a traditional cache not a movable, and needs to remain at its location

This cache has been hidden during the GCA GeosportZ 2018 geocaching games which is based on sports of the 2018 Commonwealth Games. 

Please be aware there are cameras nearby at all entrances to the airport so you may be photographed while retrieving the cache!

Parafield Airport History 

Parafield Airport was first used as an "all over" aerodrome in 1927, when Miller Aviation Company (later MacRobertson Miller Airways in Western Australia) and Australian Aerial Services moved from "the main aerodrome" at Albert Park. Later that year, on 26 November 1927, the Royal Aero Club of South Australia built a hangar at Parafield, and bought two aircraft for passenger and training purposes. On May 29, 1929 two De Havilland Hercules Airlines, carrying 21 passengers, arrived at Parafield from Perth on the inaugural flight of the East-West Service. On October 1, 1929, 16 aircraft landed at Parafield in the course of the East-West Air Race from Sydney to Perth.

At the end of hostilities in World War II, the airfield plus numerous buildings were handed back to the Department of Civil Aviation and it continued to operate as the only civil airport for Adelaide until Adelaide Airport was opened for regular public transport (RPT) operations on February 16, 1955. Parafield was to become the secondary airport and training field.

In the early 1980's the Federal Government was laying the foundation for privatisation of its airports. The final stage of the program took place at midnight of 28 May 1998 when PAL commenced the long term leasing of Parafield, inheriting identified staff, facilities and equipment.

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