Donnington Airpark
| Donnington Airpark Woodstock Airport |
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|---|---|---|---|
IATA: none – ICAO: YDOP
 Donnington
Airpark Donnington
Airpark (Queensland) |
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| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Operator | R.H & D.I Smith | ||
| Location | Woodstock, Queensland, Australia | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 250 ft / 76 m | ||
| Coordinates | 19°36′04″S 146°50′27″E / 19.60111°S 146.84083°E | ||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| m | ft | ||
| 11/292 | 1,524 | 5,000 | Grass |
| Source: AIP Enroute Supplement [1] | |||
Donnington Airpark[1] (ICAO: YDOP) is located on the Flinders Highway at Woodstock, a suburb of Townsville, Queensland in Australia. It is also called Woodstock Airport and is known for its airshows.
There are rumours that it was built in 1942, and that the hard surfaced wartime runways have been removed, along with all of the buildings and former wartime structures. This is not true. Donnington Airpark was NOT a World War II airstrip. The airpark and associated grass runways were constructed on virgin bushland by Ray Smith in 1969, as a satellite airfield to Townsville, for general aviation. It has never had a sealed surface. There are other airfields in the Woodstock area. This correction has been added to this article on behalf of the owner Ray Smith.
The Donnington Country Fly-In, later known as the Donnington Airshow & Country fly-In, was held annually at Donnington Airpark from 1979 to 1993 inclusive. It showcased a wide range of aircraft types, from ultralights and gyrocopters to commercial, military and Warbirds, with associated historic vehicle displays, trade displays and entertainment. The event was held as a fund-raiser for the Near & Far Auxiliary of the RFDS and was the longest-running privately-organised airshow in North Queensland.
[edit] World War II
During World War II, the United States Army Air Force Fifth Air Force may well have used an airfield in the vicinity of Woodstock during 1942 and 1943. More research will be needed to identify which airfields may have been used. American units assigned to this area were:[2]
- 22d Bombardment Group, (Headquarters) (5 July 1942 – 29 September 1942; 4 February 1943-October 1943)
- 19th Bombardment Squadron, B-26 Marauder (4 July-15 September 1942; 4 February-11 July 1943)
- 33d Bombardment Squadron, B-26 Marauder (20 July-29 September 1942; 4 February-15 October 1943)
- 408th Bombardment Squadron, B-26 Marauder (20 July-29 September 1942; 4 February-15 October 1943)
- 35th Fighter Squadron, Curtiss P-40 (8th Fighter Group) (29 June-17 July 1942)
- 39th Fighter Squadron, P-38 Lightning (35th Fighter Group), (25 April-2 June 1942)
[edit] See also
[edit] References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
- ^ a b YDOP – DONNINGTON AIRPARK (PDF). AIP En Route Supplement from Airservices Australia, effective 17 November 2011
- ^ Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN 0-89201-097-5
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