Derby Airport (Australia)
Derby Airport | |||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | Shire of Derby/West Kimberley | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Derby, Western Australia | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 24 ft / 7 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 17°22′12″S 123°39′38″E / 17.37000°S 123.66056°E | ||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||
  YDBY Location in Western Australia | |||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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Derby Airport (IATA: DRB, ICAO: YDBY) is located 5 nautical miles (9.3 km; 5.8 mi) southeast[1] of Derby, Western Australia.
History
The site of Derby airport was first set aside for aviation uses in 1922.[2] The airfield played a key role in the search for Charles Kingsford Smith's Southern Cross following a forced landing in the Kimberley region during 1929 in an incident that would become known as the "Coffee Royal Affair".[citation needed] Aviation pioneer Norman Brearley, used aircraft of his West Australian Airways in the initial search effort flying outwards from Derby.[3]
In 1938 it was proposed that Derby be used as a base for flying boat services carrying air mail from London to Australia via Egypt and Ceylon (Sri Lanka).[4]
See also
- Curtin Airport, nearby military base which hosted commercial passenger flights to Derby
- List of airports in Western Australia
References
- ^ a b YDBY – Derby (PDF). AIP En Route Supplement from Airservices Australia, effective 21 March 2024, Aeronautical Chart
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 27 November 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ http://www.janesoceania.com/australia_historical_truestories/index.htm
- ^ "Derby May Be New Bose For Flying Boat Service". 30 October 1938. p. 1 – via Trove.
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