WESTERN NSW residents might see low-flying aircraft over the next few weeks as the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) performs a series of checks at local airports and aerodromes.
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Dubbo airport is one of 16 across NSW that will undergo checks conducted by CASA to make sure instrument procedure flight paths are safe.
Among other local airports and aerodromes to be checked between November 30 and December 7 are Cobar, Condobolin, Coonamble, Narromine, Nyngan and Parkes.
A twin-engine Cessna Conquest aircraft would carry out the safety checks within an area up to 35 kilometres from the aerodromes. Low-level flying was an essential part of the safety exercise, according to CASA, with the aircraft down as low as several hundred feet at times.
A CASA spokesperson said local residents may notice an uncommon flying pattern, but that was to make sure obstacles were accurately marked on charts and no new obstacles existed. CASA required aerodrome flight path safety checks to be carried out every three years to maintain a high level of air safety. If poor weather or other factors did not allow the safety checks to go ahead on the planned days they would be carried out as soon as possible. CASA has contracted the operation of the special check flights out to Corporate Air, one of Australia's largest and longest-established aviation services providers.
