Airways Museum Virtual Tour - Mildura Flight Service Console

With time Aeradio operators came to acquire additional duties and responsibilities, and in 1966 the service was restructured to become Flight Service. The duties of the Flight Service Officer were pre-flight pilot briefing, sending and receiving traffic and operational information to and from aircraft in flight, search and rescue alerting, weather observations and reporting and monitoring of navigation aids.

At the same time, the miscellany of mainly war-surplus equipment was replaced with purpose-built units. Typical of the equipment installed at Flight Service Units (FSUs) throughout regional Australia from the late 1960s, this two-man console was in use at Mildura, Vic, from 1969 until 1984.

The console electronics are of modular construction, as opposed to earlier hard-wired installations, enabling ease of maintenance. The large dial in the centre of the console is a sensitive barometer indicating QNH.

The drawer in the centre contains a CR-6 HF receiver as an emergency backup. The main VHF and HF receivers were located in a nearby equipment room. Because of the vast distances of the Australian interior, HF played (an still plays) an important part in the domestic aviation communications network.

The Mildura FSU was closed down in 1990 as part of a program to consolidate all outstation units into major capital city Centres.

News! Power was restored to the Mildura Flight Service console at the Airways Museum on Tuesday 28 July 2009 for the first time in more than 20 years. This has enabled some of the lights and switches to function, and the CR-6 to operate. Although reception is a bit limited inside the Museum without a proper antenna, the Essendon NDB can be recieved loud and clear.

Airways Museum Virtual Tour - Mildura Flight Service Console

With time Aeradio operators came to acquire additional duties and responsibilities, and in 1966 the service was restructured to become Flight Service. The duties of the Flight Service Officer were pre-flight pilot briefing, sending and receiving traffic and operational information to and from aircraft in flight, search and rescue alerting, weather observations and reporting and monitoring of navigation aids. At the same time, the miscellany of mainly war-surplus equipment was replaced with purpose-built units. Typical of the equipment installed at Flight Service Units (FSUs) throughout regional Australia from the late 1960s, this two-man console was in use at Mildura, Vic, from 1969 until 1984. The console electronics are of modular construction, as opposed to earlier hard-wired installations, enabling ease of maintenance. The large dial in the centre of the console is a sensitive barometer indicating QNH. The drawer in the centre contains a CR-6 HF receiver as an emergency backup. The main VHF and HF receivers were located in a nearby equipment room. Because of the vast distances of the Australian interior, HF played (an still plays) an important part in the domestic aviation communications network. The Mildura FSU was closed down in 1990 as part of a program to consolidate all outstation units into major capital city Centres. News! Power was restored to the Mildura Flight Service console at the Airways Museum on Tuesday 28 July 2009 for the first time in more than 20 years. This has enabled some of the lights and switches to function, and the CR-6 to operate. Although reception is a bit limited inside the Museum without a proper antenna, the Essendon NDB can be recieved loud and clear.
Use red/blue 3D glasses to view the image below!


	Left: 'On watch' in Mildura FSU - click on the image for a larger version.
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