Lightning Ridge Aerodrome/Airport

Prior to the construction ot the Lightning Ridge Airporr, innovative solutions were required from pilots. In 1921, First World War fighter pilot Captain Wilson landed his plane in Morilla Street, parking in front of what is now the Wallangulla Motel. Crowds flocked to see the plane, and Wilson spent the afternoon giving joy rides for a quid apiece. Goyer Henry set down in Opal Street in 1932. In 1958, instructor Billy Benbow taxied his Cessna to the pub.

A formal airstrip was surveyed in 1963 by Alex Clough of the Gunnedah Soils Department, though for many years it was nothing but bare dirt. It wasn’t until 1993, thirty years later, that the runway was sealed and guidance lighting installed.

Airlines began flying to Lightning Ridge in December 1967 with just a handful of allocated seats. Later, Hazelton Airlines and Air Link continued the service, connecting Ridge residents to Dubbo and beyond. Air Link continues to service to this day.

Article: Edited by Russell Gawthorpe. LRHS research compiled by Len Cram and Barbara Moritz. Sources: Lightning Flash Newspaper, 3 April 1980, 19 December 1993.