posted on Nov, 14 2010 @ 11:59 PM
I used to live inside the ACT adminstrative area of Jervis Bay. First. Jervis Bay is also an active Naval Training area, and even I in my time saw the
odd missle flare in the sky. Also the Royal New Zealand Airforce often 'hops' over the ditch to train in both anti shipping strikes and practicing
coastal penetrations. So there is a reason for a large number of facilities, that at sometimes appear to be run on a skeleton staff, but then the
place fills up during exercises.
Because 'technically' Jervis Bay is 'adminstratively' part of the A.C.T. its operates under Federal Commonwealth Law, making it easier to shut
down the place during live fire exercises and apply various Federal Commonwealth laws during exercises.
The airfields you describe, well 'they' are large and small, but for a reason. Once upon a time in a galaxy far far away the Royal Australian Navy
had a carrier fleet, the carriers home port was Sydney whereas the naval Aviation Station for the Naval Air Wings is HMAS Albatross to the North of
Jervis Bay at Nowra.
Aircraft woukld be 'flown off' the carriers to their Naval Station at Albatross and the Carriers would berth in Sydney, and vicea versa when the
carriers left Sydney, the air wings would 'fly in/on board'.
Now. Australia only really ever had a 2 carrier fleet (at one time it was 3 borrowing a UK carrier HMS Ocean), and in the end it was reduced to 1
carrier HMAS Melbourne which was upgraded with an angled deck, steam catapaults, mirror landing aids, whereas the old HMAS Sydney Carrier was not
converted for jet operations but became a fast troop transport (also known as the Vung Tau Ferry for its troop, vehicle and equipment runs to
Vietnam)
a 1 carrier fleet was useless for 'training' and having a 'deployment ability'.
The British Pacific Carrier Fleet was going to home port out of Jervis Bay before the atom bomb removed the need to 'invade' Japan, and 'satellite
fields were build for the British carriers aircraft.
I dont know if any of you guys have ever seen the size of HMAS Melbourne our 'carrier'... it was a baby... with a deck the size of a postage stamp.
and I mean small fellas, these Fleet Air Arm pilots had some balls. Especially the S-2 Tracker pilots (a twin engine anti submarine plane) there was
literally metres to spare for the wing tips. As the Skyhawk pilots, again, all balls, as this carrier was a World War 2 design for aircraft operating
much slower and with less weight.
So to qualify, 'a fake aircraft carrier deck' the size of Melbournes was painted out on the large runway you mention for them to get used to one
hell of a landing and give them some room for 'mistakes'.
Now it is 3 years since I left Jervis Bay (I've returned 'home to far North Queensland), but last I knew, and I know it to be true, as Australia no
longer has any fixed wing naval aircraft (just helicopters) both Albatross and the sateliite dispersal and training runways are a bit redundant... ...
except for the Austramy Army parachute school also uses HMAS Albatross. I regularly used to see a single Air Force Caribou on the runways you mention
doing 'small stick load' training, also contained in that base is the Navy's survival school.
As far as I'm concerned there is no 'Area 51' type stuff going on... Its too open and accessable. Its just a well maintained and adminstered area.