Page 30 - AA 2018_11

SETTING UP CAMP

o-one is being specific about classrooms in the speed we couldn’t
the amount of hard cash each have got anywhere else.”
of the players is pumping into The Qantas chief also made note
Nthe new Qantas Group Pilot of the fact one of the Wagners, John,
Academy at Wellcamp Airport, wasn’t in attendance for the big
Toowoomba. Except for Qantas itself, announcement. He was in the US,
which has pledged $20 million for somewhere on Route 66 riding a
the Queensland centre and a second Harley Davidson motorcycle. But he’ll
academy which is expected to be be back to join the rest of his family in
announced by the end of November. guiding the project to a conclusion.
But when Qantas Group chief There is little doubt Wellcamp is an
executive Alan Joyce flew into ideal site for pilot training. The airport
Toowoomba on September 28 with has a 2,870-metre single runway
local dignitaries and media aboard a capable of handling aircraft up to
chartered QantasLink Bombardier Boeing 747 size.
Dash 8 there was no doubt the Construction of the airport at the
package that snared the deal for site of a former quarry owned by the
Wellcamp had left other regional Wagner family since 1994, began
contenders floundering, for the time in April 2013, with an ambitious
being at least. timeframe for completion by October
“We won’t give that breakdown 2014, a schedule that was met,
but the vast majority is from private although the first aircraft to land
money,” explained Joyce. “It’s money there, a Beechcraft King Air owned
from Qantas, L3 and the Wagners and piloted by John Wagner, touched
(the family company which built down on November 22 2013.
Wellcamp in 19 months and is The airport has been able to
building the new facility). The state label itself as international since, in
government has helped and that is November 2015, the first 747, a Cathay
part of what you usually get in these Pacific freighter, made a brief stop en
types of investments. There are huge route from Sydney to Hong Kong to
benefits to local communities and collect produce bound for China. A
huge benefits to the state which will be year later that became a weekly service
recouped multiple times over by the operating direct from Wellcamp to
state government. These investments Hong Kong (the first cargo export
do make a return.” booking from Toowoomba was for a
The total investment at Wellcamp live crocodile).
is understood to be around In 2017, Wellcamp handled
$35 million. 157,000 passengers (a 25.9 per cent
What is known is that L3, a major growth from the previous year), which
global pilot training organisation, made it only the 33rd busiest regional
is investing a significant amount in airport in Australia. That means
aircraft and training equipment. The plenty of room and blue Queensland
Wagner Corporation – an Australian- skies for training.
owned business, established in 1989 The type of training aircraft that
by Henry, John, Denis, Neill, and will be used has not yet been decided.
Joe Wagner, has a reputation for But L3 has plenty of experience.
delivering high-quality products and Formerly CTC Aviation, the Sussex,
services internationally… and on time. UK-based business was renamed L3
It is investing a significant amount Commercial Aviation after being taken
in the facilities, including hangar, over by L3 Electronic Systems.
classrooms and accommodation, and The new L3 Commercial Aviation
few doubt the academy will be up and has pilot training academies in the
running when promised in July next UK at Bournemouth, Coventry and
year. Southampton, in Portugal and Italy,
As Joyce put it: “Wagners are a at Orlando and Jacksonville in the
can-do organisation and Dennis and US, Abu Dhabi in the United Arab
family have really pulled together Emirates and Hamilton in New
a package of building the hangar, Zealand. Its training fleet worldwide
the accommodation and training includes Diamond DA42 Twinstar,

30 AUSTRALIAN AVIATION