EMU Claypan Airfield

Emu Claypan airfield handled Britain's largest 4 engine piston transport aircraft.   Avro Yorks, Handley Page Hastings (one marked 333 carrying "Special Cargo") Bristol Freighters, Dakota.   The 6 atomic desert mustangs also landed there.   The address below depicts RAAF Bristol Freighter A81-1 used at Emu, now in retirement at Point Cook RAAF Museum.
Click to see RAAF Bristol Freighter

At first the claypan surface was used as the runway.   The runway was built up about 5 inches above the claypan using local rock to ensure it would not be flooded in the event of heavy rain.   Archival film shows the north and south ends of the strip and the oval parking area were covered in bitumen or similar.

The roads and then the runway were built by RAAF No 5 Airfield Construction Squadron.  The runway was constructed in 70 days and used 35,000 (cubic)yards of material excavated from a local quarry.  The specification called for it to handle aircraft tyre pressures up to 140 p.s.i.   It was completed just "in the nick of time" on or about Sunday 23 August.   Prolonged rain started on 22 August and made the old claypan strip too slipery.   Bristol freighters were the first aircraft to use it. No. 5 ACS was disbanded in 1970s.   Former members have an active association and hold reunions.

The runway was over a mile long plus undershoot and overshoot areas totaling approximately 6000ft.

I estimated the runway width to be 50 paces.

The direction of the strip was roughly 352 deg magnetic in 2006.

A NDB style "Homer" beacon was established to guide the aircraft.

Control tower

The control tower is built on a small ridge overlooking the claypan.   It was built with scaffolding tube with concrete foundations. The ladder was white painted wood.   The corners of the scaffold are set on about 8 feet square. The sides may have been of cream coloured canvas.  In 2006 there were a number of metal eyes on the ground including one with a small piece of cream coloured canvas material attached.   The wind direction indicator sock is shown in film as being about 30 metres north of the tower and slightly towards the strip.  The same film shows a khaki tent between the tower and the wind sock.

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Remains of Aerodrome Control Tower 2006

1988 Tragedy

On Thursday 9 June 1988 the airfield was associated with a fatal accident. A Cessna 310 aircraft from Ceduna was sent to pick up passengers at meeting re. Aboriginal land matters.  The expected flight time was one and a half hours from Ceduna to Emu.  Unfortunately the flight did not find the airfield around dusk that day.   The aircraft searched for signal fires lit at the airfield.  Campers well south of Emu with a camp fire saw the aircraft approach them.  The campers extighuished the fire.  The aircraft flew away. Shortly afterwards the campers heard some distant noise.  Apparently the aircraft flew into the ground in darkness about 89 km SSW of Emu field.

2006 Flying Visit

Visiting by Cessna 172 in 2006, the airfield was extremely quiet without any other obvious man nor beast in sight.   Film of more than 50 years earlier shows multiple large transport aircraft on site, vehicles scurrying around, aircraft signal lamps flashing "ready for take off" to the control tower and controller's signal gun flare trailing an arc of white smoke in the bright cloudless sky.  Perhaps the light and flare signals were for radio silence or perhaps because of incompatable radio equipment in the control tower and some aircraft?
In 2006 there were camel footprints and rabbit diggings and droppings in the area.


Cessna 172 VH-FOB at Emu Claypan Airfield
Three hour visit to Emu Claypan Airfield in VH-FOB in 2006
The Wheel marks are from 4WD Cars.

Dennis John McNamara Sign
Cpl McNamara was with RAAF No 5 Airfield Construction Squadron; "The Flying Shovels".   He obviously has a soft spot for Emu's history.
The small text at the bottom of the sign are the words of Mr I. Maddock over the P.A. system as the weapons were fired in October 1953.
"FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE, ZERO-PLUS ONE YOU MAY TUR-RN NOW"

Future for Emu airstrip?

The airstrip is the only one in the area for about 150 km around and is situated at the junction of the only roads in the area.   It is suitable for use by aircraft including the Royal Flying Doctor Service.   It is a valuable but little used asset in an otherwise difficult to reach area.   It has the airport designator letters of YEMJ.

The airfield is now owned by the Aboriginal traditional owners; the Maralinga Tjarutja who have an office in Ceduna.  To visit the area written permission from the owners is required by South Australian law.  The webmaster found the staff of the office of the Maralinga Tjarutja to be helpful and efficent when he arranged to visit.

Visiting again in 2007 but staying for two nights we pleasantly surprised to find that the all weeds had been removed from the strip.

A South Australian Government Pass is required for land travel through a state park on the way to Emu Claypan.

The background colour of this page is the webmaster's recollection of the colour of the soil at Emu Claypan.

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Last revised 17 March 2009