Hangars

[Noel White]

[Noel White]

The old Department of Civil Aviation was responsible for approving all buildings erected on airports. The Property Officer had a big leather bound register for each airport and from that he allocated a number for each building application that came across his desk.

So on Page One, Line One he wrote a description of the first building that was on top of his in tray and it was known as Building One and so on. The building project was then known by that number and continued to be known by that number even when completed and became operational. Not sure whether there were separate registers for buildings and hangars or that they were just called hangers to differentiate them from buildings.

[Fred C]

Thanks Noel.

[Brenden S]

I was just passing on what I had been told when I worked in Sydney. I just accepted it as it was told. (by more than 1 person and in more than 1 section)

[Philip Argy]

Aha .. now we have what seems to be the definitive answer to my 17 August question. I knew someone on this board would know! But thanks to all who contributed what they had picked up too - we have all learned something for the next Trivia night!

[Noel White]

Originally Posted by Philip Argy

- we have all learned something for the next Trivia night!

Another bit of info for your next trivia night. Back in the early 60s when the design of the now International Terminal was on the drawing boards, the original concept was to have an international terminal with two domestic terminal extensions on either end for TAA and Ansett/ANA, similar to the Melbourne terminal complex.

Debate raged about the pros and cons of future expansion of such a facility. Wiser heads prevailed and the domestics were to stay on the eastern side and the "New ITB" was to be built on the western side. The site chosen was over the the original Cooks River bed before its being diverted on its present course.

The Department of Works was responsible for construction and the first hurdle was access to the building site. There was no Marsh Street bridge or Airport Drive and Qantas Drive only went as far as the entrance to the Jet Base. So the "Construction Bridge" was built over the Alexandria Canal before work could commence. Another hurdle was that the old river had been filled in with waste material and wasn't suitable for building foundations. Numerous concrete piles, some over two hundred feet long, were driven down to bed rock so the whole complex now sits on stilts.

Then Bill Boeing started to talk about his B747. Would Qantas and the other Internationals operating into Sydney buy any and how many? There could be two or three in at the one time. Back to the drawing boards to look at accommodating the increase wingspan.

One other problem was height of the B747 compared to the B707/DC8. The aerobridges would become too steep for passengers to walk up. The answer was to increase the height of the floor level of the passenger concourse. So now you known why as you walk from the main building into the throat of the concourse there is a rise in the floor level.

The name "New ITB" stuck for years with the old hands even after the tin shed "Old ITB" was demolished for the "New TAA" terminal.

[Noel White]

BTW, can't remember what building number was given to the "New ITB" but 246 rings a bell.