Barberton Airport / Airfield (FABR), Mpumalanga Lowveld, South Africa.

Barberton Airport (FABR)

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RWY 35-17. 1000m. Grass. Lights. Elv: 2300ft. Co-ords:S25º43'051 - E030º58'515 Freq:124.8 "Barberton"

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Information on this page updated on 07 Febuary 2012

The Barberton Airport is situated in the heart of the Barberton Valley in the most Southern part of the South African Lowveld (Wild Frontier). This is an established general aviation aerodrome serving the Barberton Valley area.

The airport is available for public use but is privately owned and the home base of CC Pocock, Bush Air and Pyro-FX.

Adventure Skydives also operate from Barberton Airport. However they have there own entrance off the R40 Nelspruit / Barberton road.

Situated 15km from Barberton and 35 km from Nelspruit, off the R40, 1km on the Snymansbult road. We are about 50km from the Kruger Park and Swaziland border.

The infrastructure includes a 1000m grass runway with lights, tower, hangar & workshop facility, accomodation, entertainment area and secure aircraft parking area.

We have overnight accomodation available to pilots and crew or you can pitch a tent next to your aircraft. Contact us prior to your arrival for any reservations.

STATUS: Official Barberton Airport. Private owned. Land at your own risk and discretion. Indemnity form Email: mail@bushair.co.za Tel: 082 490 5721

CO-ORDINATES: S25º43'051 - E030º58'515. Aviation sectional chart.

RUNWAY (17 - 35): 1000m x15m. Grass. Lights. Elv: 2300ft

The runway surface is 1000m x 15m (3300ft x 50ft) compacted hard grass between the runway lights. Runway clearing (airstrip) is 1150m x 50m wide. Elevation is 2250ft asl. The runway has a 1.6º slope, RWY 35 is uphill and 17 is downhill. All landings on RWY 35 and take off's on RWY 17. There are no obstacles on the approach or departure. Microlight strips under the left base for RWY's 17 & 35 - refer to the bottom of this page for more info.

The runway is suitable for aircraft up to 8000kg (17500lbs).

The runway is clearly marked and equipped with ICAO specification runway lighting. Refer to bottom of this page for Night Operations Procedures.

FREQUENCY: 124.80 for joining and landing. Call sign: "Barberton". Unmanned procedures. However Barberton GND is occasionaly operational for info.

HANGAR and PARKING: Public Aircraft Parking Area is located midway on the western side of the runway. Concrete hard stands reserved for turbine aircraft only. Light aircraft to park clear of the hard stands. Hangar area available to aircraft owners who would like to errect their own hangars.

FUEL: Fuel can be arranged upon request.

MISCELLANEOUS: Airfield available to the Film & TV industry for location, stunts and special effects. Skydiving centre. Fully equipped workshop / hangar.

CAUTION

Night Operations Procedures.

Runway 35 threshold is displaced to the touchdown markers by 200m for night operations. However at pilots discretion, landings may be made prior to the touchdown markers or green threshold lights.

All night landings are to be made ONLY on runway 35. Fly a lefthand curcuit at minimum 3500ft asl downwind (Runway elevation is 2300ft at the center).

Contact Barberton on freq: 124.8 or Kruger international (FAKN) on freq: 119.20 for local altimeter setting (QNH). Join overhead at 4500ft then a descending left turn to join a left downwind for runway 35 at minimum 3500ft.

Continue down wind and turn left base over the Badplaas road. In the event of a missed approach conduct an immediate maximum climbing left turn abeam the tower or at the end of the runway and re-enter a left downwind for runway 35. Do not continue on the extended centerline as there are powerlines at 2650ft asl .5nm to the north of the 17 threshold and a 3000ft asl hill 1nm to the North West. Approach to land only on the runway with green threshold lighting(35). If threshold lights are red then you are on a dangerous approach to runway 17! All departures to be made only from runway 17.

Do not land here at night unless you have our permission, a briefing and have signed an indemnity form. Contact us to confirm operation of Runway Lighting, VASI and Beacon.

Land at your own risk and descretion.

IFR Operations

During IMC, Inbound traffic is advised to use either Kruger International or Malalane for cloudbreak.

Departing traffic to contact Kruger TWR once airborn through 4000ft to activate FP.

(An NDB cloudbreak procedure is currently under developement for Barberton Airport).

HAZARDS
*SKYDIVING. (Ref: AIC 17.1)* A permanent Skydiving Center "Adventure Skydives" operates on Barberton Airport (FABR). The drop zone (DZ) is mostly active weekends, however in future will become a seven day operation. From a safety perspective, we simply cannot have aircraft passing through the Parachute Drop Area (PDA) whilst there are skydivers and aircraft descending. All pilots of any aircraft operating in the area are requested to broadcast position and intentions on freq. 124.8 within at least 3nm radius prior to flying over or abeam the aerodrome at all times in accordance with latest AIC. A Parachute Drop Area (PDA) from ground up to flight level 125 / 12500ft has been established over the Barberton Airport by ATNS and controlled by Kruger Tower within the TMA. The portion between ground (2250ft asl) and 7000ft asl will be monitored and advised by Barberton on freq 124.8 No aircraft to start up, taxi, land, take-off, overfly airfield or abeam within the PDA during paradrops. The total time during a paradrop will only be about 5mins. Therefore any aircraft intending to take off, land or overfly during skydiving operations may need to hold on the ground or if airborne remain outside the PDA for apx. 5mins until all skydivers and jump ship have landed. The jump ship pilot will call running in for the drop on freqs: 124.8 and 119.2 and then once all the skydivers have landed, the Jumpship Pilot, Drop Zone or Barberton Ground will announce all skydivers on the ground and runway clear. In-flight info on activities / status of Aerodrome can be obtained from Barberton GND 124.8, JHB info 127.4 or Kruger TWR 119.2 Pre-flight info can be obtained from current AIC's & Notams pertaining to FABR and the DZ or Web site: www.bushair.co.za/airfield.htm

Stunts and Pyrotechnics. (Ref: AIC 21.2* Updated 09 Feb. 2012)* AIC 21.2 - SAFETY - OPERATION OF AIRCRAFT *OPERATION OF AIRCRAFT, BARBERTON AERODROME (FABR) SAFETY WARNING* 1. Approved parachuting Drop Zone overhead Airfield 7000ft up to FL120 with Air Traffic Control (ATC) clearance. 2. Airfield is used as a Filming Location. 3. Low level aircraft operations including stunt flying and aerobatics takes place within 5nm radius of the airfield and often communicate on private frequencies so as not to congest frequency 124.8. 4.Occasional use of Explosives / Pyrotechnics and High Power Lasers for Special Effects Purposes for Stunts, Film & TV productions as well as Aerial Pyrotechnics. 5. The above activities can take place any time day or night. 6. SAPS approved explosives blast sites, aerial pyrotechnic launch sites and explosives magazines are located on the airfield. 7. Pilots are requested to call or announce their intentions on frequency 124.8 within a 5nm radius if intending to land, operate in the vicinity of or overhead Barberton Airfield. Co-ordinates at centre of runway: S25'43'051 E030'58'515 For current information on activities at the airfield please consult web site: www.bushair.co.za/airport.htm Operator: CC Pocock, Cell. 082 490 5721, Email: cc@bushair.co.za

Microlight strips under the Barberton Aerodrome Traffic Area (ATA). Occasional Microlight activity from nearby strips without using radio or correct procedures when flying through the Barberton ATA. Microlight strip under the left base turn to runway 35. This strip is known as "Alma" and is located on the southern side of the Badplaas road. Its possition is 1.8nm from the threshold of RWY 35. Microlight strip under the left base turn to runway 17. This strip is know as "Jock" and situated parallel to the R40 Nelspruit / Barberton road. Pyramid Microlight school 3nm North of runway 17 threshold. This airfield is not a major factor due to its possition, however occasionaly Microlights and Powered Paragliders (PPG's) take off from it and fly through the Barberton ATA without using radio.

DANGER! Microlight strip perpendicular to and east of Barberton RWY 17-35. TAKE NOTE: This is NOT a cross runway on Barberton Airport. Do not attempt to land on it. This strip is no longer in use however it is still poses a severe safety hazard to the Barberton Airport and skydiving operations. Any aircraft attempting to depart or land on this strip may have an incident report filed agains it with the CAA. There is currently a petition against this strip with over 100 signitures already. The SACAA are fully aware of the danger this strip poses for aircraft operating at Barberton Airport. Pilots affected in any way by any microlight activity whilst operating at Barberton Airport to please report the incident to us or the SACAA.

Barberton Airport (FABR) on the latest 2012 aviation charts.

Please note that on all the latest 2012 aviation charts, the name "Barberton Valley" has been changed to "Barberton". Some old maps from about 6 -7 years ago show this airfield as "Bush Air". This is because in the very begining this airfield was the Bush Air private airstrip. The name eventually changed to "Barberton Valley" and then a few years ago when it became the official Barberton Airport the name was again finaly changed to "Barberton".

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