West Sale Airport

West Sale Airport
IATA: SXE ICAO: YWSL
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Wellington Shire Council
Location	Sale, Victoria
Elevation AMSL	72 ft / 22 m
Coordinates	38°05′30″S 146°57′55″E
Map
YWSL Location in Victoria
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 05/23 500 1,640 Grass 09/27 1,527 5,010 Asphalt 14/32 699 2,293 Grass
Sources: Australian AIP and aerodrome chart[1]

West Sale Airport (IATA: SXE, ICAO: YWSL) is located about 5 nautical miles (9.3 km; 5.8 mi) west[1] of Sale, Victoria, Australia, off the Princes Highway.

History

World War II

During World War II, the aerodrome was requisitioned by the Royal Australian Air Force in 1941. Known as RAAF Base West Sale and RAAF Station West Sale, the aerodrome was home to No. 3 Bombing and Gunnery School and Air Gunnery School until December 1945, when the aerodrome was handed back to its owners.

Post–war

From 1991 to 2016 there were 11 Grumman S-2 Tracker anti-submarine aircraft formerly of the Royal Australian Navy stored at the airport.[2]

The Gippsland Armed Forces Museum is located at West Sale Airport.[3]

See also

• List of airports in Victoria

References

1. YWSL – West Sale (PDF). AIP En Route Supplement from Airservices Australia, effective 13 June 2024, Aeronautical Chart
2. FORMER ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY (RAN) – FLEET AIR ARM (FAA) GRUMMAN S-2E/G TRACKERS STILL WAITING FOR THEIR FATE TO BE DECIDED February 2016 Down Under Aviation News Retrieved 29 August 2016
3. Contact – Gippsland Armed Forces Museum Retrieved 4 April 2016