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FOR PRESS: 851

t^M.ILDURA FLIGHT S VT CE UNIT OFFICIAL OPENING"

(Statement by the Minister for Civil Aviation, J&'. R. t. Swart)

The Department of Civil Aviation's $200,000 Flight Service Unit at

Mildura Airport will be officially opened on December 17th by

Mr. W. T u ubull, C. B.E. , M.P.

This was announced today by the Minister for Civil Aviation,

Mr. R.W. Swartz,.

Mr. Swartz said that the Milciura Flight Service Unit was an important link in the communications network for aircraft operating over the Australian

mainland.

its area of responsibility extended from the South Australia, /Victoria border eastward to Hay in New South wales and from Ouyen in the south to a

northern boundary about sixty miles south of  oken Hill.

Within that area the unit provided a flight information and a search

and rescue alerting service for aircraft operating outside controlled air

space.

it also rrovided a communications and search and rescue alerting

service for riroxaft operating in the controlled air space at high levels over

the area.

Other services included pilot briefing aerodrome information and in

conjunction with the Department of Interior's meteorological service operated

a special aeronautical information service for the Department of Supply's

operation "Ri-Ball".

Operation "iii-Ball" is an unmanned balloon project to obtain upper air

information for the U.S. Atomic En ergy Commission Research.

CANBERRA  6th December, 1968.

