Pilot fails in fight for extra flights

RURAL residents have won a small victory after Mareeba Shire Council denied the latest application from a Cairns businessman to increase the amount of flights from his Koah property.

Councillors yesterday voted against English Engineering owner Pat English’s application for a maximum of three flights per day (non-cumulative), totalling 365 flights per normal calendar year from his Koah property.

The World War II replica Spitfire pilot is currently allowed one return flight per day totalling 365 flights per normal calendar year, non-cumulative.

Mr English said the denial of the application was just another bump in the road.

“I have the legal right to appeal the decision,” he said.

“I will take some legal advice before I decide whether to appeal or not.

“My legal advice (already) is that I will win it but whether I can be bothered spending the money on something that doesn’t matter so much, I don’t know whether I will.”

Mr English said he wanted more than one round trip a day as a safety measure.

“It is a safety thing where you can come back if something is wrong and take off again,” he said.

“It gives you a bit of flexibility and it gives you the ability to fly and do something for someone else and still do your own stuff in the same day.”

Mr English last year applied for permission to use his airstrip more frequently so he could fly between Koah and Cairns, avoiding the drive down the Kuranda Range. He initially wanted up to six flights a day.