Room with a view: Albatross’ new tower

Towers two and three at HMAS Albatross.

Air traffic controller LCDR Fallon prepares to strike the first blow.

By Graham Davis

The Naval Air Station, HMAS Albatross at Nowra, has had three towers used to control the operations of aircraft into and around the airfield.

In 2000, a new multi million dollar tower was built and put into operation. This has meant the tower (No 2) it replaced had to be demolished.

The honour of taking the first hammer swing at the old building was given to LCDR Bruce Fallon. Bruce is the last of the RAN’s operational air traffic controllers. He had worked in the old tower for more than ten years before moving to the new site.

The “old” tower was the second air traffic facility at the airfield, the first being the site of the commissioning of Albatross. The first tower was decommissioned in the late 1950s. Bruce said he was sad to see the “old girl” go. He still had fond memories of controlling from the console that faced the wrong way but said, “you had the best view of Beecroft Peninsula.”

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