Aviation, Published 2 February 2026
Redcliffe (Queensland) Aerodrome - A little airfield has a big past!
The land was originally used by the military during World War II (U.S. Army Air Forces’ 80th Fighter Squadron), it played a role in Australia’s wartime aviation network, long before it became the home of weekend flyers and flight‑school hopefuls. It’s wild to think that land where student pilots now practice touch‑and‑goes once supported the nation’s wartime efforts.
After the war, the land didn’t fade into obscurity - it reinvented itself. Local aviation legends like Norm Thurecht and Colin Bainbridge pushed hard through the 1960s to secure approval for a community airstrip, and by 1967 the first aircraft touched down, marking the start of a brand‑new chapter. The aerodrome received its official licence in 1971, and by 1972 the first hangar was standing, just in time for a series of king tides that flooded the airfield and prompted the council to construct large levee banks to safeguard the site!
Today, Redcliffe Aerodrome is a hub for general aviation, flight training, and sky‑high adventure. From its WWII roots to its transformation into a beloved local airfield, it’s a place where history and community spirit share the same runway.
Black & White Image of Airfield: Courtesy of City of Moreton Bay, reference number RLPC-000\000001 CC BY 4.0 - U.S. Army Air Forces’ 80th Fighter Squadron: SDASM Archives, Public Domain
Copyright and reuse
We encourage the sharing of history and information, and we support the responsible reuse of our original content.
Written articles. Unless a page says otherwise, our original written content is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). You may copy, share, adapt and reuse it, including commercially, as long as you:
- credit “The Dave & Malou Channel” as the source and, where practical, link to the original page;
- link to the licence; and
- indicate any changes you made, without suggesting that we endorse you or your use.
Photographs and other images. Unless a credit or caption says otherwise, photographs and other images on this website, including illustrations, are available under CC BY 4.0 on the same conditions as our written articles. This covers images we created and images supplied by individuals, archives, libraries and families who have given permission for this use. Please check the credit and caption before you reuse an image, because some are not covered:
- Images marked “© The Dave & Malou Channel” must not be reproduced, reused or distributed without our prior written permission.
- For images credited to another person or organisation that are marked © or otherwise reserve their rights, please contact us before reuse so we can help clarify the copyright status and any permission you need. We cannot give permission on behalf of another copyright owner.
- Images labelled “Public Domain” may be used without permission, subject to any legal restrictions and the accuracy of that label.
Video, audio and third-party material. Video and audio are not covered by the licence unless a page says so. Copyright in material supplied by others, such as quotations, extracts and recordings, stays with its owner and is not covered unless we say so. Please contact us before reusing it.
Our name and logo. The name “The Dave & Malou Channel”, our logo and the look of the website are not covered by the licence. Please do not use them in a way that suggests we are connected with, or endorse, you.
Fair dealing. Nothing in our Website Terms limits your right to use material for private study, research, criticism, review, news reporting, or parody and satire, as permitted by the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth).
Top