Bankstown (YSBK)

Future Procedure

This page documents future procedures that are scheduled to be introduced on 09 July 2026.

Pilots are strongly encouraged to familiarise themselves with the incoming changes before launch day.

Airspace

BK ADC is responsible for the Class D airspace in the BK CTR SFC to A015.

When BK ADC (Circuit) is online, responsibility for the Runway, Circuit, and Airspace is divided between the two ADC controllers.

ADC (Circuit) takes responsibility for the southern Runway, Circuit and Airspace (Runway 11R/29L) at or below A010. ADC North takes responsibility for all other airspace.

The ATIS will indicate the current runway config and nominate what each parallel runway is being used for.

Runway	Use
Northern Runway (11L/29R)	VFR arrivals/departures
Southern Runway (11R/29L)	Circuit training
Centre Runway (11C/29C)	IFR arrivals/departures and VFR overflow

Tower Closed Procedures

When BK ADC is offline, the airspace reverts to Class G. CTAF procedures apply.

Sydney CTA C10

The volume of Class C airspace overhead Camden (known as SY CTA C10) has a lower level that varies according to the time of day. During the hours of 23:00 - 06:00 Sydney local time, the airspace within the C10 area is lowered to A015.

The status of the C10 CTA step will be notified on the YSBK ATIS for the awareness of pilots intending to operate in the area.

Start Approval

Start approval is required on SMC for all aircraft.

Phraseology

LKU: "Bankstown Ground, Warrior LKU, for circuits, received Echo, request engine start"
BK SMC: "LKU, Bankstown Ground, start approved"
LKU: "Start approved, LKU"

Taxiing

The apron areas are outside the manoeuvring area. The runup bays and all connecting taxiways are inside the manoeuvring area, requiring taxi instructions.

Tip

The YSBK Manoeuvring Area chart can be found on the CASA Website.

A runway crossing clearance is not required when taxiing under the runway undershoots on taxiway B or E.

Aircraft vacating RWY 11C/29C must hold short of any adjacent runway and remain on ADC frequency, who will issue explicit runway crossing instructions.

VFR Coded Clearances

Coded clearances are used to provide standardised routing for VFR aircraft departing YSBK, due to the surrounding/overlying Class D airspace. VFR aircraft intending to operate to/from YSBK shall plan via a lane as directed below.

Each coded clearance includes tracking instructions and height requirements that ensure aircraft remain within Class D airspace. Each coded clearance also includes explicit instructions on when to change frequencies.

Important

Pilots intending to operate in Class D CTA are required to file a flight plan. Ensure your filed route includes the waypoints listed below.

Departures

VFR aircraft intending to track via a coded clearance require an airways clearance from BK SMC.

Coded Clearance	Route	Altitude
Hornsby Outbound	`PRT MFGC PENH HSY`	`A015`
Mount Annan Outbound	`HXPR EMPS MAGG`	`A015`
Penrith Outbound	`PRT SITS VCBR`	`A015`

Phraseology

UNY: "Bankstown Ground, Diamond UNY, taxiway L, received B, for Hornsby Outbound, request taxi"
BK SMC: "UNY, Bankstown Ground, cleared Hornsby Outbound, taxi to holding point A8 runway 29R"
UNY: "Cleared Hornsby Outbound, taxi to holding point A8 runway 29R, UNY"

Aircraft shall report ready to BK ADC with their departure intentions. A takeoff clearance constitutes a clearance to operate in accordance with your requested departure.

Phraseology

UNY: "Bankstown Tower, Diamond UNY, holding point A8, runway 29R, for Hornsby Outbound, ready"
BK ADC: "UNY, Bankstown Tower, runway 29R, cleared for takeoff"
UNY: "Cleared for takeoff runway 29R, UNY"

After takeoff, aircraft are expected to comply with the following tracking instructions:

Departure RWY 11Departure RWY 29

Coded Clearance	Tracking
Mount Annan Outbound	At `A005`, turn left downwind, track to Dunc Gray Velodrome, climb to `A015`. At Dunc Gray Velodrome and not before reaching `A015`, track to intersection of Hoxton Park Rd & M7. Track via Mount Annan Outbound.
Hornsby Outbound, or Penrith Outbound	Climb to `A005`, then turn left direct to PRT, climb to `A015`. Track via nominated coded clearance.

Coded Clearance	Tracking
Mount Annan Outbound	Climb to `A010`. Crossing Hume Highway, track to intersection of Hoxton Park Rd & M7, climb to `A015`. Track via Mount Annan Outbound.
Hornsby Outbound, or Penrith Outbound	Climb to `A005`, then turn right direct to PRT, climb to `A010`. Crossing the pipeline (approx 3nm BK), climb to `A015`. Track via nominated coded clearance.

Aircraft operating on a coded clearance shall transfer to the next appropriate frequency upon leaving the zone, no explicit frequency transfer will be given.

Phraseology

UNY: "Bankstown Approach, Diamond UNY, passing A011, climbing to A015"
SBA: "UNY, identified"

Important

The Bankstown CTR is bordered to the east and south by the Sydney CTR. All VFR aircraft must depart to the west or northwest unless in receipt of an airways clearance.

Arrivals

VFR aircraft inbound to YSBK shall contact SYC on 124.55 prior to entering CTA. SYC may transfer the aircraft to SBA who will issue airways clearance via one of the following routes:

Coded Clearance	Route	Altitude
Brooklyn Inbound	`BBG CAST PSP`	`A015`
Lighthorse Inbound	`NPBR LIHR PSP`	`A015`
St Helens Inbound	`SSKP CRST CRSC`	`A015`

Establishing two-way communication with ATC constitutes a clearance to enter CTA as requested (other than an instruction to standby or similar).

Phraseology

BJZ: "Sydney Centre, BJZ, Seminole, 5nm north of BBG, A015, received B, for Brooklyn Inbound"
SYC: "BJZ, Sydney Centre, squawk 0552, remain outside Class D airspace"
BJZ: "Squawk 0552, remain outside Class D airspace, BJZ"

SYC: "BJZ, identified, contact Bankstown Approach 125.8"
BJZ: "125.8, BJZ"
...
BJZ: "Bankstown Approach, BJZ, 2nm north of BBG, A015, received B, for Brooklyn Inbound"
SBA: "BJZ, Bankstown Approach, cleared Brooklyn Inbound"
BJZ: "Cleared Brooklyn Inbound, BJZ"

Each coded clearance includes a frequency transfer instruction to BK ADC, no explicit frequency transfer will be given.

When transferring to BK ADC, pilots should expect the following circuit instructions:

VFR Approach Point	RWY 29	RWY 11
PSP	"Join right downwind runway 29R, maintain `A015`", then when abeam the runway 11 thresholds or clear of departing traffic, "Cleared visual approach"	"Join final runway 11L, report 3nm"
CRSC	"Join crosswind runway 29R, maintain `A015`", then when abeam the runway 11 thresholds or clear of departing traffic, "Cleared visual approach"	"Join final runway 11L, report at Warwick Farm"

Warwick Farm is the large racecourse approx. 2nm west of YSBK on the Georges River.

Note

Aircraft joining final in the RWY 11 direction are not assigned a level and are expected to commence a visual approach in accordance with the tracking instructions issued by ADC.

Phraseology

TEK: "Bankstown Tower, Warrior TEK, CRSC, A010, inbound, received Golf"
BK ADC: "TEK, Bankstown Tower, join final runway 11L, report at Warwick Farm"
TEK: "Join final runway 11L, TEK"

BK ADC: "TEK, RWY 11L, cleared to land"
TEK: "RWY 11L, cleared to land, TEK"

Class D Transits

Aircraft intending to transit the Sydney TMA should plan to remain OCTA where possible. The Victor One lane is a suitable option for aircraft track north or south which does not require an airways clearance. Otherwise, the Richmond Lane of Entry is another option to the west, which requires a clearance from BK ADC (when online).

Alternatively, aircraft may utilise the YSBK coded clearances to track towards YSBK and then continue on another clearance outbound. These aircraft must make their requests to SYC early and expect a clearance tracking inbound on a coded clearance, then tracking via an outbound clearance, passing through the top of the BK CTR at A015.

Circuits

All circuits are to be flown at A010.

Runway	Day	Night
RWY 11L	Left	-
RWY 11C	Left	Right
RWY 11R	Right	-
RWY 29L	Left	-
RWY 29C	Right	Left
RWY 29R	Right	-

Helicopter Operations

General

These procedures apply during hours of daylight only. During hours of darkness, all helicopters must revert to fixed-wing operations.

The Main Pad (abeam taxiway Mike) is treated like a runway and requires a takeoff/landing clearance. Helicopters are permitted to become airborne from a limited number of other locations on the aerodrome, such as taxiway November Two, and will be instructed to "report airborne" or "report on the ground".

Reporting Points

Three helicopter reporting points help keep helicopters segregated from other traffic.

CWST: Michels Patisserie located 1.2nm west of CNTH on the water pipeline
CNTH: Northern end of Regents Park Railway Station, roughly 300 metres north of the water pipeline
CSTH: Intersection of two creeks enclosing a sewage treatment works 2.1nm south of the aerodrome reference point

Inbound Procedures

Helicopters should track inbound at A007 via one of the normal inbound points (PSP or CRSC) or via Olympic Park and report to BK ADC at that point. In response, BK ADC will instruct the aircraft to track as below:

Inbound Point	RWY 11	RWY 29
PSP	"Report CWST", then "Join base main pad"	"Report CNTH", then "Join base main pad"
CRSC	"Report CSTH, `A005`", then "Overfly midfield at `A005`, join downwind main pad"	"Report CSTH, `A005`", then "Overfly midfield at `A005`, join downwind main pad"
Olympic Park	"Report CWST", then "Join base main pad"	"Report CNTH", then "Join base main pad"

Note

Helicopters tracking via CSTH will pass over the runway complex midfield at A005 to join downwind. Traffic information will be provided on aircraft operating to the runways below.

Outbound Procedures

Helicopters should track outbound via one of the helicopter reporting points at A007. Departures to the north must track via CWST when RWY 29s are in use and CNTH when RWY 11s are in use.

Helicopters shall report ready to BK ADC with their departure intentions. In response, BK ADC will clear the aircraft for takeoff and instruct them to track via the appropriate exit gate.

Phraseology

YZD: "Bankstown Tower, helicopter YZD, main pad, for Choppers North departure, ready"
BK ADC: "YZD, Bankstown Tower, depart Choppers North, main pad, cleared for takeoff"

Note

Helicopters tracking via CSTH will pass over the runway complex midfield at A005 to join downwind. Traffic information will be provided on aircraft operating to the runways below.

Circuits

Circuits are conducted within the lateral confines of the fixed-wing circuit at A007, in the same direction as the current runway config. The termination point of the circuit is the Main Pad.

Phraseology

BK ADC: "SUA, main pad, cleared stop and go"

IFR Operations

IFR aircraft should request airways clearance from BK SMC with their taxi request.

IFR aircraft shall expect the MECKO or URDOS SIDs, depending on direction of travel. Aircraft unable to accept a procedural SID must notify SMC on first contact.

Phraseology

FD213: "Bankstown Ground, FD213, taxiway Charlie, for Dubbo, received Echo, request taxi and airways clearance"
BK SMC: "FD213, Bankstown Ground, cleared to Dubbo via BENBU, flight planned route, URDOS1 departure, climb via SID to A030, squawk 3244, taxi via A8, hold short RWY 29R"
FD213: "Cleared to Dubbo via BENBU, flight planned route, URDOS1 departure, climb via SID to A030, squawk 3244, taxi via A8, hold short RWY 29R, FD213"

A single STAR exists to process aircraft inbound from the east, terminating in vectors. RNP approaches are available to RWY 11C from the west and southwest. An RNP approach is available to the circling area from the north.

Note

Delays may be experienced for IFR arrivals to YSBK during periods of high traffic levels at YSWS or YSSY.

IFR aircraft may be instructed to track to/from YSBK via a VFR coded clearance by day VMC.