Area frequency when passing a control area?

[rdarby]

I know to change to an area frequency when 10 miles away from the airfield, but say I pass between Amberley and Archerfield on the way from Redcliffe to Boonah. The area frequency is 125.7, but given the density of traffic at Amberley and Archerfield, would it be best to use one of their frequencies instead? Given they are controlled space, would it be the CTAF or the tower?

 

Ryan

 

 

[facthunter]

My view is that the CTA traffic are of no concern to you. Listen for the traffic you are most likely to be in conflict with. ( as well as report position as required in the vicinity of aerodromes. Nev

 

 

[rdarby]

I got hold of my instructor, he advises to use the dual listen for both frequencies, as since it's a narrow corridor between two areas of control I am likely to clash with the control traffic if I drift or they do, but I need to broadcast I am going through there to both.

 

 

[XP503]

Yes you should listen to the ATIS, tune the appropriate tower frequency and notify them that you are transitting outside controlled airspace and monitor the frequency as you go through

 

 

[facthunter]

Your main concern is to ensure that you do not enter controlled airspace. The CTA traffic stays in it , you stay out of it. Give yourself a 200' allowance below the descending CTA step, as legally the "heavies" can fly at the lower limit. Understand that all distances are from the ARP. (Aerodrome Reference Point) and the GPS may depict them from the DME or something else, so cannot be relied upon if you run close to the boundary. The ATIS would give you the QNH in use, so all traffic would be using the same Baro reference. This is only reliable IF your altimeter is ACCURATE, so if you are not sure, give a wider margin of altitude clearance. IF you are not transponder equipped the Radar has no accurate idea of your actual height. not all places have Radar. Nev

 

 

[Mazda]

Use the most appropriate frequency. If you are in the approach or departure airspace to an aerodrome (which will depend on how high you are and how far away you are), monitor the aerodrome frequency. That is going to be way more important to you than the area frequency, which is primarily an IFR control frequency of little interest to you. In the USA they don't even have an area frequency for VFR.

 

On the aerodrome frequency you may hear inbound traffic. You won't hear much of relevance on the area frequency, because VFR are not required to make reports, and IFR reports in that area are on radar and won't always say where they are. They might request traffic for descent, but you won't know where their descent point is.

 

Monitoring two frequencies doesn't work effectively. Yes, you can have two radios on, but if two calls come in at once on different frequencies you might miss hearing both of those calls. You can fly IFR with one radio, you don't need two radios for VFR.

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

Reading this thread, I wonder if "Area Frequency" is being used by different people to mean, on the one hand CTAF and on the other, FIA (Melb / Bris Centre)? I understand it to mean the latter.

 

 

[facthunter]

around the northwest of Melbourne (Tullamarine) airport there are 3, (Penfield Riddell and Romsey) airports plus Kyneton. The traffic out of them is your primary concern, when you are near them. If there are no airports to be concerned about, I would be on the frequency that I would cancell SAR on, or the one you would contact if you had a problem in flight. Nev