CTAF private conversations

[Guest micgrace]

Hi, here's something that was a problem when doing I was doing

 

circuits. Two pilots having a private conversation on the local CTAF.

 

The traffic was heavy and pilots were not able to do calls thanks to

 

private conversation.

 

The point is CTAF is for information for

 

separation and awareness. I don't want to know your private life while

 

in the air. I want to know where you are and transmit where I am.

 

Most likely you will be reported if this happens. The moral is DON'T the consequences could be disaterous

 

 

[Guest carlsnilsson]

Next time it happens, break in and tell them to switch to 123.45 for

 

air-to-air and that they are interfering with CTAF and that IF they

 

don't switch they will be reported. Many pilots don't know about 123.45

 

Mhz.

 

Carl

 

 

[Guest micgrace]

Hi

 

I think it would have been unadvisable to switch to 123.45

 

under the traffic conditions existing at the time. I would certainly

 

want to know where they are.

 

Keep the 123.45 for when well clear of traffic areas thank you.

 

 

[Guest carlsnilsson]

Well, the implication in your last post is that the two pilots (chatting on CTAF)

 

were in the circuit area. That's a bit different - you didn't say that

 

in your first post - for all I knew they could have been forty miles

 

away.

 

Carl

 

 

[Guest micgrace]

No they wern't in circuit, but very close so no-one could hear anything or call. Apparently being reported by someone else.

 

 

[Guest carlsnilsson]

Fair enough! The point I am trying to make is a general one of

 

education first, reporting last. Unless there are other circumstances,

 

when someone is doing something stupid, it is better to tell them and

 

suggest the right course of action before talking about reporting. If

 

they don't respond, then go ahead and report. Sooner or later we all do

 

something stupid and it's better to be told directly and given a chance

 

to amend the action or aplogize than everyone reporting this and that.

 

However, you have raised a good point about CTAF frequencies. CASA and

 

Airservices did not promulgate the use of 123.45 widely enough in the

 

recent burst of literature about non-controlled aerodromes. I wanted to

 

refresh myself the other day on the correct air-to-air frequency and I

 

had a hard time finding it. You really can't spend much time chatting

 

on any frequency in the close vicinity of a CTAF, especially if several

 

aircraft are in circuit.

 

 

[Guest skydemon]

I have to admit that I have never heard about using 123.45 for air-air comms (outside of CTAFs of course) until now. That is very handy to know, cheers!

 

 

[Ed Herring]

This is a good topic. With the three advisory calls that we are now giving in the circuit, it gets interesting at times trying to fit themall in. It is a good thing when a forum such as this discusses these issues.Well done for bringing it up and making more pilots aware.

 

 

[Paul Willett]

123.45 - or 'go to the numbers' is well used but of course unofficial, so only word of mouth for the uninititated will spread it's use. But it is for chat, not operational broadcasts.

 

One frequency that is not commonly known (and therefore of questionable usefullness!) is the TIBA frequency for operations below FL200, which is 126.35.

 

AIP specifies that TIBA procedures are"

 

intended to permit reports and relevant supplementary information of an advisory nature to be transmitted by pilots for the information of pilots in other aircraft in t he vicinity

.Now funnily enough, I think this is exactly how 126.7 gets used - and generally quite effectively, when below 5000FT.

 

Comparitively TIBA gets used above FL200 quite regulalry, however at thoselevels the frequency is 128.95.

 

Hmmm, I have forgotten where I was going with this.....?