Advisory broadcast on ATC centre frequency OCTA?

[Guest Macnoz]

Advisory broadcast on ATC centre frequency OCTA?

 

 

What are your thoughts or indeed “taughts†on CTAF like traffic advisory OCTA on the centre frequency.

 

 

I heard such an advisory today on Brisbane Centre 125.700 from a RAA registered non transponder aircraft over Moreton Island. It went along the lines – “Moreton Island traffic (call sign) is midway on east side of Moreton Island travelling north over water maintaining 800ft Moreton Islandâ€.

 

 

I later heard Brisbane relay the information to Care Helicopter who was on squawk @500ft south bound

 

 

[Guest airsick]

From memory there are VFR lanes at Moreton Island aren't there? These may have been mandatory position calls. I can't remember if there are any reporting points there or not though.

 

 

[Guest Macnoz]

Hi airsick,

 

yes there are lanes on the VTC from Bribie to Moreton and onto Gold coast keeping outside the steps. There are no mandatory reporting points to my knowledge. Its not CTAF or CTAF®. So they were not mandatory calls which in any event would be along the lines of "Brisbane Centre - Jabiru 4XXX " rather than the APB I heard

 

 

[Barefootpilot]

I do and I don't make them... Does that help? If it is busy and I am somewhere where I know that there is likely to be traffic I will make a call on the area frequency. I will alway monitor the area frequency (If i am able) So its a bit of yes and no!

 

Adam

 

 

[Guest Macnoz]

thanks Adam --

 

Not being pedantic but do you make a call ie get the attention of Radar first and then state where you are. I was interested in the one I reported on because of the announcement to all parties as in CTAF

 

 

[Barefootpilot]

I just make it an all stations call. Radar/Centre/Terminal will listen to you even if you don't address them.

 

On a side note its interesting since I've been flying around sydney again that Syd Radar and Brissy Centre are now giving out traffic information for VFR aircraft i.e. two VFR 1200 codes OCTA. I have heard this a few times where they (Syd Radar) will make a call similar to this "VFR aircraft in the maitland area at 4500' south bound traffic alert your 3 o'clock level 3 miles" and then go on to try and raise the other aircraft. I had never heard that until two months ago. The last time I was flying around this area you where lucky to get a clearance even if you where under an IFR flight plan!! Its a nice change!

 

Adam

 

Adam

 

 

[Guest brentc]

FYI - I made one of these on Saturday as I approached a known busy area and I could see a couple of other aircraft in front and behind who were also sight-seeing.

 

It went something like:

 

Melbourne Radar and VFR coastal traffic, Zulu-Mike-X-ray (Heavy) is at Williamstown, 500ft VFR coastal for Moorabbin tracking Station Peer, Sandringham, Moorabbin (or close enough).

 

Although there is a lane nearby this call wasn't required but lets everyone know that you are there. On this occasion I didn't receive a response from radar but normally I would, but not always as he is often busy on other channels. It would not be uncommon to be ignored by Radar/ctr/atc in this situation, but only later to hear them giving my callsign to another aircraft passing nearby that asks for traffic.

 

General broadcasts are good if it's hard to determine if you should be on CTAF or not and you want to get the attention of aircraft who would either be on CTAF or Area frequency such as those IFR aircraft or hgih speed traffic coming into and out of a CTAF as they will normally be operating on both channels simultaneously.

 

It's good to give the occasional broadcast when you are out and about outside a CTAF as they are recorded and if you went down it might help to get you help quicker when they check over the recordings.

 

 

[Mazda]

They are completely pointless for VFR to VFR communication in my view. If pilots are flying VFR, be VFR and look out of the window. If flying IFR, Radar will talk to you (if they can actually get a word in between the VFR position reports).

 

The big problem is that as soon as one VFR pilot says one of these, every other VFR aircraft within coee joins in, usually using local waypoints that the IFR people or non locals won't know. Things like 'I'm in the lane too, northbound, I'll stay east of the shopping centre/river/road/whatever' Then another one says 'I'm east of the shopping centre. What is your position and altitude" "I'm just over K-mart at 2,300" "I'll stay south of the hospital not above 2000" etc etc etc. Then someone else hasn't heard properly and asks where everyone is, even though they are not traffic.

 

It goes on and on and on, blocking the airwaves. What happens if Radar is trying to contact an IFR pilot to give vital separation or clearance information at this time? And what happens if there happen to be 20 or so VFR aircraft in that area at that time? They can't all fit in a broadcast call, so everyone will be looking for those who HAVE made a broadcast, and not looking for those who couldn't get a call in.

 

 

[Guest brentc]

I don't agree that it's not required, especially around Melbourne close to the CBD and especially in the VFR lane. When you do call you are tagged by radar and they have your callsign on tap for later use, VERY handy. Once you've done it once per flight, it's usually not required again. You'll find down here that if your callsign isn't heard properly by radar, they will usually ask for you to say it again, so it's definitely being recorded on computer.