Australian Flying - July 2018

13

It began with an almost
imperceptible change to the
AIP in 2013: pilots should
now use the Area VHF
frequency at airports not
marked on charts instead
of the Multicom 126.7. The
amendment sparked a five-
year wrangle that peaked
with a complex proposal
that impacted nearly all
uncontrolled airports and
even en route frequencies.
It added 40-nm radius
dimensions to CTAFs
and made the Multicom a
blanket low-level frequency
for all Class G operations
below 5000 feet.
The molehill became
a mountain.
Last May, after
CASA's Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking
(NPRM) on the matter
proved unpopular and
unworkable, the regulator

released a new proposal

that effectively restored

the status quo to where

it was before the AIP

amendment, but restricted

the use of 126.7 to within

3 nm of the airfield. At

the time of writing, the

consultation period for the

new solution had closed,

but CASA was yet to

make a final ruling.

Although some

within the industry still

considered that it didn't

represent the safest

solution, feedback was

generally more positive

than it had been for the

original NPRM.

"I think it can only be

safer, and formalise a

practice currently used by

many pilots," said Michael

Smith. "I always feel

bad making calls for an

unchartered aerodrome

when the area frequency

may be busy with IFR

and RPT activities,

yet I know I am nowhere

near those aircraft. With

most modern radios

allowing dual monitoring,

126.7 becomes a great

second station for cross

country f lights."

The strength of support

for the new proposal was

not unanimous, with some

respondents still concerned

that using 126.7 and not

the area VHF could pose

safety risks.

"This proposal will

completely clog the radio

and make the 126.

frequency unusable,"

says pilot Tony Taggart.

"Private airstrips don't

need a radio frequency

because they are private.

Local-use airstrips can

often use a locally devised

frequency for their users

and are not a burden or

hindrance to anybody else.

"As it is I don't need to

know what is happening

at an airstrip 10, 20 or 30

miles from the one that

is my target. As it is there

are frequencies that clog

each other."

Many respondents

preferred the 126.

boundary be pushed out to

5 nm to give more warning

of aircraft inbound, and

several others noted the

need to make sure more

airports appeared on

WAC charts in particular.

Some feedback urged

CASA to get on with

making a ruling, noting

that the issue was first

raised five years ago.

CASA takes Multicom

back to Square One

BREAKING

NEWS

PG 13

AIRPORTS

PG 14

AIR

VENTURE

PG 16

After ive years of debate resulting in

a complex solution, CASA has proposed

a simpler process for using 126.7.

australianflying.com.au

July – August 2018 AUSTRALIAN FLYING

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