SAFA Skysailor Magazine

18 SKY SAILOR July | August 2024 • You’re at less than 5,000ft AMSL and you are going to overfly the airfield. You probably want to let other airspace users know you are there. I’d say that if you are overflying at any altitude, it would be prudent to make a position broadcast letting other folk know your intentions. • You’re approaching the circuit area. Let them know. • You can hear other aircraft traffic and they mention the name of the airfield, or the location you are in the vicinity of. Keep a close watch and let them know where you are. • You are coming in to land at an airfield where you can see other aircraft lined up on the runway. Yeah, it’d be really good to let them know where you are and what your intentions are. Until there is a universally adopted, reliable means of identifying all airspace users, airband radio remains the most reliable, globally adopted, means of communication that we have, so let’s use it. Handheld units are not ex- pensive and there are solutions for carrying and using them in our aircraft, although, admittedly, it is not as easy in a hang glider. Squibbing on a spend of $350 when you spend time amongst other airspace users is a false economy when you consider the safety benefits. A lot of people get anxious about making a call on airband radio, thinking that making a call without absolutely getting the phraseology 100% correct is a flogging offence. It’s not. All you need to remember are these things that you want in your message: • who you’re talking to, • who you are, • where you are, and • what your intentions are. Finish by repeating who you are talking to. For example: • Mount Beauty Traffic • Paraglider twelve thirty-four (these are the last 4 numbers of your SAFA#, in this case 12 34) • 2 miles North-west at 3000 (remember in aviation distance is NM and height in FT AMSL) • Will be remaining at this location for 10 minutes, then descending • Mount Beauty If you don’t remember the phraseology due to lack of practice, do it in plain English and you won’t be flogged around the fleet. In fact, you’ll more than likely be thanked for making the call. An easily understood plain English call is much better than an unintelligible call using correct phraseology. Remember: We are not alone! In our pre-CASR Part 91 days, CASA issued a Civil Aviation Advisory Publication, CAAP 166-1: Operations in the vicinity of non-controlled aerodromes. This was accompanied by CAAP 166-2(1): Pilots’ responsibility for collision avoidance in the vicinity of non-controlled aerodromes using ‘see-and-avoid’. CAAP 166-1 has been replaced by Advisory Circular AC 91-10 , while CAAP 166-2(1) has been replaced by Advisory Circular AC 91-14 . Do yourselves a favour; download them and have a read. Fly safely and responsibly. Operations in proximity to airfields – VHF radio usage