On The Airbands

E-2C: (following a very diligent search) “Negative contact! Where’s the traffic now?”

GCA: “You’re clear of it now. ”

( The approach was completed uneventfully, and while the Hawkeye was on the downwind leg for the next one . . . )

GCA: “702, you have traffic on the nose again at two miles. ” E-2C: (another diligent search . . . again no joy . . . and by now Cameron and his student are somewhat baffled) “Err . . . no sighting of that traffic. Continue the calls please of where the traffic is!” GCA: “702, do you see a flock of birds in front of you . . . about a mile away?”

E-2C: “That’s affirmative, they’re very low. I didn’t know your radar could track seagulls. ”

GCA: “Only when they’re squawking!”

* * *

Anthony Pennisi tells of a BritishAirways 7 4 7 on final approach to Brisbane Airport quite late one very cool evening.

TWA: “Speedbird one-one, Brisbane Tower, please advise when you have the runway lights in view. ”

BA 11: “Speedbird one-one, roger that. ” A short time later . . .

BA 11: “Err . . . Tower, Speedbird one-one, we now have the runway in sight. ” (small pause) “Err . . . could we please have the lights turned up a little, we have an old boy flying the aeroplane!”

Anthony Pennisi lives in Queensland at Holland Park. Thanks for the contribution. Write again Anthony!

* * *

Winners of the three IFR Map packs donated by Skygear International for the first three persons ordering my new book ‘The AustralianAirband Guide’ were Kevin Tressider from New Lambton in NSW, Paul Brown from Armadale, Western Australia, and Jason Legge from Mayfield NSW. Paul Brown amazingly equalled the speed of his eastern state counterparts when ordering.

We’ve had many enquiries about availability. If you wish to buy ‘The Australian Airband Guide’, it’s priced at $24. 95 plus $3. 00 pack and post from Airband Communications, PO Box 301, Chester Hill, 2162. Ph: (02) 709 3461.

* * *

Mark Hale from Cattai in Sydney has searched out two ‘mystery’ frequencies being used near Sydney in the VHF aero band. They are 131. 95 and 130. 05. Both are not listed on DoTC microfiche records, but from all the evidence available, 131. 95 appears tobe used by a charter operator with the aircraft operated possibly being business jets, and 130. 05 was monitored with a foreign language being used during the conversations.

A couple of other frequencies enquired about by Mark were able to be identified, namely 135. 7, which is used by RAAF Williamtown, and 132. 6, which is a Nowra Naval Air Station frequency.

* * *

Henry (surname withheld) from Woolgoolga in NSW is a frequent monitor of US Navy FleetSatCom satellite transmissions in the 261MHz band, in FM narrow mode. In particular, 261. 45 around 2300 Zulu to 0800 Zulu was alive with activity with US Air Force F-16 jets talking to an Exercise Coordinator in Singapore. The callsign for the Coordinator was Big Wheel Zero 1 with Atlantis (Clark Air Force Base, Philippines) and an unknown station, Ozone Control, also involved.

On 261. 925, Henry monitored US Air Force AWAC aircraft providing a position 57 north, 178 west and requesting a Volmet message to be rebroadcast from Elmendor fAir Force Base near Anchorage in Alaska. The control station was Ploughman. During this exercise, HF frequencies also were in use and included 9154, 11574, 18232. 5, and 25160.

Looks like you have them well and truly pegged Henry! The equipment being used is an ICOM IC-R7000 hooked up to a Diamond D-707 antenna, available from either Andrews Communications or Emtronics outlets in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

FleetSatCom by the way is positioned in geo stationary orbit above 172 degrees east. Henry stated he was delighted with ‘On the Airbands’ revelation of FleetSatCom’s entire range of UHF frequencies recently. Frequency lower and upper limits to scan are 261. 45MHz to 261. 95MHz, channels spaced every 25KHz.

* * *

WARC (World Administrative Radio Conference) Aeronautical Band HF limits: 200-535kHz beacons, 2850-3155kHz, 3400-3500, 4650-4750, 5450-5730, 6525-6726, 8815-9040kHz, 10005-10100, 11175-11400, 13200-13360, 15010-15100, 17900-18030, 21870- 22000, and 23200-23350kHz.

* * *

Monitored by your writer one evening on Sydney Control 128. 2.

CON TROL: (youthful, friendly and competent sounding) “Qantas 2, we’ve had a call from Lorraine and she would like to know what

time you are estimating Sydney. ” (stunned silence . . . then . . . )

QAN TAS: “Err . . . ahh, Control, this is Qantas 2, err . . . for Lorraine . . . from Max, we’re estimating Sydney at 8. 25pm local. ”

{I leave it to you to decide who Lorraine and Max are, and just what this whole air-to-ground exchange was all about. I’m sure you’ll arrive at the right answer!)

* * *

From an informed source, Qantas passenger interphones will be a reality on all regular Qantas services worldwide by 1995. Operating through the Inmarsat satellites, the costs initially will be fairly prohibitive, to the tune of $12. 00 per minute, which may be reduced to approximately $9. 00 per minute with increased demand and more available satellite transponders.

lnmarsat A will be used for trials with Qantas Boeing 7 47-438B number 9, due to be delivered fitted with satellite communications equipment about the time this issue of Australian Aviation hits the streets. Following the trials, all 747-438 aircraft will be retrofitted, and the 767ERs will follow suit. lnmarsat B capability will then become available following a 1992 launch which will serve to broaden the footprint coverage.

* * * Change of mind and/or situation dept. United 817, a Boeing 747-2008, was on final approach to Sydney KSA one recent afternoon when the crew notified Sydney Approach on 124. 4 that they had a problem (did not specify what it was) and that “we may have to go round”.

The aircraft was at an altitude of only 2,000 feet when the Approach Controller instructed the pilot to “climb to 3,000 on present heading, advise what the problem is as soon as possible”.

As suddenly as the situation had been brought to notice by the United flightdeck crew, it was cancelled with the words . . . “Er, Approach, United 817, it’s all okay now, we can make a normal approach. Can we continue to land?”

Approach responded with . . . “what about your altitude, are you too high to land on this approach?” UAL 817 confirmed it was not too high, and could descend for a normal landing. Approach handed off United 817 to Tower on 120. 5, but then another problem surfaced. The crew could not get their radios to tune 120. 5 and were subsequently cleared to land, and even cleared to vacate the runway for the taxiway, and call Ground . . . all while still on Approach frequency!”

The Approach Controller particularly should be commended for ice cool responses to a very unusual situation looming up

with no warning. * * *

Dateline: Perth. Time 2100 hours Western Standard Time.

Freq: 120. 5 (Perth Tower).

There was only one aircraft an Air 2000 757 registered G-OOOJ, callsign Jetset Oscar Juliett, in the circuit. Weather: atrocious, with crosswinds up to 25 knots, with wind at 100/20, gusting to 35 knots. Cloud 6 oktas at 1-5-0-0 feet, and visibility 4,000 metres with rain in the area and turbulence below 3,000ft!

TWR: “Jetset Oscar Juliett, do you have the runway in sight?”

G-OOOJ: “It’s somewhere!” * * * And while in Sydney . . . Scott Lindsay of Warrington Downs NSW was monitoring Sydney Tower frequency 120. 5MHz on a Wednesday afternoon, when the international bays were just about devoid of aircraft. Not so however, for the domestic side of the airport.

A solitary Qantas 747 was making slow progress about three quarters of the distance to the threshold of RW 34. The crew called “ready”, and after a short delay, the following conversation transpired.

TWR: “Qantas 3, clear for takeoff, and ahh . . . keep it rolling. ” QANTAS: (singing the song Rawhide) . . . “Rollin’ – Rollin’ Rollin!” TWR: (Qantas 3 just airborne) “Qantas 3 – Rawhide, contact departures on 123 decimal zero. ”

Scott also requests the meaning of the expression ‘TM. A: in the September/October 89 ‘On the Airbands’ regarding UK frequencies that were listed. It means terminal area Scott. This and hundreds of other aeronautical acronyms are fully described in Australian Aviation’s booklet, ‘Say Again’, which is free to all readers taking a two year subscription, or available separately

for $9. 95. Refer p. 19 for full details. * * *

I’m off to the United States to attend the first ever Monitoring Times Convention, travelling with Qantas Airways via LA to Knoxville, Tennessee on board Qantas 11, the Syd/Lax non stop 747-438. Fifteen hours of pampered service to Lax en route to the biggest monitoring convention of the decade! I’ll be swapping heaps of material with Jean Baker of ‘Plane Talk’, and should have much to discuss with you next month.

In the meantime, send a contribution to ‘On the Airbands’ addressed to Bob Bell, ‘On the Airbands’, PO Box 3105, Weston Creek, 2611. If you’d like a reply, a stamped self addressed envelope please. Coming up in ’91 . . . Airport Frequency Update.

Watch for it!