On The Airbands

Regular correspondent Bradley Buckland of Viveash in Western Australia sends us some new frequencies for Perth International Airport that are being used. Perth ATIS is being copied now on 123. 8, as well as the old 113. 7, and NOB frequency of 272kHz. The newer frequency is a very strong signal in most parts of Perth, but unlike the VOR frequency carries no morse code ident signal. A new Perth Control frequency is 133. 9, which is being almost always cross-patched with 125. 2. Bradley says cross-patching late at night occurs with the following frequencies at Perth, making it easy to monitor frequencies he normally would have trouble with. Tower 120. 5 and SMC 121. 7 are linked, while 128. 1 ACD, 133. 0 ACD, 118. 7 APP, and 123. 7 APP are tied together, plus numerous Flight Service (FIS) frequencies depending on the location of aircraft. Even though 126. 6 is listed in many publications as ‘Perth Radar’, including in my Australian Airband Guide, Bradley says he has at no time heard anything on it. Most likely reason is Bradleyis that it is a spare, similar to 127. 0 at Sydney Airport. 127. 0 used to be Approach S-W,but was changed to 126. 1 due to interference. They never did completely tear out the equipment or antennas and occasionally use it as a spare Tower frequency should any problem with electrical interference from factories prohibit usage of 120. 5 for the Tower. Possibly something similar has happened at Perth, or maybe they just like to keep a spare frequency up their sleeve for contingency use.

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The callsign ‘Envoy’ is being used by RAAF Falcon jets now that the BAC 111s are gone. I am at the present time attempting to track down the aircraft type using military callsign ‘Spider’ usually in formation. Any person with knowledge of this new callsign, please write and advise me so I can pass it on to all our readers. In addition, the RAAF callsign ‘Hudson’ is another elusive one, which someone may be able to clear up for us!

Indicate in your letter whether you wish to be partially or fully credited for any of the information you can offer on this subject, particularly if you are serving military and a name in the magazine may compromise your position. All letters please to Bob Bell, ‘On the Airbands’, Aerospace Publications, PO Box 3105, Weston Creek, ACT 2611. Anyone wishing to contribute amusing or other incidents from the airbands are more than welcome to write also. Please include a stamped SAE if you’d like a reply.

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Glenn Dalton, who is the Physiotherapist of the Air, according to his letterhead, is from Pittsworth Old, and wrote in with a funny exchange overheard while he was a pax in his brother Harley’s Piper Warrior.

Harley was raking up command time for his CPL, when the following came across the ether on 123. 9, about 30 nautical miles north of Dalby in Queensland.

(MALE VOICE): “Ah . . . test . . . ah testing one, two, three, four, five . . . ahh . . . one, two, three, four. Ah . . . five . . . err . . . yes . . . err, one, two, three, four, five . . . ah, and . . . ”

(Harley and Glenn stare blankly at each other, then . . . ) HARLEY: “Go on mate . . . say it . . . Six! Six . . . yep that’s it, it’s not too hard when you know how . . . six!”

(MALE VOICE): “Gee thanks!”

Thanks Glenn for writing in. Glenn has an Unrestricted Private Pilot’s Licence and visits Millmerran and St George areas weekly using the Darling Downs Aero Club M20J. Glenn states that if flying were a little cheaper, he could provide a greatly improved physiotherapy service to the outlying people of western Queensland. Can’t argue with you there Glenn! Unfortunately the cost of flying only ever seems to go one way . . . up-up-up! But you sound like you’re performing a fairly essential service there, so all the best to you.

Perhaps others using aeroplanes for unusual ventures could write and tell us about it. I’d be fascinated to hear about them.

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John Franklin from Port Augusta in South Australia wrote to enquire about certain elements of my flight last year to Los Angeles on board Qantas flight 11, non stop from Sydney. John asks about the track flown by our aircraft, saying he has noticed that Qantas 11 “deviates substantially from the established air routes”. Well John this is not really the case, the tracks Qantas flight for Qantas 11/12 are ‘laid down tracks’ but they are ‘direct’, in order to save distance travelled, time elapsed, fuel, and ultimately money. More fuel burned obviously means higher seat prices for the passengers on board. The number of tracks available to Qantas and the other airline flying Boeing 747-400s non stop from SYD to LAX totals sixteen. So they have plenty of choice. Our track was one of the most commonly planned and is presented here for your information.

ASSY (Sydney) S33 56. 7, E151 10. 3; PUKOP 33 07. 4, 153 59. 8; LORD HOWE3131. 3, 159 04. 2; PIDOS 30. 44. 9, 162 04. 7; TEKEP 30 29. 6, 163 00. 0; VENON 29 56. 3, 164 55. 7; NORFOLK IS 29 00. 4, 167 55. 1; DALBA 25 00. 0, 171 30. 8; BIKSA 22 04. 9, 173 56. 6; PEXEL 19 00. 4, 176 22. 1; NA DI (VOR) 17 39. 2, 177 24. 0; K ABAR 16 14. 5, 178 20. 1; LANI$ 15 00. 0, 179 08. 7; IDEMU 10 00. 0, W177 41. 8; CUFFY 5. 00. 0, 174 39. 1; CODES NOD 00. 0, 171 39. 7; 03N68 03 00. 0, 168 00. 0; DOVES 05 00. 0, 164 47. 5; 08N61 08 00. 0, 161 00. 0; RUDDI 10 00. 0, 158 26. 8; 13N55 13 00. 0, 155 00. 0; 16N50 16 00. 0, 150 00. 0; 19N45 19 00. 0, 145 00. 0; 22N40 22 00. 0, 140 00. 0; 25N35 25 00. 0, 135 00. 0; 28N30 28 00. 0, 130 00. 0; 30N25 30 00. 0, 125 00. 0; FICKY 31 33. 5, 121 23. 5; ROSIN 31 56. 5, 120 16. 0; MALIT 32 28. 7, 119 35. 2; SHELL 33 05. 7, 118 47. 3; SXC (VOR) 33 22. 5, 118; LAX (Los A ngeles) 33 56. 6, 118 24. 4

So there you are John! If that doesn’t allow you to follow the progress of the flights to LAX, nothing will!

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Monitored by this writer, frequency 131. 3 Sydney Control.

SINGAPORE 235: ”. A. h Control, Singapore 235, request. ” SYDNEY CONTROL: “Singapore 235, go ahead. ” SINGAPORE 235: “Would you be kind enough Sir to check the score of the Rugby League Test, England versus Australia?” SYDNEY CONTROL: “Australia lost, England 19, Australia 12!” SINGAPORE 235: “Oooh . . . sorry to hear about that!”

SYDNEY CONTROL: ” Can’t win ’em all!” SINGAPORE 235: “Sorry about that though . . . aw . . . gee . . . ” SY DNEY CONTROL: “Yeah . . . first time in twelve years that’s happened too!”

I must point out that sometimes it’s not actually the flight deck crew with the great interest in the sporting event. It’s occasionally brought about by a passenger or several passenger enquiries relating to the score. On some flights, clever technical crews with a spare HF set occasionally tune in domestic ABC or Radio Australia AM transmissions from afar, and pipe it through to passengers on one of the spare audio channels for their seat headset!

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Another New South Welshman, and regular . . . Brian Cartledge, from Rozelle, advises of Qantas 1 approaching Runway 16 on short finals and requesting a wind check.

TOWER: “Nil wind really Qantas 1, but for you . . . light, variable . . . gusting to one knot!”

(Can’t say they don’t try to please!)

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Lots of people have been enquiring about the Air Pro II receiver, and where to get it. I did list some outlets where the price is close to or even over $200, but I’ve now found a new low price right in front of my face . . . so to speak . . . at Hawker Pacific’s excellent Skyshops.

The ASA Air Pro Ills are selling well . . . both to beginners and even experienced listeners. Bands covered are the standard AM broadcast band, and FM broadcast, Air band of course . . . plus VHF 162. 4 to 162. 55. Thislast range was included to allow American users access to their national NOAA Weather Alert channels, but here business users take the weatherman’s place. Tuned by a thumb knob, frequency is read out by LCD display, and there is also a band indicator, you can plug in external power, and the unit has two antennas, a helical ‘rubber duckie’, and a telescoping whip. You also get a belt clip with the Air Pro II receiver . . . just in time for the Canberra Air Pageant and Bankstown Air Fair! Price is $111. 90 . . . at all Hawker Pacific Skyshops.

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Foot-in-mouth department . . . courtesy of Paul Taylor. “Err . . . Sydney Hotel, Echo Whiskey Control, climbing to flight level two-eight zero!” Response from a stunned Sydney Control was thus: “Echo Whiskey Control . . . you’re sure about that now?”

Our correspondent Paul Taylor lives at Randwick North in NSW. He is an Air Traffic Controller at Sydney Airport and in the course of his duties working the western sector hears many amusing bits and pieces. Amongst the funny stuff is foreign pilots having big trouble with the English language while trying to conduct a conversation with Control. Paul explained that about 15 minutes out of Mudgee, they normally transfer departing aircraft to their Mount Oxley remote frequency of 128. 2. Just listen to this one from a China Airlines crew member:

CHINA 173: “Me now Control good day China 173 with you cruising fright revel tree-wunn-zelo. ”

(Roughly translated means . . . )

“Good day Control. This is China 173 with you, cruising flight level three-one-zero!”

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Philip Preston from Darwin has asked me to elaborate on emergency squawk transponder codes which are from time to time broadcast from aircraft flights. These are the main ones Philip: 7500- Hijack; 7600 – Communications failure; 7700 – lnflight Emergency; 7500 followed by 7700 – Situation desperate, Captain requesting armed intervention upon landing the aircraft. I don’t wish to discuss them in further detail, so we’ll leave them at that for the time being Phil.

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Anthony Santos from Melbourne wants to know which is correct, three or two letter ICAO airline designator codes?

It’s three Anthony, although some airline flight notice boards, and FAC boards for that matter still display the old codes in two letters, such as ‘TE’ for Air New Zealand. They were changed by ICAO, and Air New Zealand is now the more sensible NZ’. (‘TE’ originally came from the word TEAL, the original name for the company. )

The other two airlines you specifically asked about Anthony are ‘QFA: for Qantas now, and ‘CPX’ for Cathay Pacific.

Well, space has beaten us, so until next month . . . enjoy your aviation monitoring, and write in and tell us about it!