On the Airbands

Five kilometres of steel cable came away from the aircraft and fully separated, falling to the ground and lodging across 11,000 volt power lines. The result, apart from the embarrass ment: Port Parham blacked out for seven hours! The Fleet Support aeroplane was towing a $12,000 target over the Gulf of St Vincent at the time of the accident, and was actually completing its mission and returning to base when the cable snapped. Part of the cable landed in a street, another section landed over the power lines and the remaining bits fell into the sea. Amazingly, no one was killed or injured.

The Defence Department, who had chartered the jet, is conferring with lawyers at the time of writing to work out who pays the bill, said to amount to around $10,000. Defence owned the missiles while the jet is owned by Fleet Support (a subsidiary of National Jet Systems), and the target was owned by Air Target Services. Both Fleet Support and Air Target Services are located on the Nowra Naval Air Station. A most unfortunate, and unforeseen incident.

Bob Clark, who is an amateur radio operator (VK2YOD), private pilot, and owns his own business producing satellite tracking systems, supplies the next interesting item.

only operate Tristars, but also has Boeing 747s and 737s in its expanding fleet.

After boarding the airliner, the doors closed behind Bob as he was ushered to his seat. But there was no pushback, and no engine start. The auxiliary power unit (APU) was running as the First Officer came on the cabin passenger intercom with the following address: “Ladies and gentlemen, we have a minor technical difficulty, which will mean a short delay. Due to our difficulties we cannot depart. Apologies, I will be advising you in approximately one half hour of the situation. Passengers with connecting flights to catch should make themselves known to cabin attendants so we can try to assist you. ” Half an hour later, this message, almost word for word, was repeated, with the situation totally unchanged. The airconditioning was operating, everyone was comfortable. policemen standing alongside the aeroplane in sight of the passengers with monstrous looking machine guns.

There was lots of noise from outside, and numerous Chinese Suddenly, all was revealed. A replacement number one engine was wheeled out on a large cart, and fitted to the pylon under the left (port) wing. Exactly ninety minutes after the first announcement was made, and without any runups of the newly fitted donk, the throttles were opened and away they went.

Bob was thinking about his life insurance as they climbed through 2000ft on their way to HKG. He has said to me that if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he certainly wouldn’t have believed they could have managed the changeover so quickly.

HF listeners will be able to listen to Australian Airlines pilots, cabin crew and domestic aircraft operating their first scheduled international services under Qantas flight numbers from later this month.

Adelaide to Denpasar (Bali) as of September 20, and will Australian 737s will be operating the Qantas 131 from return as the Qantas 132. The service will operate Mondays and Fridays ex-Adelaide, and Tuesdays and Saturdays ex-Denpasar. This will be followed up by a twice weekly 737 service between Sydney and Noumea, starting November 6th. In addition, a weekly domestic service between Perth and Christmas and Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean is mooted by Qantas.

The Qantas 131 from Adelaide to Darwin will run as a domestic service between those cities, with Immigration clearance being sought by passengers at Darwin on arrival there. The reverse situation will apply with passengers from Denpasar clearing Customs, Immigration and Quarantine at Darwin International Airport. Two hundred Australian Airlines pursers are undergoing training to enable them to complete duty free financial documentation. Each flight to and from Denpasar could potentially earn Qantas $10,000 in duty free sales, with payments being made in up to thirty different currencies.

Until October 30 1993 domestic flights operated by Qantas 767s will carry the “TN” prefix on their flight number, with 737s flying internationally carrying the Qantas “QFA” prefix. It has now been decided by Qantas that from October 31 1993, a single flight number/callsign designation will be introduced, utilising the Qantas prefix.

Here’s a letter from George Theo of East Kew in Victoria, telling us all about an incident involving an IFR Beech Queen Air, VH-AEQ, Melbourne Approach, and Melbourne Tower. MELBOURNE APPROACH: “Alpha Echo Quebec, clear for final, contact Melbourne Tower on 120 decimal 5 at Epping. ” VH-AEQ: “Alpha Echo Quebec. ” then. . .

VH-AEQ: “Melbourne Tower, Alpha Echo Quebec, final, left three thousand” (no reply. . . for thirty seconds or so. . . then. . . ) VH-AEQ: “Melbourne Tower, Alpha Echo Quebec, we’re on final, left three thousand. ” followed by. . .

MELBOURNE TOWER: “Err. . . Alpha Echo Quebec, this is the Tower Security Guard, the man you’re looking for, the Tower Controller, is downstairs answering a call of nature!” VH-AEQ: “Well tell him I’m landing anyway!” VH-AEQ was in fact shooting an ILS approach for Melbourne Airport after a flight from Sydney.

Colin Green from Wantirna in Victoria was monitoring the activity on Essendon ATIS on 119. 8 MHz (also broadcast on 356 kHz). A young female controller was apparently handling the ATIS recording for the first time. This is how it went. ATIS: “Essendon Terminal Information Charlie”. . . (with the female controller providing all the details of runways in use, wind, QNH, temperature, cloud cover, reminding all aircraft that on first contact with Essendon to notify receipt of Information Charlie. She then screamed: “I did it!” Thanks for the contribution Colin.

An anonymous contributor from Westdale in NSW uses two Realistic VHF/UHF scanners to monitor the airbands, a PRO-32 and PRO-2020, both coupled to a homemade single vertical antenna, cut to quarter wavelength at the mid sector of the aviation band around 125. 0 MHz.

Earlier this year, our correspondent was visiting Brisbane, and was monitoring one of Eastwest’s BAe 146 flights VH-EWL climbing to FL 240 on 130. 4 MHz. This is a Brisbane Control frequency.

BRISBANE CTL: “Echo Whiskey Lima, report leaving flight level 1-8-zero. ” VH-EWL: “Echo Whiskey Lima, roger. ” some minutes later. . .

BRISBANE CTL: “Echo Whiskey Lima, report present level. ” VH-EWL: “Passing flight level 1-2-1. ” some five minutes later. . .

BRISBANE CTL: “Echo Whiskey Lima, present level now?” VH-EWL: “Flight level 1-6-8” some minutes later. . . BRISBANE CTL: “What’s your level now?” VH-EWL: “Flight level 1-7-6 climbing!” Later. . .

VH-EWL: “Brisbane Control, Echo Whiskey Lima is passing flight level 1-8-zero. ” BRISBANE CTL: “Roger. ” VH-EWL: “We’ll get there eventually!” BRISBANE CTL: “Echo Whiskey Lima, elephants and pigs spring to mind Sir, but at the moment I can’t tell you why! Unfortunately, this is characteristic of the BAe 146’s performance in hot Aussie territory. It climbs slowly.

From your author. I am calling this one “Roll your own” ATC. It occurred on Approach frequency 124. 4 MHz, very early one Sunday morning.

QANTAS 12: “Sydney Approach, Qantas 12 at seven thousand, received Charlie. ” APPROACH: “Qantas 12, Sydney Approach, good morning, (female) you can expect radar vectors for a right base for Runway 34. ” QANTAS 12: “Ahh. . . Qantas 12. . . we have a profile built up for just that situation Ma’am. Can we follow that?” APPROACH: “And just what do you mean by that Sir?” QANTAS 12: “We have a profile leading us direct to a twenty mile position, then a right base for Runway 34. ” APPROACH: “Okay Qantas 12, do as you wish! I’ll observe it and amend it if necessary!” The only instructions Approach gave ATC for the remaining 45 track miles of the flight were to descend to 3000ft and 1500ft, report turning base, and report the Indicated Airspeed. Qantas 12 successfully joined final south of the coastline. and when it was established on the VASI, made a visual approach, calling the Tower on 120. 5 MHz. It was one of the most unusual approach sequences I as a monitor have heard! Until next month, so long. Contributions are welcome, with SAE’s for replies please. Send mail to Bob Bell, “On the Airband”, PO Box 16 Georges Hall 2198.