On the Airbands

Courtesy of Bob Langley from Balgowlah and Greg Baker at Sutherland NSW, some information regarding changed Ansett company VHF frequencies.

As every Sydney aircraft radio enthusiast knows, 130.9 MHz is Sydney Control (northern routes). Ansett Sydney’s airground company VHF has been operating on 130.95 for some time, and has long been suffering interference from the ATC frequency 130.9. The reverse situation has also existed from time to time. So, to please everybody concerned, some changes have had to be made. The old EastWest channel 128.8 is now Ansett’s airborne company channel, with 130.95 used only on the ground. A backup channel is 130.65, with 130.6 MHz being used at regional airports.

Garry Davey from Emerald in Victoria sent me a lengthy account of the tragic loss of PBY Catalina amphibian N5404J which ditched in the Pacific on January 15 this year. It was fascinating to read Garry’s written account of what he heard on 5643 kHz as the Mayday unfolded! I also have a tape recording of this Mayday situation. It is just one of four major incidents involving large aircraft that I now have full copies of the radio calls from. The other three incidents are:

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