On the Airbands

ASIAN 456: “Sydney Tower, Asian 456 with you on a seven mile final, Runway 34. Thought you’d like to know the winds old chap … we’ve got light chop with 230 diagonal 35, but we’re getting up to 45 knots at 4500 feet, still from around 230 degrees”. SYDNEY TWR: “Asian 456, continue approach.” ASIAN 456: “And and for the benefit of preceding aircraft, there’s no sign of windshear so far, although by the look of waves on the bay, and a bit of dust near the threshold, we need to anticipate some. Just a touch, I’d estimate from here ….” SYDNEY TWR: “Asian 456, wind at the threshold is 240 at 10 knots, continue approach. Foxtrot November Alpha, clear for takeoff Runway 07.” QANTAS 123: “Sydney Tower, Qantas 123, turning final for three-four.” ASIAN 456: “Ahh … Qantas old fellow, you’ll find just a bit of medium chop down here. Nothing to go and worry about. Just that early morning thingo. We’re drifting a bit right. Make slight correction for wind change at 2000, that’s my suggestion … still the odd bump about.” SYDNEY TWR: “Qantas 123, continue approach. Expect late landing clearance 34.” ASIAN 456: “Ahh … are we clear to land Tower? Wind is swinging around just a tad.” SYDNEY TWR: “Confirm … Clear to Land, Asian 456, expedite.” ASIAN 456: “Thank you … clear to land, Runway 34, Asian 456. Note now, for the benefit of preceding aircraft, that the wind below 500 feet is really light and variable. Of no consequence … but I estimate the surface wind Tower is more like 20 knots. A bit gusty. Can we have full length Runway 34?” SYDNEY TWR: “Full length not approved, take first available taxiway left. You have another aircraft at three miles!” ASIAN 456: “Sorry old chap, can’t make that, need full length. We seem to have a bit of a tail wind all of a sudden … or it feels like it, and we had to pull the reverse thrust off early. Bit of the old engine overheating, it flows around the front, you know, number three, as usual. Landed a touch too long for some reason ….” SYDNEY TWR: (stressed out) “Qantas 123, go round … go round Sir!” QANTAS 123: “Going round, Qantas 123, thanks a lot.”

The Qantas 747 roars overhead the runway at full power.

ASIAN 456: “Err … sorry everyone, did we cause a problem? Full apologies etcetera to all concerned ….” SYDNEY TWR: “Qantas 123, call Departures.”

And such was the air traffic that early morning that poor old Qantas 123 was monitored many minutes later making some tortuous vector manoeuvres. Even Richmond Approach got into the act! Eventually, the aircraft was instructed to enter a holding pattern. After some twenty five minutes, the following conversation between Sydney Tower and Qantas 123 took place:

QANTAS 123: “Sydney Tower, Qantas 123, West Pymble, left 3000.” SYDNEY TWR: “Qantas 123, did you copy all that useful wind information earlier?” QANTAS 123: “Sure did! It saved us a lot of trouble, and was mighty useful on the go around!”

Wayne Arthur lives in Griffith, ACT, and is a pilot. Some years ago he was on an aircraft flightdeck approaching Brisbane and he was monitoring Brisbane Approach frequency. The following was heard:

VH-RRR: “Brisbane Approach, Romeo Romeo Romeo, departed Tangalooma for Brisbane, request Airways Clearance.” BRISBANE APP: “Romeo Romeo Romeo, request your present position.” UNIDENTIFIED: “Romeo Romeo Romeo, where for art thou, Romeo Romeo Romeo?”

Also monitored one Christmas Day by Wayne Arthur, the following Canberra ATIS: “Canberra Terminal Information: A partridge in a pear tree. Runway 35, wind 080/06, QNH 1015, temperature 18, cloud 2 oktas 2000, 6 oktas 2400. On first contact with Canberra Ground or Canberra Approach, notify receipt of A partridge in a pear tree!”

Tony Horneman from North Ryde, NSW, writes in with a story monitored on his Sony Air-7. Tony recently got some out-of-column advice from yours truly relating to setting up an external antenna system on his house roof for monitoring aircraft. Tony states that “it definitely has improved reception, particularly on Sydney Tower and Sydney Ground frequencies”. Tony monitored the following between a Polar cargo 747 and Qantas Sydney operations frequency 131.7 MHz.

POLAR AIR 181: “Qantas Sydney, Polar Air 181.” QANTAS SYDNEY: “Polar Air 181, go ahead.” POLAR AIR 181: “We estimate on blocks at 4.30pm local.” QANTAS SYDNEY: “Polar Air 181, Qantas Sydney, roger that, could you please confirm that the aircraft has been treated for quarantine purposes?” POLAR AIR 181: “Arr … yep, I’ve actually just finished washing my hands!”

Anthony Crichton-Browne lives in Karrinyup in Perth, and he was sitting up late one recent Monday evening studying for exams, and monitoring to Perth Approach at the same time.

SPEEDBIRD 12: “Perth Approach, Speedbird 12 on frequency.” PERTH APP: “Speedbird 12, Perth Approach, identified, descend to 4000, track now for a five mile final, Runway 21, expect visual after Parkerville.” SPEEDBIRD 12: “Okay, the Speedbird 12, you want us to descend to 4000 and track for a seven mile final … err, correction five mile final Runway 21, and we can expect a visual approach after Parkerville.” PERTH APP: “Speedbird 12, you can have a seven mile final if you want.” SPEEDBIRD 12: “The five mile final will be fine … it’s such a nice night.” PERTH APP: “It’s always nice here.” SPEEDBIRD 12: “Don’t tell me you won again?” PERTH APP: “I don’t really know … I haven’t been watching.” SPEEDBIRD 12: “Oh come on … England always loses the cricket!” PERTH APP: “You forgot the Rugby!” SPEEDBIRD 12: (Laughing)

Anthony found this radio exchange very amusing and he says “it shows that Approach/Departures controllers are pilots’ friends, and are not just there to refuse requests as some pilots believe”. Nicely put Anthony.

John Charlton from Greymouth in New Zealand says that “Evan Murray, the Secretary of the NZ Radio DX League must have forgotten about me when he said in your On the Airbands article that no-one from the League had logged hearing Bodo Radio. Perhaps he just meant no one in Auckland had caught it? I enclose a few pages from my log to show you that I heard Bodo more than once, but I have had no success with QSL verifications from them. I know for a fact that they received the first of four reports I sent them, so I am going to try one more time”. John also details how he actually got on board British Airways Concorde G-BOAD (selcal BD-AK) in Christchurch recently, and at the time there were only two other rather “official looking” people on board. John says “it was quite an experience to actually be on board a Concorde that I had heard many times on North Atlantic crossings”. He has found (as I have) that it is easy to monitor Concorde on the NAT frequencies. One night last September, John logged three Concordes in the one sitting, within a 26 minute window period. The first was Speedbird Concorde 9091, then Speedbird Concorde 1, and then Air France 002, with all three working Gander Radio in Newfoundland.

A high tech voice communications system has been delivered to Seattle Air Traffic Control Center, enabling quicker, clearer and more reliable communications between ATC and airborne flight crews. Seattle Center has received the first Voice-Switching and Control System (VSCS), and so far, performance testing has been looking very good. VSCS helps controllers manage their workload better by providing complete and flexible digital air/ground radio and telephone voice links between controllers and en route aircraft. VSCS uses computer controlled processors and switching with backup systems to virtually eliminate outages and ensure the very highest standard of reliability. Its fibre-optic voice routing and digital switching system is the key to its success. It is flexible in its nature, so that it can be custom tailored for any other ATC unit that requires it to be installed. VSCS replaces the older 1950s technology consisting of mechanical and vacuum tube switches. VSCS utilises display monitors with colour coded icons which are activated by touch control. The new system is earmarked by the Federal Aviation Administration in the USA for 21 additional ATC centers. Next to get it are New York JFK and Los Angeles International, along with the FAA Controllers’ Academy in Oklahoma City, where initial training will be carried out using VSCS. 90 Australian Aviation May 1995.

Doug Beale, another monitor from across the Tasman, writes with a story involving ZK-TAK, a Beech Queen Air, operated by Kiwi West Aviation, and New Plymouth Tower on 124.7 MHz. Tango Alpha Kilo is lined up for departure on RW23.

ZK-TAK: “Tower, Tango Alpha Kilo, would it be alright to wait here for a couple of minutes to let the engines warm up?” NP TWR: “Tango Alpha Kilo, yep … that’s alright.” (pause for a few seconds …) NP TWR: “Actually … Tango Alpha Kilo, you may have to get out and sit on them for a while!”

Q: What’s The Difference Between God And Pilots?

A: God doesn’t think he’s a pilot.

And now, some of the greatest lies in aviation. 1. I’m from the CAA, and I’m here to help you. 2. We’ll be on time … maybe even early. 3. I have no interest in flying for the airlines. 4. All that turbulence spoiled my landing. 5. We shipped the part yesterday. 6. I’m always glad to see the CAA. 7. I’ve got the field in sight. 8. I’ve got the traffic in sight. 9. Of course I know where we are. 10. I’m sure the gear was down.

From Brian Delaney in Victoria, who is ex RAF, now resident in Australia. The story involves “Speedbird 766”, inbound from London Heathrow to BA’s Berlin Tegel station. It was 1982, and British Airways had just phased out their Super BAC-111s on the route, and introduced 737-200s. The conversation was overheard by Brian Delaney in Dan Air’s Operations Room. Brian was working for Dan Air in those days from its Tegel station.

BERLIN: “Speedbird 766, this is Berlin Air Safety Centre advising you of traffic in your nine o’clock position. Confirm visual?” (… deadly silence follows). BERLIN: “Speedbird 766, Berlin Centre, did you copy my last?” BA 766: “Berlin Centre, yes … this is Speedbird 766, I copied … but these new 737’s are fitted with digital clocks! Can you tell me where my nine o’clock position is please?” (… roars of laughter from Berlin Centre, the ATC having an American accent!) BERLIN: “Speedbird 766, Berlin Centre, you got me that time buddy. I was born in Seattle!”

Brian lives in Port Melbourne Victoria, and we hope to hear from him again. I believe he has quite a repertoire of similarly entertaining stories from his RAF and airline past in Europe.

From an anonymous contributor from Christchurch New Zealand, a birthday story … FEMALE CONTROLLER: “Ansett 810, we have a special Notam for you, valid until midnight tonight …(sings) Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you …” (continues singing) then … “Did you get that Andy?” MT COOK 07: “Yeah, did you get that Andy, how about a speech?” ANSETT 810: “My God! You guys!”

Listening In (95) magazine is out now, chock full of information, with four articles devoted to aviation radio. And our new book Climb into the Cockpit by Radio will be out mid April. This huge book replaces Listening in to Aircraft Radio. It even includes hundreds of selcal codes, and is completely different to the earlier reference work. L195 is $8.00 inc p&p, and the book will be $22.95 inc p&p when released in April, from Airband Communications, PO Box 16, Georges Hall, 2198. See you in the air next month!