Airspace Management

According to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) in its February journal, the new airspace boundaries, proposed for introduction from June this year, are so much larger than required by the latest Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) safety criteria because, it’s believed, some people within AirServices Australia (ASA) simply want a larger airspace grab. The effect of this move will result in more VFR traffic being captured and would therefore justify the new tower.

AOPA also reports that AirServices and CASA are at odds over the reclassification and expansion of the class C airspace. The report goes on to say that, “… AirServices is showing complete disregard for the industry in the face of pressure which we can only imagine came from the Air Traffic Control union.”

AOPA questions building the tower in the first place, and why, after strong industry consultation and lobbying, does Tamworth deserve class C airspace when class D is appropriate for non radar towers. Does this mean that AirServices is going to put a radar at Tamworth to justify that?

Apparently CASA has asked AirServices for a ‘please explain’ as to why the proposed airspace is larger than necessary and why it does not follow the CASA airspace design guide. The added safety of operating in controlled airspace will indeed appeal to the increasing number of aviators at Tamworth, the busiest regional airport in the country, but at whose cost? AOPA says that if a new tower is necessary, let the people who use it pay for it, rather than all GA flyers all over the country.

There is also concern among Tamworth’s local operators as to who will meet the costs of air traffic services and how the costs will be proportioned. The three main operators at Tamworth are the Ansett/BAe Australian Air Academy, Tamair and Eastern.

The Academy has far more movements than the two regionals but has smaller and lighter, avgas burning (and levied) aircraft. Its position is that the tower would be nice to have as long as it didn’t have to pay for it.

Tamair is happy with the existing tower and airspace organisation and doesn’t want to pay for a new tower. It enjoys the safety benefit of having all its turboprop operations around the country contained within controlled airspace, and at Tamworth, the present 12 mile radius control zone allows for the ILS approach to be fully contained within controlled airspace.

From AOPA’s information, most of the other operators at Tamworth would be quite happy flying around in CTAF or MBZ airspace. It seems AirServices is forcing these expensive facilities on the GA industry whether it likes it or not.

If It Floats, Talk To It

In a move to increase the number of flights over the Gulf of Mexico, the US FAA is introducing radio communication buoys to improve VHF radio reception over the water.

This novel idea involves two floating radio/satellite systems and two remote maintenance monitoring and control subsystems. Radio signals transmitted and received by the buoys using conventional VHF equipment are sent to the Houston Air Route Traffic Control Centre by satellite links. The new system is one of six initiatives taken by the FAA to improve US air traffic control services over the Gulf of Mexico. The contract to equip the buoys was awarded to the Harris Corporation of Florida.

Also from the US – GPS giants Honeywell and Trimble have been awarded their first project since the two companies announced their strategic alliance in June last year. American Airlines sent the Honeywell/Trimble team a letter of intent, asking that they supply up to 400 HT9100 GNSS navigation systems for the airline’s Omega replacement programme. Providing contract signing goes ahead this month, first deliveries are expected mid year.