Dick Smith’s Airspace 2000 Looks Set to Become Reality

To improve safety through more effectively allocating safety resources;

To reduce costs so more people can take up flying;

To benefit from new technology; and

Finally to have a genuine ICAO airspace system, which will be in the national interest.

The Airspace 2000 plan provides a quantum step forward to the future upon which refinements can be built as experience is gained with TAAATS. It represents a new foundation on which to build rather than persisting with the outdated (in this modern technological world) of the old

Over the last five years, Australia has been denied the cost and safety benefits of a genuine ICAO airspace system because some in the industry have resisted change purely on the basis that they were comfortable with the old procedures. The team believed that for the future viability of the industry, there must be acceptance of the new system. The team stressed that what is being proposed is a whole system concept, each individual part affects the operation and safety of the complete system; it is an all or nothing proposal. Because of Australia’s relatively low traffic density, a one level system is proposed similar to that operating in other countries such as New Zealand. By contrast, because of high traffic density, there are five levels in the Atlanta segment of the US system. Reducing to one level from the present two, and reducing the number of sectors will result in significant savings estimated to be in the order of $40m per annum.

An underlying principle of the plan is the introduction of an equitable charging system; essentially the user pays concept. Implementation of the Airspace 2000 plan will complete the AMATS changes of 1991 that saw VFR aircraft being moved out of the system with a consequent reduction in the number of low level sectors. This allowed the Avgas excise to be reduced from 26c a litre to 16c, which is estimated to have saved the GA industry some $30m over the last four years. The Airspace 2000 plan will see the removal of the 1c (approx) sum presently levied on Avgas users to cover enroute services costs.

As a separate but related issue, Dick Smith is confident that the new government will honour its election promises to introduce an equitable charging system which will see the whole of the 16c Avgas levy go.

Changes to the Present System

There are in practice only two major changes in the Airspace 2000 proposal that will affect most pilots. The first, which is a modification of the AAIA proposal, is acceptance that E airspace across most of Australia would be unworkable under the yet to be introduced TAAATS system. As a consequence, it must be confined initially to the J curve of the eastern seaboard, ie from Adelaide to Cairns with a spur to Hobart.

E airspace is new to any Australian airspace design despite its introduction having been bandied around in the past, as one theoretical airspace plan followed the previous one. E airspace is widely used internationally and has the great virtue of providing a full IFR to IFR separation service yet at the same time allowing the passage of VFR aircraft which are deemed to be transparent to the system. This is achieved (as elsewhere) by a 500ft separation between IFR and VFR aircraft. Should a VFR aircraft wish to fly “in the system” then appropriate charges will apply. Equally, an IFR aircraft can change to a VFR level and go out of the system should traffic delays warrant it, and weather permit. Should traffic density indicate a need for an E airspace traffic route other than as presently proposed, then a facility will exist for its introduction as a specific route; however again it will be user pays.

There has been opposition to E airspace in the past by the Australian Federation of Airline Pilots (AFAP), however the Airspace 2000 team seems confident that in the overall national interest, these objections will now be set aside.

The second significant change is that there will no longer be a Directed Traffic Information Service for IFR aircraft in G airspace. This is in line with the philosophy of providing services where they are most needed, ie the high density traffic areas rather than say in the middle of the Simpson Desert as at present. With Airspace 2000, the Directed Traffic Information Service will be removed from low traffic density airspace and replaced with a self announce/self separation ICAO Class G airspace. Initially it was intended that the existing CTAF frequency of 126.7 would be used as the multicom frequency Australia wide, but it has since been decided that this would result in overloading of an already busy frequency. It is now proposed that the multicom frequency be one digit off 126.7 such as 126.8, for easy switching.

VFR aircraft in both ICAO Class E and G airspace will not be required to have radio or communicate, however recommended procedures will apply.

For all aircraft in Class G airspace and VFR aircraft in Class E a full position SAR service will be provided at the cost of enroute charges. It will normally only be used on overwater legs, however the service can be arranged for any specific route.

Finally, a relatively minor change will be to redesignate high level airspace from ICAO B to C which will provide a seamless transit for RPT flying the regular air routes. It will, coincidentally, permit the very occasional use of the higher airspace by VFR aircraft for specific purposes such as photography.

As outlined above, if you use the system you will pay, for example a Cessna 182 flying IFR in Class E airspace from Moorabbin to Bankstown will incur a charge of $16.77 (based on the present $2.24 per 100nm tonne of aircraft weight). Alternatively, the same aircraft could make the trip IFR for no charge by remaining outside E airspace.

An added safety feature for IFR aircraft in Class G “self announce” airspace will be the provision of third party traffic information at non-tower airports prior to the aircraft commencing an instrument letdown. This service will be provided by an operating Unicom or by ATC, on a workload permitting basis.

Unicoms are a feature of many overseas non-tower airports and are provided by Fixed Base Operators (FBOs) or by airlines operating into the airport. Weather, wind, preferred runway and other traffic is usually provided. Unicoms were intended to be part of the system when the changes to our airspace management practices were first proposed. However, costs, and disenchantment brought on by the ever changing airspace structure proposals saw the implementation of this excellent scheme fall by the wayside. An incentive to the setting up of Unicoms will be approval for straight in approaches where such a facility is operating. It is understood that one regional airline has already indicated willingness to install a Unicom to facilitate straight in approaches for the financial benefits to be obtained. A final point on Unicoms is that insurance costs should be reduced because of the safety benefits accruing; this has evidently been confirmed by insurance assessors.

Finally, the present Flight Information Service will be removed, to be replaced by an Australia wide Flightwatch Service. This will be provided through most of the existing Flight Service VHF outlets and also through HF. The service will include weather, opening and closing of flight plans, and other information such as Notams advice.

Radar is very much a part of the new system as the natural order of things. The existing Radar Advisory Service (RAS) is very limited, with 80% of traffic under its cover, but not receiving any service. Due to the increased coverage of SSR radar and the installation of TCAS in many aircraft, safety can be enhanced by the fitting of mode “C” transponders. An additional incentive to fit transponders is that aircraft will be able to transit above most existing non-radar towers without a clearance.

Introduction of the New System

The Airspace 2000 team was due to present its proposed airspace plan to the Airspace Steering Group in late July, to be followed by presentations to industry.

Should the plan be accepted, it is expected that AirServices would then develop the necessary procedures in time for pilot briefing material to be available at the end of the year. Introduction of the new airspace system would then hopefully take place mid 1997. There was general agreement within the team that failure to introduce this system, or something very similar, before the commissioning of TAAATS, would jeopardise the latter’s successful introduction.

A final comment from Dick Smith is that something in the order of $100m should be saved over the next five years through the introduction of Airspace 2000. He believes that this saving should be put towards improving safety through additional radar coverage for say Tasmania; higher salaries for AirServices staff through increased productivity; and reduced charges to industry, permitting growth with an accompanying increase in employment. The end product, he believes, will be a greater number of newer and safer aircraft which has always been his aim.

Comment

There is no doubt that if you were setting out with a clean sheet of paper to design an airspace system to meet the needs of the next century, utilising the promised benefits of the automated TAAATS system, you would not want to be encumbered by the baggage of our present system which has literally grown by accident. However, we live in the real world and like it or not there has to be recognition of past practices and procedures.

The Airspace 2000 plan provides a quantum step forward to the future upon which refinements can be built as experience is gained with TAAATS. It represents a new foundation on which to build rather than persisting with the outdated (in this modern technological world) of the old.

The fact that the entire Airspace 2000 team supports the proposed plan is indicative that it is a valid, viable and safe concept and accordingly it should receive the endorsement of all concerned.

Finally, Dick Smith is to be congratulated for his persistence in pursuing the matter to what looks like being a successful conclusion. He has done this for no personal financial gain, having provided his time at no cost to AirServices, in the interest of furthering the future of aviation in this country.