On the Airbands

Answers

“ACD = Apron Clearance Delivery; SMC = Surface Movement Control; TWR = Tower; DEP = Departures Control; CTR = Control (now Center); FIS = Flight Information Service; and MTAF = Mandatory Traffic Advisory Frequency.”

Just by the further things you raise in your letter Robert I believe you are a novice to aircraft communications, and would suggest you consider purchasing my book “Climb into the Cockpit by Radio”, which will explain all the mysteries away. $22.95 including post from Airband Communications, PO Box 16, Georges Hall, NSW 2198.

Wayne Collins from Raby NSW contributes, A Saturday afternoon, and Qantas 737 VH-TJF is on Departures frequency at Sydney, 123.0 MHz.

VH-TJF: “Departures, Tango Juliet Foxtrot request Flight Level two-eight-zero or above.” SYD DEP: “Tango Juliet Foxtrot, can’t do, due traffic ahead.” VH-TJF: “Departures, Tango Juliet Foxtrot, can you explain exactly why our request can’t be approved?” SYD DEP: “Tango Juliet Foxtrot, you will have to stay lower than Flight Level two-eight-zero until you are 42 miles DME Sydney, and you are with Brisbane Centre.” VH-TJF: “Okay, thanks, but what is the preceding aircraft, and how far ahead is it?” SYD DEP: “Traffic is an Ansett Boeing 737, just 13 miles ahead.” VH-TJF: “Departures, Tango Juliet Foxtrot, fair enough, we’re a bit light, and at the moment, we’re going up like a homesick angel!”

Wayne Collins’ ribs were sore all day after hearing this remark.

Mark Taylor from Neutral Bay requires information about “Air Mike 883” which he copied on 128.6 MHz speaking with Brisbane Centre. The aircraft is a Continental DC-10-30, which the airline operates as Continental Micronesia. Thus the “Air Mike” callsign. Destination is Guam. Your enquiry regarding “Romeo Papa Charlie 57” is one I can’t help you with, but Cedar Jet 634 on Sydney Approach 128.3 was apparently a Middle East Airlines (MEA) charter flight. I cannot assist with two other callsigns you wish to have identified, namely “African International 836”, monitored on Approach 124.4 (Sydney), or “Swiss Air Ambulance 465”, which was copied on frequency 133.5 (Melbourne Centre) and also on Qantas Exec Ops frequency 131.25 MHz. All I can tell you about that one Mark was the registration of the aircraft, which I have learned was HB-IKT. Can anyone tell us what aircraft type that is?

Ian Holland (Radio 2CH drivetime announcer, and private pilot) lives in Normanhurst NSW. He operates a WIN 747 to listen in on aircraft while not actually flying. He monitored the conversation on Sydney Approach frequency 128.3 MHz.

VH-TAC (American accent): “Tango Alpha Charlie, maintaining 8000.” SYD APPROACH: “Tango Alpha Charlie, roger, remain at 8000, you’re not clear of the firing range yet!” VH-TAC: “Are they shooting at us?” SYD APPROACH: “Not as long as you stay at 8000!” VH-TAC: “That makes us feel a whole lot better!”

Ian says he saw the aircraft a few minutes later over his home, and it appeared to be in one piece. Regarding a spare battery pack for the WIN 747 which you are chasing Ian, try Premier Batteries in Sydney’s west, at Fairfield.

Matt Brice was monitoring Aeropelican CTAF 126.0 MHz. A helicopter was conducting aerial work over nearby Tuggerah Lakes, when it made this call:

HELICOPTER: “All stations Aeropelican. Helicopter Alpha Bravo Charlie is over Tuggerah Lakes this time at two hundred feet AGL, conducting aerial work over the lake for the next two-five-zero minutes.” UNKNOWN: “What sort of work are you doing mate … fishing perhaps?”

Rob Finlay of Brisbane Qld enquires: “What is the frequency used by Boeing Security in Seattle, at the Boeing Factory at Everett where the 747 is manufactured?”

Actually Rob, there are many channels in use. The best is the main Security One frequency, which is VHF high band 153.382 MHz.

Ken Kato from Wishart in Qld wants to know the type of aircraft using the callsign “Samurai”, as in a Samurai Sword, which was transmitting on Amberley UHF frequency 363.8 MHz. The four aircraft formation had a leader with a strong USA accent. The aircraft was an F-16 from the 113th Fighter Wing based at Andrews Air Force Base. Another callsign they use is “Wild”. Thanks for the enquiry Ken.

We seem to be favouring NSW letters this issue. The reason is a lot of mail from NSW readers, which I’m trying to clear. Rob Trezise from Coffs Harbour has recently been listening to RAAF air-to-air combat training exercises taking place on frequencies 261.4, 282.7, and 356.5 MHz. If you’re in the Coffs area, and you have a military UHF capable radio, dial them up and wait till the RAAF comes to visit next above your location! Air-to-air combat drills are always great to monitor!

When you are visiting the USA, phone 1 900 287 1000, and you’ll be updated on all the latest airshow information. Daily updates on all major aviation events in the USA, airshows, fly-ins, expos, airport open house days, aerobatic and ballooning competitions. The service has been recently expanded to also cover Canadian and foreign aviation events that are worthy of mention. Cost is $US1.99 per minute, plus your international rates. Astradyne operates the hotline, and you can also call them up on your computer at the following addresses: E-mail: [email protected]. Internet: https://www.intergate.com.media.astra. This is an eight page website.

Some other Internet locations you may care to check out: American Airlines can be accessed at https://www-amrcorp.com, and Hawaii’s Aloha Airlines on https://www.alohaair.com/aloha-air, and the Smithsonian Institute is to be found on https://airspacemag.com/. I’m sure all you net junkies will check those out quick smart!

I tried to make use of United Airline’s satellite telephone service through InMarSat while flying home on United 815 on August 4 this year. “No Service” was displaying until we were several hundred miles south of the Hawaiian Islands, and the bird came into view. I thought access would be easier than that, personally, after all the hype of the last 12 months about SatComs. There are two GTE Satphones on board United 747-400s, at the rear of the aircraft. The phones can be used over land or water, allegedly, “anywhere in the world”. Anywhere it seems except LAX to HNL!

Alastair Aked from Bournemouth in the United Kingdom writes with a story about what he terms the “ugly beasts” he has flown through his career. He is talking about Skyvans, and Blackburn Beverleys. He tells me that on a flight to Gulf Air’s servicing base at Bahrain, he called Gulf Ops on VHF prior to landing to see where they would like him to park. Alastair was told that, “if you park at the terminal, you will have to be driven over to the hangar, and likewise, if you park at the hangar, you will have to be driven over to the terminal, for Customs Clearance.”

Alastair replied: “Well, it’s as broad as it is long”. A superior sounding Gulf Air pilot came back with “You must be flying one of those Nissen Hut Skyvan thingies!”

Even though Alastair admits looks are poor in the Skyvan, he states looks count much less than performance, and operating in Oman on cargo runs, he says that the Skyvan is the only aircraft for that role. He further states that “with the pilot’s supervision, the Skyvan is very difficult to load out of trim, and that if it looks right, it is right!” High payloads are carried on these unusual aircraft over short hauls of 130nm (240km) average, delivering mail, food and drink. Many sectors frequently boast a 100% load factor. Not bad!

Neil Whiteley lives in Terara NSW. But he travels frequently and recently copied the following on Townsville Approach frequency 126.8 MHz. Neil holds a UPPL (Unrestricted Private Pilot’s Licence) and was listening on an IC-A20 Mk II aircraft handheld transceiver.

APPROACH: “Descend to 5000, squawk code 3000 with ident” AIRCRAFT: “5000 and squawk 3000 with ident … roger” APPROACH: “Err … confirm your transponder is operational?” AIRCRAFT: “Affirmative” APPROACH: “Not yet identified, do you have another transponder?” AIRCRAFT: “Negative, but we have one in the office” APPROACH: “In that case, the office is identified!”

Neil states that the Townsville controllers sound very cool and professional (I’ve found them to be exactly that Neil) and says their relaxed approach may be due to their climate. Who knows? When travelling, Neil carries his Icom IC-A20 with people always mistaking it for a mobile phone. Like Neil, I carry a VHF portable everywhere I go and it is amazing how people always think it’s a cellular phone. Even airport security. But this perception doesn’t extend to Nadi (Fiji) Airport Security Officers. I recently had to spend two hours in the Nadi Transit Lounge at 2:45am in the morning. A security check of my briefcase revealed two handheld amateur radios and a frequency counter, the latter tending to spook the security personnel somewhat. I quickly retrieved my two amateur radio licences, one Australian and the other American, which I hold. The Aussie one didn’t cut much ice, but the yankee licence seemed to impress them, and they said “Close your bag and enjoy your shopping at the duty free!” Phew!

Nathan Howes from Busselton in WA writes to ask, “what is Eagle 15, which I monitored talking to San Francisco Radio getting information about Honolulu frequencies 5628 and 10048 primary/secondary?”

According to Gayle Van Horn, from North Carolina USA, who is a military callsign expert, it would appear that Eagle in your case was an F-15 aircraft from the US Air Force, actually based in Bitburg, Germany, which was part of a contingent which was stateside at the time.

Andrew Thorpe, from Murray Bridge in South Australia has written asking for information on the location of waypoints he has been hearing on 5574kHz USB. In particular, Andrew’s HF listening has been centering on westbound San Francisco to Honolulu US domestic services, and he wishes to know the locations of waypoints Ficky and Fites. Ficky is N 31.33, W 121.23, while Fites is N 20.47, W 153.00. Andrew has also asked about a position on Airway ALPHA-590 named Picum, on the Japan to Alaska track. Picum is at N 55.11, W 178.30. Hope that’s all of some assistance Andrew.

A Melbourne based employee of AirServices Australia who works in Air Traffic Control takes his management to task for “typically bungling the change from Control to Center”. He states that the controllers were not advised of the changeover, and they only learned about it when those controllers who are also pilots received AIP SUPP H20/96 in the mail. He states that a “lot of controllers feel quite disgruntled by the change, and how it was handled”. My anonymous correspondent (name supplied but not published) says that the AIP SUPP refers to Center as “Centre”, I have amended the spelling of same in this column to “centre”, for the record.

Our letter writer further states that “there is considerable pressure from the boffins in Canberra to introduce more and more Americanisms into Australian R/T procedures, and I believe this should be firmly resisted by all those at the pointy end. In my experience, the US airlines have the slackest R/T discipline, and the worst phraseology of the lot. Thank God that at least they speak English, or a variant thereof! So much for the soapbox. Keep the stories coming!” Will do, in November issue. Thanks for the note.