GAAP changes with more to come

The second requirement was that all aircraft obtain a clearance to enter, cross or taxi on any runway, active or not.

The third requirement was that on or before April 21 2010 air traffic services must be provided during daylight hours without any reduction in the service currently provided during the hours of darkness. Daylight hours means first light to last light.

The directive also advised that by April 21 2010 all the subject aerodromes will go from GAAP procedures to Class D air traffic control.

What does all this mean?

Confusion for most in the short term and confusion for some in the long term.

Taken one change at a time the number of aircraft in the circuit will affect some aerodromes but maybe not to the extent that has been seen by some. Six aircraft in circuit is a comfortable number to work with both from the tower and the cockpit. More makes it hard to teach and watch out for other traffic at the same time. While not all the subject aerodromes operate the same way one can see that with six aircraft doing circuits the controllers will be able to get a departure away between those aircraft doing touch and goes. For an aircraft coming inbound from a VFR approach point the controllers will be able to slot the new aircraft into the circuit pattern if there are less than six in the existing pattern, be it for a landing or for touch and goes. If six are in circuit the tower has two alternatives, tell someone on final to ‘make this a full stop’ or get the inbound aircraft to overfly the circuit pattern and be let down into the other circuit for a full stop or circuits as required. Some schools may have to schedule their circuit students to fly in non-peak hours. Again, depending on the aerodrome, not all will have six aircraft in both circuit patterns thus allowing both inbound and outbound traffic.

The aspect of a clearance being required to taxi on any runway, active or not, is interesting. To taxi along one taxiway may now require approval to cross three or even more runways. A lot of radio chatter. Already this has been interesting for night flyers at one airport that had one lit runway in use but there was still a requirement to obtain a clearance to cross other unlit, unseen, unused runways. Needless to say the number of incident reports has risen dramatically since the any-runways taxi clearance requirement came into being.

The aspect of having air traffic services at GAAP airports from first light to last light plus the current night hours will throw pressure on Air Services Australia. Are there enough trained and available controllers willing and able to meet these demands? Time will tell.

Changing GAAP aerodromes into Class D airspace will see some changes. For a start D airspace requires 1,000’ separation vertically from cloud. At present 1,000’ AGL GAAP circuit traffic can fly legally with a 1,500’ cloud base. The D airspace would not allow this.

One can see that there will be some massaging of the directives in the next few months as unseen hurdles come over the horizon if the GAAP airports are to continue without a reduction in their use.

Three weeks after the start of the new regulations CASA field staff had still not got to the coal face, the working instructors, to explain the new requirements. For people flying regularly at GAAP aerodromes the new requirements will slowly fit into place but for the occasional flyer or the up-country visitor some will fall through the cracks in the education program, particularly in view of the fact that CASA relies so much these days on the internet to get its message out. Put simply some flyers do not check the internet on an everyday basis for the latest CASA changes.

CASA is concerned over the number of runway incursions and the rise in midair collisions, most of which have occurred at GAAP airports.

The changes advised are an attempt to improve safety at those airports.

Contact Dave by email at: [email protected]