Just got the new DAP amendments and next issue charts and noticed that there are some big changes happening all over WA. Biggest changes around Perth, most SIDs and STARs have changed due to all the waypoints moving and also changing names. There is also a large increase in one way routes and many old favorites have completely disappeared.
Should make for some interesting times as crews try to catch up with the new procedures and even more interesting times for those operators that aren't so good at keeping RNAV databases up to date.
I assume this is in response to the reported delays and airspace issues that we keep hearing about.
I guess its a bit early but can the crews in WA keep us posted how this one works out and if it helps or makes things worse.
I assume this is in response to the reported delays and airspace issues that we keep hearing about.
Why?
- Because most of industry refuses to embrace ADS-B, making the huge increase in jet traffic in non-radar WA not economically or safely manageable, resulting in too-long periods stuck at lower levels waiting for clearances;
- the refusal of too many captains to use off-track departures OCTA, thereby forcing nose-to-nose conflicts in the climb or descent, which is at best a silly idea. At least we won't have to worry about the Virgin E Jet aces trying to climb through other aircraft's levels with minimal nose-to-nose separation...
It won't help delays at Perth much. There will still be 40 jets trying to land on the one piece of bitumen that can only handle 24 per hour.
It might not help with delays (as you so well put it, 40 just doesn't fit into 24!) but it will help us controllers as jets and props will be on different SIDs/STARs so we won't have to push planes around to get everything to work. Provided the weather is nice, it will be a big improvement for us doing the radar enroute around PH - when the weather turns to poo though, it is going to be very ordinary!
On the ADS-B thing, even if every aircraft flying through WA had it, nothing would improve with delays as there is no ADS-B feed into the PH TCU for the flow. All the flow sees are squares (flight plan tracks, ie don't know where they are) or circles (radar tracks). Until they equip PH TCU with the ADS-B feed, there will be no improvement. When will this happen? Got a date yet for hell freezing over?
Also, ADS-B was supposed to have been fully rolled out, completed, operational, yaddah-yaddah-yaddah for 5nm separation by now across the whole continent above F300. Ask any manager in AsA when it will actually get to that point and all you will get is a shrug of the shoulders.
Once ADS-B is all done and the feed is delivered into PH TCU, provided there is decent coverage at turboprop levels out to 250nm+ from PH, there should be a big improvement in the service you receive (won't have to use a procedural standard) and delays will be much better handled as the flow will be able to sequence from an extra 100nm+ out. I wouldn't hold your breath on that happening before 2012 though.....
Technically, airspace (procedures) can and does create delays. If we are talking about 'capacity', then the runways/taxiways are generally the limiting factor.
Perth had to go to taxi slot times because TWR could fire aircraft off one RWY fast enough to 'overfil' the airspace. As soon as it calls DEP an aircraft becomes 3nm long and 3nm wide, radar sectors it's 5nm long/5nm wide, in procederual airspace (160nm PH) it's 20nm long and 28nm wide (GPS) or 10 minutres long and 60nm wide. The fact that 90% of PH traffic is in a 135 degree arc doesn't help.
Jepp's seem to have arrived well on time for this update - much appreciated. Now for that RNAV data base .. fingers crossed otherwise I'm off to the lucky shag.
A word of caution - the new route structure and data are firmly established around 'city pairs' planning. Please ensure you pick the right one or flight plan via the correct TMA/ENR gate so that the magic machine will generate your SID correctly.Also - the new routes do not solve the log jam in the TMA. Turbos and jets will join at about 20nm inbound. Be prepared for some serious speed if the winds are strong up top.Runway changes will be a bun fight - expect to hold if you are outside 50nm when we do the change, until the TMA have sorted out those caught inside 30nm. 03 to 21 will be a right royal pain due to the significantally different number of track miles.Above all - please be patient as we are getting used to new conflict points and airspace configurations. We have done 3 simexs covering varying scenarios and are coping with copious amounts of new/altered local instructions, there will be floor walkers in support for the first couple of weeks so we hope that all goes well.
