Originally Posted by
Lead Balloon
I reckon a MULTICOM of 126.7 with an upper limit of 3,000’ AGL will only work as a matter of practicality if the ‘default’ CTAF - at least for marked aerodromes - is something other than 126.7. Otherwise 126.7 will be an even more garbled, screechy blabfest anywhere within cooee of a few aerodromes in G with a bit of traffic
The default CTAF could be changed to something other than 126.7, but CASA would have to do a safety assessment and a thorough education campaign to avoid further "frequency separation". Or they could defer to what is the case now, when chatter from other ADs or 126.7 reaches the problem level a discrete frequency can be sought.
on top of all those airborne fire fighting and other emergency services assets that will apparently be using the frequency.
Fire fighting aircraft tend not to be a problem. When two or more are operating at a scene they use a discrete frequency to talk to each other on, At the same time, one (usually the higher level " Bird Dog") monitors the FIA frequency or designated CTAF when a fire is in the vicinity of an AD, broadcasting and responding as necessary. So I would imagine there will be no more talk on 126.7 than there is now, and less on the FIA.