Second pilot map missing all frequencies
All vital air traffic control airspace frequency information has been deleted from a second map issued to the bulk of Australia’s 30,000 pilots from today.
The Visual Navigation Chart, which is used by pilots flying in daylight, is missing all frequencies, excluding automatic weather information, across Australia.
Pilots crossing flight paths or in unfamiliar airspace will not know how to contact air traffic control or other aircraft. They will be unable to hear collision warnings of commercial aircraft who will be operating under “see and avoid” conditions.
Civil Air President Ted Lang said: “Without question this reinforces our stand that the new rules will allow any aircraft to fly across, or directly at, descending international and domestic traffic paths without talking to air traffic control. They won’t be able to contact us – or other aircraft – anyway.”
“We thought missing frequency boundaries on ERC (En-route chart low) maps was shocking, having no frequencies at all is beyond comprehension.
“It is as if air traffic control in Australia no longer exists. It has vanished overnight and light aircraft pilots are free to roam as they please. It will be anarchy in the airspace.”
“Normally visual flight rules (VFR) pilots – the majority of amateur flyers – have charts that include frequencies. All this vital information is missing despite assurances they would remain on the maps,” Mr Lang said.
This comes as the professional aviation industry reels from today’s decision by Airservices Australia and CASA to sign-off on the new air space system from 27 November.
Mr Lang said Transport Minister John Anderson had now signed the fatal blow for airspace safety in Australia.
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Minister’s last chance to stop airspace chaos
Transport Minister John Anderson must today order a meeting of aviation bureaucrats in Canberra to pull the plug on the discredited and dangerous Australian airspace plan.
He must freeze the distribution of faulty airspace maps set to go to 30,000 pilots from this afternoon.
The Canberra meeting involves the heads of Airservices Australia and CASA to sign-off on the new airspace rules.
Civil Air President Ted Lang said the past 24 hours of alarm across Australia and increasing worldwide condemnation was a clear indication that the Minister must now finally take charge and dump the botched plan.
“Unless the Minister picks up the phone and orders a halt to the implementation frenzy, 30,000 pilots across Australia will be issued with maps that industry experts across the world say are a blueprint for disaster,” Mr Lang said.
“If he refuses, there will be chaos with holes in airspace safety big enough to drive a jumbo-jet through.”
“The Minister is at the point of no return. He must stop these changes before it is too late. Australia deserves the safest airways system in the world and these changes will reduce safety without any verifiable justification.”
Mr Lang said any suggestion opposition to the new airspace was an industrial issue was rubbish. “This is about safety. The new rules don’t threaten jobs. They threaten everyone who flies in Australia.”
Mr Lang said the Minister had repeatedly refused to meet.
“We can spell out the verifiable dangers in just a few minutes, however the safety of Australia’s airspace isn’t on the Minister’s radar,” he said.
Wasn't a huge fan of Ted Lang after the last certified agreement was put to the vote when it didn't meet most of the minimum requirements we had set out when we went out on strike, but I have to say that he has shown leadership and backbone on this issue and should be commended for it, unlike Mr Anderson, who has shown neither, and is just looking after his mates.
I know there will be the usual suspects here who want to fly for free and free of any restrictions, and see no problems with NAS for their day to day flying who will label Tad Langs press releases as scare mongering etc etc. but there are a lot of people paying for a service that they expect keeps them safe doing their daily work, and under the new system they will no longer get this protection.