WhatWasThat said:
Can we really expect a pilot out for a joyflight to juggle frequencies in this fashion? It would seem to me that the chart simplification may not have simplified things at all. November 26 our VFR pilot could have expected to hear the broadcasts from IFR traffic arriving and departing all three aerodromes on area, now he/she will have to juggle frequencies depending on proximity to aerodromes, necessitating more “head down” map reading than the FIAs ever did.
For what its worth (there is no need for you guys to repeat how little importance you attach to my views), I think its absolutely reasonable to expect any PPL - even low hours or a student - to be able to change frequencies in the manner you describe. For example, when I did my flight test for my PPL several years ago, it involved departing Wycombe Air Park (Buckinghamshire, 15NM northwest of Heathrow), changing from TWR to Benson MATZ to obtain permission to transit their MIL zone within 5 minutes (about 9 track miles), thence out the otherside a similar distance to Oxford Kidlington APP to transit their ATZ, thence immediately to Brize Radar for a flight information service, etc. Admittedly the first time you do it, its a bit of a handful, but had I not been able to communicate in this way, without assistance, whilst simultaneously aviating and navigating, then I would not have passed. I don't think I'm special, so I think it is within the capabilities of any PPL to do this.
And there should be no need to have extra head-down time in the cockpit to achieve this... The key, of course, is to simply WRITE THE FREQUENCIES DOWN (they can easily be looked up in AIP / ERSA / etc.) prior to flight on your PLOG, or just a scrap of paper, or even on your map in chinagraph if you want... You then put the next frequency in the standby window of your COM box, or in COM 2 or whatever, ahead of time. You are then just a button-press away from the next APPROPRIATE FREQUENCY. Its not hard - anyone can do it as long as they have been trained to do so. The inexperienced simply have to put a bit more tiome and energy into planning ahead. I would be shocked if you really believe that Australian PPLs can't cope with such frequency changes.... whether on a pleasure flight or any other sort. So this seems a bit of a red herring.
Andy
