Originally Posted by
Colonel_Klink
Sunfish,
I think you’re shooting rather wide of the mark.
I don't. You only have to look at this very report to see that. There is not a single skerrick of info about the Jetstar crew having any consideration for anyone other than IFR traffic. CAAP166 says radio calls from IFR aircraft should be in plain english, yet this crew insisted on using IFR and RNAV waypoints. Why? "I'm in a shiny jet and need to prove I can do stuff you can't!"? They mean stuff-all to anyone other than another RPT arrival, yet they don't make up the majority of the traffic around that CTAF/BA, and probably contributed to why ol' mate in the Jabiru wouldn't have assimilated the threat even if he had heard it in the first place - simply because he
had no bloody idea where waypoint OPESO was even though he almost overflew it!
Originally Posted by Colonel_Klink
What the airline pilots on this topic have suggested, is that there are pilots of light aircraft around BNA who do not conform to what would be expected of aircraft operating in the vicinity of RPT jet aircraft. You expect the airline pilots to show professionalism, just as much as the airline pilots expect the most basic level of airmanship by using a radio, and turning on a transponder (if fitted) to the right mode.
I'll certainly agree with you regarding the transponder, that's simply inexcusable, but again, ol' mate
did use the radio, and
correctly in my view. His calls referenced
Lismore airport, as his track took him much closer to Lismore than Ballina, probably around 3NM vs 10NM. Why would you reference an airport 10 miles distant when another is passing under your right wing?
Originally Posted by Colonel_Klink
Much can be learnt by both sides - I cringe every time I hear an RPT aircraft reference the RNP waypoints rather than distance and compass bearing from the airport. But I am lost for words with the fact the Jabiru into BNA wasn’t making radio calls. That is borderline negligent behaviour in light of the number of incidents going on there, and the clear issues that are in play around BNA.
Best you go read the report again. Or for the first time, before you start casting aspersions on the Jab pilot (beyond his misuse of the transponder, that is, I'll give you that one as I agree with you there). From the report:
Originally Posted by The ATSB
At 1124:49, the pilot of 7456 made a broadcast on the shared CTAF, addressed to Lismore traffic, advising that the aircraft was 4 NM to the east of Lismore at 5,300 feet and descending. The flight crew of VGP did not respond to (or recall hearing) this broadcast.
So not only did the Jab miss the Jetstar crew's inbound message,
they missed
his (correctly made, IMHO) broadcast. And he wasn't going into (or near) Ballina, his destination was Evans Head.
Originally Posted by Colonel_Klink
I will finish on this note; for the love of god please turn on your mode C transponder if you have one, and please use the radio. No one cares if your broadcast doesn’t sound right, if necessary just talk in plain English and tell me what you are doing. ‘I am over Richmond River mouth and I’m tracking along the beach at 1000’ to Byron’ is a lot easier to manage than incorrect positional information because you’re trying to get the ‘right’ words out, or no broadcast at all. If I have any questions, I will ask!
The same goes for any IFR arrival. Though I don't (yet) have my IFR ticket, I've stufied enough to know the basics, can display IFR waypoints - and routinely use them in normal VFR operations to make Centre's life easier
- but there are an awful lot of VFR aircraft out there that
can't or don't do that, so when Captain Fourbars and his Effo reference a waypoint or flying the GPS arrival via Echo Charlie,
that's not doing a thing for anyone's SA beyond showing how much of a git you are. Granted if there's 3000m vis and a 500' ceiling, it would be appropriate as that's IMC, but on a sunny day?
Comply with the bloody CAAP and make everyone's lives safer.