You are quite right the NAS must not be allowed to be left to stealthy implementation.
It was interesting to read the comments by the pros and their troubles with MBZ calls. The srapping of MBZs and replacing them with CTAFs of only 10nm, is totally unacceptable to busy regional a/ps, recently it was claimed upto 12 a/c were in an MBZ at one time, personally I can vouch for 6 inbound and 2 on the deck leaving.
Try sorting that out on a 737 just reaching a 10mn CTAF!!
I am advised that BME CAG/RS welcomes 737 calls 45nm out in busy periods as 30/nm can be tight for interaction between the "relevent" A/C in the MBZ.
As the USA model is considered the bee's knees I spent 3 nights looking through the FAA mega web site.I was sure that a 10mn CTAF is unworkable and had been proved so by unacceptable frequency of incidents at Wagga, Ayers and Broome.
This is not a " I don't like this type" problem it is a "this cannot and has been proved not to be able to work" problem.So the USA system must have encounted the same point where CTAFs did not work. CASA and NAS does not specify any mixed use airports as busy as some of our regionals that use their proposed CTAF only system.Hence my FAA search and guess what.
NAS and the Smiths did not tell us or report on is an FSS being based at some regional A/Ps and providing LAA services ie:the same service presently done in Aussie as a CA/GRS in an MBZ weather etc on an ATIS and traffic advice on an airport based A/G frequency to aid separation.
My bet is the FAA use the FSS LAA procedures on A/Ps that are much smaller than our main regional A/Ps and still don't allow the landing of 737s RPT services on busy mixed use CTAF airports with or without LAA.If this is true we are going two steps down the safety ladder from ATC to CTAF+LAA to 10nmCTAF.
Can someone advise me on any busy USA regional A/P with mixed use that has 737 RPT ops and is not ATC or at least FSS LAA served?
Where are the Chef Pilots and Ops Managers public comments on the NAS proposals? or the unions and associations? Some of the NAS proposals to me are absolutely appalling and I sit in the back with the other lambs.
