What Happened to Lower Class E?
Many will remember that as part of NAS there was a plan to follow the USA and bring in some low-level Class E airspace to cover instrument approaches at non-tower airports. This airspace was to drop to about 1,200 feet AGL at airports like Ballina.
Of course, the low level enroute controllers would have to be trained at doing approach work, however if they can do this in the USA and Canada and Europe, surely they can in Australia.
I note this system has not gone ahead even at one airport and I think most would agree that being separated by air traffic control on a dark night in IMC is safer than a do-it-yourself calling-in-the-blind system of traffic information when there is no separation standard at all.
If you remember, we had a number of serious incidents – one at Bundaberg where two passenger-carrying aircraft were trying to do an instrument approach at the same time and another incident at Orange where the REX aircraft was coming in from the east on instrument approach and another aircraft was coming in from the west on an approach, both in cloud at the same time – problems if one had to do a missed approach!
So I also ask – have there been any further incidents that have been reported?