Originally Posted by Dick Smith
And what's wrong with the Firies running the Unicom and giving traffic info?
What is this paranoia you have about needing to talk to people, Dick? There's a beepback and an AWIB. That's all you need. Unicoms are part of a bygone era. Get over it.
As for
They are highly trained professionals
at putting out fires! Not providing RPT with a traffic service. That is what ATC/Class F is for. So one second we're sledging the Firies because they are a monumental waste of money, now we're going to train them as ATC-Lite, just because they are there. How much extra is that going to cost for no benefit?
Class E is fine with or without radar, but you need to be aware that in VMC you need to keep a lookout as it is only the IFRs that ATC are working.
Oh that's nice, Cog. Let me add that to my PA. It's 2015 with safety management cruelling almost everything on earth and a vociferous minority of VFR pilots insist on having airspace that requires me to look out to avoid them! For goodness sake, get real. The most pathetic thing I used to hear on the airwaves was Centre passing, to almost every jet inbound from the east to Perth, VFR traffic on a parachuting aircraft operating in E. Fortunately, after
a VFR Tobago almost took out a Virgin 737 in Tassie because it misjudged where the 737 was actually going and caused an RA, terminal E got canned.
What right does VFR have to do what they like in terminal airspace occupied by A380s using unalerted See and Avoid to prevent midairs?? Are you guys serious??
Ledsled, please describe where and when Qantas ever flew through Class E in the USA.
As for the Virgin driver spruiking doom, death and gloom at Ballina, how about holding overhead at 7000ft until it's all clear?
I'm glad there is a little sanity here... Notimtams
.