A sub-committee of the RAPAC Convenors representing the eleven RAPACs Australia Wide concluded their paper on the MULTICOM with the following:
CONCLUSIONS
• It must be emphasised that the prime method for traffic avoidance for operations in Class G airspace in Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) is and always will be SEE AND AVOID. This applies to VFR and IFR planned flights.
• IFR pilots must continue to risk-manage their flights at or near LSALT for the likelihood of VFR aircraft using the MULTICOM 126.7 in the same way they currently do for no-radio VFR flights in Class G airspace.
• The need to have a simple procedure for low-height flights in Class G airspace is based on the use of radio to help enhance the alerting and presence of other aircraft that may be in conflict, especially for VFR operations by recreational aviators.
• Recommended procedures in Class G airspace should make it easy to establish the primary frequency for any location.
• Such procedures are enhanced greatly and are significantly safer if a common and well-known frequency is recommended for radio-equipped aircraft flying at low heights above the ground.
• Having a single commonly-known frequency is a simple procedure that does not rely on other factors such as ATS frequency boundaries and whether or not a landing area is marked on a particular chart.
• The exercising of good airmanship reduces or negates perceived risks such as not being on an ATS frequency for traffic or other flight information services (FIS).
• Simple is Safer, therefore it is our recommendation that MULTICOM 126.7 MHz procedures be recommended for all operations at low heights (below 3000ft or 2000ft AGL) in Class G airspace when clear of established CTAFs and Broadcast Areas.
OTHER ASSOCIATED ISSUES
The following matters flow from this discussion and need to be addressed with industry, Airservices and the RAPACs:
1) Criteria for the marking of ALAs on charts.
2) Marking on charts a symbol for the locations of ATS Area VHF transmitter sites.
3) Removal of ATS Area Frequency boundaries from charts (in conjunction with 2 above).
4) Consider the re-introduction of the Visual Enroute Chart (VEC) or similar (if FIA frequency boundaries remain on charts).
5) Increased pilot education, in particular, the use of radio, trigger broadcasts, airmanship, and See-and-Avoid (collision avoidance) techniques especially for IFR operations in VMC.
6) A review (audit) be conducted of all Broadcast Areas (BAs) and CTAFs with a view to the reduction of the number of frequencies used.
Ask your local RAPAC Convenor for a copy of their paper. As indicated above it supports the establishment of the MULTICOM as the recommended frequency for use at low heights when clear of established CTAF's and Broadcast Areas (BA's).