Safetycom - Uk

[Head Turner]

We have here in UK airspace a SAFETYCOM frequency 135.475 which may be used within 10 nms and below 2000 feet above the elevation of the aerodrome of a non radio aerodrome. It's use is to transmit information regarding the pilot's intention for safety purposes and not as a 'chat' frequency.

How do other pilots monitor this frequency when flying at or below 2000 AGL to afford themselves information on likely traffic landing at and in particular taking off from non radio aerodromes and one assumes helipads are included in this requirement?

[Helinut]

It is early days yet, of course, since it has only existed for a few months. I haven't had cause to use it yet, although I also did wonder how it would work. It may well be of limited value, unless pilots do as you say i.e. fly around in the open FIR monitoring that frequency. In the busy airspace I fly in these days, I usually have all my COM boxes tuned in to something else.

I can see it having a value at "special event" locations. So, where there was a fly-in to a location, it would be sensible for joining instructions to encourage allcomers to make use of Safetycom, in the absence of an ATC frequency.

[Head Turner]

Special Events will have their own dedicated frequency as mentioned on AIC103/2004 Yellow 153.

Like you I shall have the frequencies for the next frequency changes on the box ready to flip but perhaps should now dedicate 135.475 to listen in on box 2.

[helicopter-redeye]

Most airfields that have circuit traffic (i.e. more than one aircraft at a time) have a frequency allocated (a few execptions but not so many..).

Most of the 800+ helipads would not have more than one movement at a time.

More value from having box on the the controlling frequency (local field) and box two on the nearest LARS/ London Info/ Approach etc.

I guess it will be useful where a location promulgates it as 'their' frequency for use.

h-r

[Helinut]

H-T,

What I meany by "special events" are not those dealt with by the AIC: more like multi-hele pleasure flying, private helicopter meetings. These won't normally be offered up to the AIC procedure because it is such a major hassle and requires such a lot of notice. Basically, though they will often have joining instructions where pilots can be encuraged to both transmit and listen-out on a common frequency.

My MO re: frequencies is more like that suggested by h-r: with only 2 boxes I would not have room (or brain capacity) for a 3rd frequency.

How does the new SAFETYCOM sit with the pre-existing Helicopter DEPCOM frequency?? It seems to be duplication really - has the Hele DEPCOM been superceded? I can't see that it has a place, as well as SAFETYCOM

[Head Turner]

Will the fast jets operating at low level monitor this frequency? A question for the RAF/Navy.

Similar question to the Army helicopters routing round the UK?

[MightyGem]

Military aircraft generally only have one VHF radio, which means it will be used mainly for talking to ATC.

[serf]

Mil FJ monitor a UHF in the low flying system, Helicopters use a seperate UHF frequency when operating at landing sites when not in contact with ab ATC agency.

[Genghis the Engineer]

I've some experience of the use of 129.825 which has fulfilled the same role for microlight fields over many years.

Assuming it works out much like the microlight frequency has, monitoring it may be interesting, but is unlikely to have any real safety benefit beyond that obtained from keeping a good lookout when approaching strips (assuming that they're marked on the chart!).

The normal practice when it is used is to make traffic calls, very like US Unicom calls, when joining, leaving, or active within the circuit of a microlight field. It tends not to be used anyhow if there are just one or two aircraft, but is useful when a field is particularly busy or you want to co-ordinate several aircraft (for example when there's a fly-in going on, or as a convenient local formation or display practice frequency).

129.825 also gets badly abused by a few ill-disciplined pilots who use it as a "chatline", to the infuriation of those of us who actually regard RT discipline as a good thing. Doubtless the same will happen with Safetycom, but that is no reason not to have it.

Another use, is when routing close to a non-radio field is to make a courtesy intentions call so that any field traffic know what you're up to. I have on one occasion done this and to my surprise been promptly invited in for a cup of tea (sadly I didn't have time). I know of an instance where a 747 inadvertently selected 129.825 instead of something similar when coasting in off the Atlantic and a humourous airfield owner did the same - although I think that the 400m strip at **** Farm might have been a bit of a challenge and the captain declined.

I'm guessing that's what will happen with safetycom once pilots have got used to the concept. In the meantime, you could do worse than occasionally monitor the microlight frequency - if only to see what safetycom will turn into.

G