CTAF or Area Frequency?

[QSK?]

During the NAS debate, Dick Smith tried desparately to convince VFR pilots that it was safer to listen out on the CTAF frequency (out to 30 nm and up to A100?), rather than listening on the area ATS frequency, in order to gain improved situational awareness about RPT/IFR traffic movements into and out of busy airports.

The link to this recent ATSB report on a near-miss incident north of Kununurra would appear to indicate that his assumptions and analyses were very much misguided, and under-researched: http://www.atsb.gov.au/aviation/occurs/occurs_detail.cfm?ID=653

[Uncommon Sense]

More to the point a scary example of the limitations of see and avoid in a fast t/prop or jet.

I am sure Dick would argue this has nothing to do with NAS airspace.

But it would be the same as the argument about what constitutes an 'interrogation' vs. an 'interview' - i.e. missing and evading the damn point don't you think?

Yes Minister.