Question on carriage of radiotelephone equipment licence

[OZBUSDRIVER]

I have a question regarding licencing of a portable VHF radio as a back-up. When you read REGS it only refers to equipment licences in force. Granted, for domestic ops this licence isn't required to be carried. However, when you go to the Communications Authority it refers to mobile equipment under a class licence. Do you have to licence the individual unit or is the unit covered under the aircraft's class licence provided it is operated as per CARs and CAOs?
Mark

[tail wheel]

Best you check the Australian Communications & Media Authority (http://www.acma.gov.au/ACMAINTER.1638528:LANDING::pc=LICENCES,tlp=LICENCES) for licensing requirements.

It is my understanding - and I may well be very wrong - that if a transmitting apparatus is not covered by a Class License (e.g. Cell phones, where the operator/carrier holds the license) then an operator must hold a license to operate the equipment within specified allocation of the frequency spectrum.

118 MHz to 136 MHz in the VHF band (30 MHz to 300 MHz) is allocated to aeronautical use. As you do not hold a Station License (with a discrete call sign) if you used a hand held VHF transceiver in the aeronautical band, you must hold an Aeronautical Operators License and the transceiver must be used in conjunction with the aircraft call sign.

Having said that, I am aware the ACMA also licenses aviation organisations to operate ground fixed and mobile stations etc in the aeronautical band, without the need for operator licenses.

ACMA also manages the system of class licenses that authorises users of specified parts of spectrum to operate on a shared, uncoordinated basis.

It raises an interesting question, for example, with respect to remote control radio devices such as model cars, aircraft etc. I suspect in recent years, the ACMA has given up trying to monitor user licenses in certain sections of the spectrum, particularly the 27 Mhz CB band, VHF CB Band and marine VHF band.

HF frequency (3 Mhz to 30 Mhz) allocations (amateur radio, marine HF etc) still appears to be well regulated.

But I may be completely wrong. Read the ACMA web site or give your local ACMA office a call.

[VH-XXX]

I would have thought that you might only need a licence if you actually used it. Ok without one for backup purposes.

Didn't think that they even gave them out these days. I was given a PPL 3 years ago and there was no mention of the Flight Radio licence.

[OZBUSDRIVER]

Thanks for the replies so far. I still have a flight radiotelephone operators licence from years ago. Come Monday I will call the ACMA mob and ask the question. On face value it Iwould have to agree with you, Tailwheel. Will ring up to be sure. Thanks.

Mark

[Zhaadum]

Who cares? :rolleyes: How would anyone know that Pilot Bloggs in VH-ABC on his backup VHF handheld does/doesn't have a licence for said handheld?

You already have a Flight Radio Telephone Operators Licence as part and parcel of your PPL/CPL or whatever. No one says what type of airband transceiver it has to be, panel mounted in the aircraft VH-ABC or hand held it is all the same. As long as it is used as a backup for an aircraft radio it will be ok.

There have been a few instances of wankers (not pilots, ground dwellers, prob' summernats attendees...LOL!) using airband tranceivers in a nuisance fashion in the past but I assume you won't be doing this.

Just go for it!

Z!:ok:

[scrambler]

5.61 of the CAR
PART 8 of the CAR
Also worth looking at qualifications for a licence eg: 5.104 (b)
its too late to go through them all so I will let you look them up
I remember the old licences came with a separate page for flight radio operator. I understood that these days they are part of the licence requirement. Are you still required to do a small test on radio procedures pre solo? I thought this covered the examination which is oral or written???

That covers the pilot being licenced. there was a note somewhere in the stuff above that says you need to be licenced to use any equipment. I would suggest that having the operators licence you would be covered.

[OZBUSDRIVER]

Scrambler, thanks for that ref. Found what I was looking for under CAR 8.83.2 and .3. With that information and what ACMA gives as a class licence means I am covered.

What I am worried about is if I ever get ramp checked and I am carrying the portable outside the aircraft. Now I know where it is in the regs and the Telecommunication regs, I feel safer. It is something that never really got mentioned as I was doing my training.

Basically, the mobile device is covered separately under the telecommunications class licence, provided it is used in accordance with CAR 8.83.2/.3 And provided I meet CAR 5.61 (which I do:ok: )

Thank-you everyone:ok:

Mark

[tail wheel]

Many, many years ago is was a serious offense to possess radio transmitting equipment, a hang over from war legislation.

Thirty or so years ago (probably as a result of the 60s and 70s boom in HF CB) the legislation was changed from possession to use. It is not an offense for you to possess a VHF hand held transceiver.

The aeronatutical frequency allocations is by agreement through the International Telecommunications Union, of which Australia is a member. Again I may be wrong - but unless CASA hold a Class License covering the aeronautical bands of the frequency spectrum, I'm not sure CASA staff have the authority to question you over possession of a hand held VHF transceiver?