Pre-Flight Briefing Availability/Question

[rotorblades]

Hi All,
Long time since I posted something/anything of use so I thought Id plow in at the deep-end with both feet in mouth. Im not looking for an argument before anyone starts....just a nice discussion.
Im ATC in BN Centre (as some are aware and have heard my pommie tones) and was wondering what availability there is for private pilots to pre-brief (weather/NOTAMS etc) prior to flights out of 'smaller' airfields, i.e. Maitland, Port Macquairie, Singleton etc.

The reason I ask, is over the past few weeks Ive seen an increased level of what 'appears' to be poor pre-flight planning/briefing or navigation or mixture of both or an inability to easily get the required info, and I want to get your sides of the story and thoughts, hints, suggestions, constructive criticism etc

A couple of examples:
A VFR flies straight through R583B (near Williamtown) which has been NOTAM'd active mixing it with F18s/Hawks/F111s and neither listening out on area or with williamtown, it was in the restricted airspace for about 15mins, and then maybe the same one routing the other way about 30mins later! - on this note if you hear a transmission from centre that may be trying to identify you, its a lot more responsible to pipe up rather than be taken out by a fighter (and you will get bonus points for not just continuing on regardless - and turning your transponder off when you hear it, it is not clever just dangerous - believe me it happens). I dont know how CASA deals with these sort of things down here but the CAA in the UK when I worked there were lenient with pilots who answered/identified themselves and they through the book at the ones who didnt.
Theres no shame in admitting you messed up, geez Ive done it enough times (including managing to get a JS41 to overtake an A320, unintentionally:()


2/ An 'on-the-ground' frequency to contact centre has been notam'd out of service for several days, I then get told about 15times in one shift the pilot didnt get a response from centre on that frequency. (RPTs as well as Non-SChed traffic). It was oh sooo tempting to say on the 10th time, well no sh1t sherlock, read your notams.

So, guys, enlighten me into your world...I've always got something to learn

Alex
aka RB or Pommie B*****d (to my friends, and RPT pilots who've left their finger on the PTT too long:D)

[MakeItHappenCaptain]

If you get onto the briefing website at Airservices Australia (http://www.airservices.gov.au) or have a copy of the NAIPS program (available from same site) you have instant access to all Australian information, ARFORs, TAFs, NOTAMS, GPS RAIM, etc etc. Just remember you should be submitting a flight plan at least 30 min before your scheduled deptarture time. (Done on the same site as you get your briefing. The format is almost identical to JAA notifications.:ok:
If the airfield has an instrument approach, it'll have a TAF. If it's an uncertified/unlicensed AD, any applicable NOTAMs will show if you request the location brief, otherwise you need to contact the operator listed in ERSA for details (BEFORE you have arrived). This is a legal requirement relating to where you can land.

All of the PRD airspace NOTAMS do tend to say words to the effect of;
"AIRSPACE MAY BECOME ACTIVE ON 30 MINUTES NOTICE,
PILOT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO CHECK AND MAINTAIN STATUS":rolleyes:

ie. Even if it isn't supposed to be active, check before you go in.
A call to centre to "confirm status of Rxxx" will do the trick.:ok:

[Di_Vosh]

what availability there is for private pilots to pre-brief (weather/NOTAMS etc) prior to flights out of 'smaller' airfields, i.e. Maitland, Port Macquairie, Singleton etc.

There is plenty of availability for pilots to check weather and Notams. NAIPS can be installed on most computers, there is the airservices australia website, and there is a NAIPS iPhone app!

DIVOSH!

[Arm out the window]

Also, the number of places where you can't access the internet in some way these days is shrinking fast, be it at home, internet cafe, hotel, mobile phone or modem for your laptop, so there's bugger-all excuse for getting airborne without reading the met and notams.

[Grogmonster]

Rotorblades,

What you are experiencing is the ever declining standard of flight training in this country along with the increasing growth of the Ultra Light or Recreational pilot brigade. You have to see and experience the arrogance of some these people before you will believe it. In their minds Australia is a free country and they will go when and where they please and anybody who tries to tell them different "can go and get stuffed". turning the transponder off would be standard operating procedure.

Recently I went into a terminal at a country airport to wait for my passengers and there were two gents sitting across from me in ernest discussion. After about 5 minutes one of them came over to me with a printed weather forecast and asked me, "could I please tell him what this **** means". He was pointing to the TAF for Dubbo. I duly translated it for him along with an explanation about the meaning of the INTER and TEMPO that would be valid for his arrival at Dubbo in his VFR Ultra Light sitting out the front. He thanked me and went to the Gents.

While he was gone his mate struck up a conversation with me and started telling me what a hero his RA Instructor mate was and that he had learnt a lot from him. I was still speechless 5 minutes later when they saddled up and headed off to Dubbo into what I would describe as full on IFR weather. I watched the news that night but obviously they made it.

I can relate many more similar stories to you about these types, who also infiltrate GA ranks, and I can only say it scares the crap out of me any time I am flying into and out of country airports. What you stated in your post does not surprise me in the least.

Groggy

[KittyKatKaper]

A couple of issues :

Connectivity ;
Internet-coverage when away from the J-curve is not fantastic but is usually adequate for NAIPS. (that is, until ASA gets web2.0rrhoea)
Not many rural airport terminals have land-line phones that could be connected to a laptop for dial-in access to NAIPS.
Mobile broadband when in a coverage area is ok, assuming that you can link the phone or modem to something that has a decent screen area.

Notams ;
There are just way too many (do we all need to know that in 3 weeks time there will be fireworks displays in Ringwood and Margaret River and Fremantle)
Area-briefings are in the region of 45 pages of which around 30 pages are Notams.

[glekichi]

One problem I have come across with notams for restricted areas is that sometimes they are listed individually and sometimes they are clustered under a title name, i.e. Port Wakefield Airspace.

Looking to check the status of, for example R295, some sections are listed on the charts as active by notam, but you will never find a notam heading R295. It is not in the list of locations having no notam either. Rather, it is found under the grouped title of Port Wakefield Airspace. Great if you are a local and know that - not so great if you're not.

In fact, not just for designated airspace, but in general I find there are way too many situations around Australia where local knowledge is assumed and relied on.

[Counter-rotation]

I'm with Grogmonster -

The issue is not about availability of briefing material, but one of professionalism and that un-measureable thing that some people call "airmanship" (though I'm not too sure personally about the RA / Ultralight connection that he refers to)

Most of us do the right thing, and I hope that what the OP has described is a blip, and not an ongoing problem

And for what it's worth, to the OP - whenever I have required briefing or flight details in / out via Centre or Flightwatch, as a last remaining option, I have never been given anything except totally professional and courteous assistance, so thank you for that :ok:

CR

[Counter-rotation]

KittyKatKaper

of which around 30 pages are Notams

Seriously? 30 pages? Ok lets say there's 30 pages - how long does it actually, really take to read 'em? At 20 seconds per page, to skim a page and read what is actually relevant (Ausots - no, PRD not on your track - no etc etc) - that 30 pages will take 10 minutes,,,

PRD groups are readily available, in hard copy or online, detailing exactly what's included and the activation applicable - there's no excuse for being ignorant about it

So get a cuppa, sit down and read 'em - it won't hurt ya!

Alternatively, if you're truly allergic to NOTAMS - don't go flying :)

(Disclaimer: I'm not advocating endless, pointless NOTAM for no good reason)

[Icarus2001]

If the airfield has an instrument approach, it'll have a TAF.

You have got to be kidding right?

[Horatio Leafblower]

...interesting you mention Singleton, I hear there is a flying school opening there this month :ooh:

[Capt Claret]

Rotorblades

Possibly relevant to your examples but probably not. I find from time to time that navaids or facilities that I don't need to use but usually see/hear don't appear on my specific NAIPS SPFIB.

To reinforce Grogmonster's comments, years ago as CFI at a country airfield, I had to do battle with a couple of committee members who believed that avoiding r/t, flight planning, rules & procedures, was the way to go.

One of them had a suposedly gifted aviator son, who died after flying into a big rock (CFIT), IFR at night. To this day I wonder if the father's lax attitude had rubbed off on the son, whom I didn't know other than to say hallo to.

[Captain Nomad]

As Icarus said, it is most certainly NOT the case that if there is an instrument approach there is a TAF - especially not in WA on the weekend or during the middle of the night...! :=

The 'area frequency out' scenario is one that has almost got me before. Sometimes those changes are in the Head Office NOTAMs which usually requires an extra box to be 'ticked' when getting your briefing material. Of all NOTAMs the Head Office ones are possibly the ones 'skipped' the most and because they cover the whole country somtimes something important can be missed in a quick skim read.

As for turning off txpdrs and not owning up to Centre, "not asseptible behaviour" to quote another Pommie TV personality... :}

[j3pipercub]

Rotorblades,

If you publicly embrass them on Centre, they will be a lot less likely to repeat the offence. :}

j3

[Captain Nomad]

Personally I think simple english is the way to go (and no I don't fly RA), it shouldn't be that hard to arrange.

Don't know if I totally agree... And then we end up with even MORE pages of stuff to lug around and pore over before a flight. Try doing flights where you carry away briefings for about four or five weather regions or more! I love the simplicity of the current system. It is not hard to learn and makes a lot of sense.

Cloud heights for example, one digit for hundreds, one digit for thousands, one for tens of thousands. BKN005 is so much easier to interpret without misunderstanding than 'Broken cloud at 500 feet above aerodrome' in my book. With a bit of experience, when the information is presented in a condensed format you can cast your eye over a forecast a few lines long and immediately know how it is going to affect your flight.

I think there is also something to be said for presentation style being relatively consistent on a global level. If you have the time to put in x number of hours learning how to fly a plane you can put in just a few more learning how a weather forecast is written - it ain't rocket science.

[KittyKatKaper]

counter-rotation
Just for a rainy-day laugh I retrieved an Area 21 briefing at 3-Oct-2010 0349 UTC, the result was 39 pages with the Notams starting midway down page 10.Seriously? 30 pages? Ok lets say there's 30 pages - how long does it actually, really take to read 'em? At 20 seconds per page, to skim a page and read what is actually relevantand that's my gripe, because they all have to be scanned, and the important/relevant ones to my flight can easily be lost in the bulk.

(Just discovered that there's a size difference when printing using a web browser versus the naips program, naips doesn't have as much page header and footer gung and produces 22 pages versus the 39 off the web browser.
The ratio of notams to forecasts is still the same though :sad: )

[Arm out the window]

My 2 bob's worth: trying to wade through pages of MET and NOTAMs on the morning of your flight, make sense of what restricted areas are where and whether they will affect you, see where the SIGMET areas are, figure out what affects you, is no fun.
I've found it takes the heat right off me if I sit down with a coffee or a beer the night before I'm going somewhere I haven't been before, or been for a long time, and go through all that nausea in slow time.
Then in the morning when there's delays, changes of plan, U/S aircraft or whatever, that's at least one thing I'm on top of and can update with a quick check. Gives you the proverbial 'warm and fuzzy'.

[FokkerInYour12]

After submitting a flight plan, how hard is it for Airservices to produce three sections of a document:
a) Forecasts/weather/NOTAMs for navigation points/aerodromes/waypoints/airspace traversed/with 30NM of track in flight plan with NOTAMs only with validity up to 4 after final ETA.
b) NOTAMs applicable within from 4-24 hours after final ETA
c) NOTAMs applicable 24+ hours after ETA.

Everything in English.

It's really not a hard programming job.

[scardycap]

Stop complaining about the notams. Open up your TAC or ERC, do some flight planning and plan accordingly. If in doubt request from ATC the status of whatever Restricted area you might be approaching.

When I was a student and then an instructor wow betide if you went into a restricted area without clearance, or forgot to cancel sar or you weren't within the 2 mins of your nominated arrival. My CFI had a the standard "case of beer penalty and he made sure you paid up"

Maybe the over reliance on GPS nowadays has made the art of flight planning obsolete:rolleyes:

I have even wandered over to a rental car agency before and asked if I could get the weather etc faxed to me. Plenty of options available if your smart.

[Icarus2001]

If you cannot be bothered spending a few hours learning how to read a forecast then choose another hobby.

Professional pilots have no excuse. As someone said above, read the bulk the night before then just a quick check next day is all that is required.

That is why we get a one hour sign on guys. It really is not that hard.

There are some on here that sound like they want to be spoonfed the info required.

[blacknight]

Rotorblades
I suspect you've opened a can of worms here. I know from experience that there are many that do not check notams or weather properly. They watch the telly the night before for weather and can't be bothered about the rest. They probably haven't got a current set of maps to display the PRD areas mainly because they need to pay for them. Same goes for ERSA.
It is so easy to either log on to NAIPS or just phone flight briefing with a phone away card from just about anywhere. If your unsure then ask Centre for an update on the radio.
I agree with the other posts about the lack of good training and I have personally witnessed two VFR GA pilots checking weather where the destination had forecast deterioration to below VMC for their ETA but they went anyway despite several cautions from others. They outlanded on a road because the forecast dust storm was making things a bit difficult!!

As far as weather goes for IFR. There is not necessarily a TAF for every airport with an instrument approach. In fact there are quite a few in NSW with no TAF or a TAF that is not valid after hours. Then we use the area forecast. Possibly then we carry an alternate.

Keep up the good work.

[wishiwasupthere]

iPhone + NAIPS app + Telstra 3G :ok:

(well, its worked everywhere I've needed it)

[ForkTailedDrKiller]

Motion Computing LS800 tablet + NAIPS + Telstra 3G http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/thumbs.gif

(Chat with Briefing Office on the Sat Phone if all else fails!)

Dr :8

PS: Motion Computing LS800 tablet + NAIPS + Telstra 3G + Champagne Flightplanner + Weatherzone make flightplanning and submission of same no more that a 10 min job compared with much, much longer 30+ years ago.

[rotorblades]

Hi All,
An interesting few points raised by everyone, thanks for your time.
It seems that the info is there & readily available, but a few (hopefully the minority) seem that it is too much work to read them, for the sake of 10mins or so astounds me.
In ATC we have to go throught the NOTAMs (3 times a day), TLIs, NICs, DIRs, SDs plus all the weather stuff - 99% of them not pertinent to our area of operations.
I find a highlighter pen works really well for sorting the seed from the chaff in NOTAMs. Highlight the ones pertinent to my airspace (or on your planned route). If you have to divert or cahnge route after airborne and go to a different airfield ask the area frequency for pertinent AD (aerodrome) Notams and whether any restricted airspace on your new route. You may have to wait a few minutes for ATC to request the relevant notams out of the system and then get a spare time to evaluate amnd then transmit them to you.
You may get a few groans/heavy sighs from the controller, but it is our job now that they've pretty much done away with flightwatch.
And I would rather pilots do that, its alot les hassle for me than if you plough through R564A/B (Singleton firing range) and I have to sweat for 5 mins waiting for the RSO to answer the phone so I can stop them firing missiles & other ordnance onto the range & into an unknown VFR)

On the weather I can see where plain english could be used, but I must admit most of the info is fairly easy to understand, even for a laymen like me.

I think this is a can of worms, but well worth exploring, but just maybe one pilot who didnt used to read the NOTAMs has seen this thread and will now on pre-brief better, and it may save a life or two.
CHeers
Alex

[rotorblades]

Hey FTDK,
You're a Bonanza man, arent you?
You'd be pleased to know a Bonanza beat both a DH8D & E170 into Port friday, :D
I was well impressed I thought it was definately a likely candidate for the wooden spoon, in the end the Embraer (known as the 'womble' in the UK), got that (dis)honour
Alex

[MakeItHappenCaptain]

RB, as you can see here, you will need to sort through the **** that comes up to get what advice is useful to you.

Icarus and Nomad, not getting narky here, but the guy is just looking for general advice, not polishing off his ATPL law exams.
Don't really think he's gonna be ripping around an unfamiliar country on a joyflight at 3am either.

Let's keep it in context, eh?

[Captain Nomad]

MakeItHappenCapt, sorry if you perceived my replies to be irrelevant. I don't want to get into an argument here but with all due respect I think they were relevent to RB's question:

So, guys, enlighten me into your world...I've always got something to learn


My comment regarding Head Office NOTAM's was entirely relevant to the scenarios RB was frustrated with - especially the 'frequency out' one.

I replied to another poster regarding plain English and maybe that was a bit of a tangent but a response that I feel was relevant to the posts at the time. Plain English forecasts and NOTAMs possibly would have a negative effect to the scenarios presented as there would be even more material for people to be tempted to skip over before flying.

Icarus and I also responded to an INCORRECT statement regarding weather forecasts. Sorry if making a correction to an error got up your nose!

Good day

[Ted D Bear]

After submitting a flight plan, how hard is it for Airservices to produce three sections of a document:
a) Forecasts/weather/NOTAMs for navigation points/aerodromes/waypoints/airspace traversed/with 30NM of track in flight plan with NOTAMs only with validity up to 4 after final ETA.
b) NOTAMs applicable within from 4-24 hours after final ETA
c) NOTAMs applicable 24+ hours after ETA.


Must say, I rather like to look at it all before submitting the plan ... But, surely in 2010 it should be possible for NAIPS to allow a little more interaction and 'user friendliness' - ie, give you the info suggested in the quoted post, allow you to amend the plan (and plug in the forecast winds), then submit ...

If you cannot be bothered spending a few hours learning how to read a forecast then choose another hobby.
:D

[Counter-rotation]

How many of you here (who have flown lately, anyway) are aware that DAP and AIP have been amended via HO NOTAM? The T/O minima for IFR departures has changed...

Give yourself an extra point if you know when it happened (again, assuming of course that you've been out and about IFR, and should have been reading HO NOTAM) :ok:

With respect to the "plain language" argument, it is a valid point in a lot of ways to move toward that, but honestly I wouldn't hold my breath for it to happen! Personally I think that arse-covering has a bit of a hand in leaving it as it is. And it is after all, required of the pilot "prior to flight, to make a careful study of the information pertinent to the proposed flight" (or words pretty much to that effect).

I apologise if this sounds preachy, but my feeling is that it is not hard, and a point of professionalism, to do what is required - briefing yourself is required, and certainly possible in the current system. Professional pilots do it every day!

Cheers all, and that is not meant to be a dig at anyone, I can understand somewhat where you're coming from...

CR.

[MakeItHappenCaptain]

As Icarus said, it is most certainly NOT the case that if there is an instrument approach there is a TAF - especially not in WA on the weekend or during the middle of the night

Yeah, some WA locations might not get TAF's at night or on weekends. Kingaroy is another location on the east coast that only gives them 6am-6pm, but if you read the AIP, there is provision for you to request a TAF for the periods not covered from the met office with enough notice.:cool:

[Icarus2001]

I think you missed my point. Just because a location has an instrument approach procedure does not mean it will have a forecast available at any time. Not just in the wee hours.

[Captain Nomad]

Minesites are the best example of that Icarus. Plenty of mines with large dirt or sealed airstrips including PAPI lighting and jet capable with AWIS and instrument approaches (usually RNAV) yet no forecast at any time...

[Jabawocky]

Hey FTDK,
You're a Bonanza man, arent you?
You'd be pleased to know a Bonanza beat both a DH8D & E170 into Port friday, :D
I was well impressed I thought it was definately a likely candidate for the wooden spoon, in the end the Embraer (known as the 'womble' in the UK), got that (dis)honour
AlexRotorblades.......... := Do not say things like that, it only encourages him.... he tries racing -8's and things all the time up there in townsville and Cairns. If only he had a Retard Vehicle he may actually be a few knots closer to beating them too! :}


now onto the serious stuff. Most of what you say is a clear indicator of dropping standards. I have been known to stuff up before, but never to the levels of these folk you talk about, and after hearing the other day about a guy who hired a plane (Jab) from the school at YCAB, flew down the coast, back through YBBN.... no map or ersa no idea what frequency and no Mode C on...:=

ATC phoned up the aero club and later no doubt the school as they found him. Turned out RAAus was onto him and had already cancelled his ticket. Throw the book.....I think a whole library was headed his way, but how on earth :rolleyes:.

Now you will have heard me tell stories of the old farts at the local field who mostly do the Saturday jolly around the local area, but some venture out into the wilds of Aussie airspace, and have NONE of the following, Transponder, post 2007 ERSA / VTC's etc, No idea of what an ERC is, and lucky to have all the WAC's they need. As for appropriate frequency ...thats 126.7 or 123.45.

Now some VH driving folk are no better.

Bunkering down for the slagging from the RAAus ranks now! :ouch::uhoh:

J


PS And if anyone knows who the Moron is at the Redcliffe Aero Club (teaching I assume by the landings) in the BLUE Citabria this morning at 9am........READ YOUR EFFING ERSA. You operate from a local club and do not know the circuit directions of the neighboring field :ugh:. I just watched the RADAR traces of my arrival.....and yours!! RWY30 is RH CCTS That combined with the radio and flying display make me wonder what has happened over there of late :uhoh:.

Dummy spat now!

[propblast]

Jaba, there is no use spitting the dummy or trying to keep teddy out of the dirt.

People out there don't care. I've seen pilots fly LH circuits when RH circuits are clearly prescribed in the ERSA, when it was pointed out to them "Oh, when did they change that?" It had been like that for 10 years.:ugh::ugh:

And that wasn't RAA, a weekend warrior, or even a fresh CPL, that was a 2000+hr pilot in a Titan doing IFR charter.

Rotorblades, unfortunately that is what we are stuck with these days. The information is out there, quite simple to find and interpret (if you can't phone a friend). How can I say that.....it's my job to know that. Whether I'm flying for work or just taking friends up for burn around, it's my job to know exactly where I am, where I am going and what lay ahead. It's called Situational Awareness. Or to the older fraternity on here, Airmanship.
PPPPPPP <<<<< its all in there.

Note: The vast majority of fellow pilots are aware of their surroundings and do a good job. The others, well, thats a topc for other threads that get closed all to quickly sometimes.

[Jabawocky]

True Proppie!

however....your neighbouring airfield....and most likely an instructor who should know better?

And the rest of your post! Amen.

[Old Akro]

I'd agree that there is a lot of "noise" on the NOTAM lists which makes then very long.

My issue is that the whole system seems to expect that you have a PC connected high peed internet. Getting through the notams and making sense of them takes on a whole new dimension if you are: using a borrowed computer on the check in desk of a motel, using an iphone or worst still trying to get a briefing by phone. Phone briefings are further complicated by the arcane phone away card system.

A year or so back I went to return home from a strip with no mobile reception, no landline and no internet. With the closure of Flightwatch, I asked for a briefing and to submit an IFR plan on the area frequency and got a really bad response from ATC and never got all the details I really wanted. God help a VFR flight in the same circumstances.

I think that the system is really discouraging VFR pilots to make any radio calls on the area frequency. So now, out of practice and without flightwatch, it can be very intimidating to call to check on restricted areas, etc.

[mirage3]

Planning...you must be joking! It's just like driving a a car, surely. Why should a 'pilot' have to do something more than crank it up, point it in the general direction then suck it and see. There are more important things to do as a 'pilot' like strolling around in trendy clothes, impressing your partner, convincing the poor deluded passengers that the 'pilot' has actually done what he/she is legally and morally required to do. TAFs, ARFORs, METARs, SPECIs, Alternates, TAFRQs, NOTAMs, RESTD Area status, CTA boundaries, CTAF radio requirements and the like surely MUST be outside the responsibilities of the 'pilot'. Don't get me started as I'll only get upset.:ugh:

[ForkTailedDrKiller]

Geez, what sort of a f*ckwit would fly a left-hand circuit onto Rwy 30 at YCAB? :E

Dr :8

[185skywagon]

Re Current Pubs: Went into Kingaroy a little while back.
RWY 34
L/H circuts for gliders/tow planes, R/h circuts for other traffic.
I saw at least 2 GA aircraft join L/H circut within an hour.
It is plainly laid out in the ERSA.
If this bush-pig can do it, anyone can and should be able to.

[Jabawocky]

185.....You CAN read though, thats an advantage!

[rotorblades]

Thanks for everyones comments. Its very informative and useful.
What it seems to me is that we a need a computer geek, sorry whizzkid, to design a system that can be easily accessed online which can graphically display relevant notams etc on a predefined route. I'll do some investigation at work and see what I can find out.

oldakro
IFR plan on the area frequency and got a really bad response from ATC
Thats not professional from ATC either, with the downfall of flightwatch it now falls under the area controllers to do that job as well.
Another slight thread-drift but that really is a step back for the GA side of things getting rid of flightwatch. All the GA fliers are now competing with the RPTs for airtime. As an example my airspace at the weekends is from 45nm north of Sydney to Coffs harbour, from just off the coast nearly as far as Armidale & tamworth from A000 to FL600. And in that you've got PJEs, RPT Jets & Turbos in the cruise, arriving, taxiing, being sequenced to meet arrival times, Sartimes, C Airspace transits, survey flights, My blind broadcasts to VFRs heading toward each other, PRD airspace requests & general broadcasts all fighting for the airwaves. Throw into that a bit of weather avoidance or trying to stop a pilot from getting shot down in R564A can lead to extremely busy workloads.:{

And before anyone thinks Im griping over only the GA/RA community the RPTs arent any different (i.e. Busting into the Willy class E airspace without clearance). And The heart spasms they've given me arriving at Williamtown (out of WillyATC hours) with a jet setting itself up on Rw30 and a turbo on Rw12. The Turbo was on about 1/2nm final when the Jet was over the keys. I was praying there wasnt a go-around on the jet, fortunately luck won-out. Even the Aisle Supervisor was getting twitchy standing behind me!

Thanks everone for their input so far

[Feather #3]

The reading is a worry, but if I'm briefing with a printer attached, I open Word [or similar] and cut'n'paste the bits I want from the data. This severely reduces the paper war [esp if printed double-sided].

Otherwise, as happened last month, two of us read the data and made notes for the trip.

Having said that, the ability to tailor briefings [eg Bn or SY Metro, or Area 21 Coastal] is sadly diminished [as some have noted] by AsA's ability to appropriately cull the data. Their report card sin't good on this one!!!:sad:

G'day ;)

[QSK?]

Why can't ASA design NAIPS with a check box next to each NOTAM so that one can select which NOTAMs they want to print out? I have suggested this previously during an ASA customer survey with no result.

[tmpffisch]

Why can't ASA design NAIPS with a check box next to each NOTAM so that one can select which NOTAMs they want to print out? I have suggested this previously during an ASA customer survey with no result.

Because you're required by law to carry notams with you?....Nah....that can't be it...