Big difference here is Avalon was involved. A CTAF airport for half the day, Jetstar has 4 movements within CTAF frequency (most during darkness). Avalon is pretty busy after hours with the flight schools in Ballarat and Moorabbin using it for circuit training so a few odd calls wouldn't probably raise alarms.....

Fake calls, bad weather, late night, CTAF.......yeah no thanks. Hope they find them.

How the heck did they find this chap?

I thought these kinds of things are like finding needles in haystacks.

How did they find him ?

He probably incriminated himself on social media.We'll know soon enough.

"I thought these kinds of things are like finding needles in haystacks."


Triangles will help, Who heard will give a idea of range of transmitter (it seems powerful from scant reports).

A general location you can home in fast, you would not even know if your FDR info was passed on.

He has been caught, charged, faced court, named and shamed. Young man with deperession and Autism charged with 16 offences at melb and avalon, be on the news tonight.

Australian Federal Police has arrested a 19-year-old Victorian man alleged to be behind unauthorised radio transmissions with aircraft and air traffic controllers at Melbourne and Avalon airports.

The man, who was due to face Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday, has been charged with four counts of endangering the safety of aircraft and one count of interference likely to endanger safety or cause loss or damage.

The charges relate to 16 separate unauthorised radio transmissions at Melbourne and Avalon airports between September 5 and November 3, the AFP said in a statement on Tuesday.
AFP head of crime operations, acting Assistant Commissioner Chris Sheehan, thanked Airservices, the Australian Communications Media Authority (ACMA), Qantas and Virgin Australia for their assistance as part of the investigation.

“The current security measures in place for the airline industry are robust, and the traveling public should be reassured we are treating this matter appropriately,” Sheehan said in a statement on Tuesday.

“These incidents were thoroughly investigated by the AFP with the technical support of Airservices and the ACMA.

“The offences this 19-year-old man faces carry a maximum penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment.”

Airservices Southern operations manager Steven Clarke reassured the public there was no current threat to safety.

“Airservices has appropriate procedures, processes and systems in place to ensure the safety of aviation operations at Melbourne and Avalon airports, and across the country and for the travelling public,” Clarke said.

In the audio of one incident obtained by the ABC, someone pretending to be a pilot can be heard telling air traffic control his aircraft has suffered an engine failure.

Another incident involved a flight from Gold Coast to Melbourne where pilots of the aircraft aborted their landing after receiving instructions from someone pretending to be air traffic control.

Man arrested over bogus radio calls at Melbourne and Avalon airports | Australian Aviation

Finally nabbed, well done.

Innocent until proven guilty.

Yes in the modern variant of the Orwellian state, trial by media and assertions by police are deemed sufficient. Forget a court of law!

With the AFP and Air services working in unison to assure the traveling public, one's mind pictures a monkey and symbols.

My 'detective' work was simply a guess at the Cragieburn accent. I was wrong - he was from Rockbank - the next suburb over....

They're already playing the mental health card - guess that ends his career as a pilot.

H-A,
Did he really think he had one in the first place?
I somehow doubt it.

Great news that he's been caught.:D

Well, that is what he lawyer stated...

"but is not on any medication."

No meds, so no Medical Doctor determination.... Lawyer made the diagnosis?