New VHF Low Level frequency.
 

Civil AIC Pink No 047/2023 details the use of 130.490 within the UK Low Flying system below 2000ft agl.

I’ve taken a look at the AIC and the bits of the AIP that are referenced (ENR 6.20 and 6.21).

Would it be fair to say that the UK Low flying system covers nearly all of the UK outside regulated airspace?

So pilots are being asked to get an ATS if one is available and if not should be making blind calls on 130.490 if flying in Class G below 2000’? How does this fit with See and Avoid and the use of the EC devices we are being encouraged to fit? Would this new frequency work better if it had an associated squawk code which would, presumably, be visible to the military traffic?

My experience of LARS is that when it is a busy flying day controllers are not infrequently unable to provide a traffic service and, of course, on a basic service, don’t undertake to provide notification of other traffic, and often don’t.

Personally I can’t see the new frequency providing more than a very marginal benefit in a few places. Am I wrong?

I regularly make blind calls on 130.490 when operating below 2000ft in Scotland. Most of the time, nothing is heard and it seems like you are talking to yourself.

However, on one occasion, we were at 250ft over the water in Loch Linnie heading SW when I made what I assumed would be, another pointless position report. Seconds later, an Ascot Callsign piped up stating they were also at 250ft SW bound along Loch Linnie and about 10NM behind us. We acknowledge this and stepped left a tad for noise abatement purposes (to avoid the loud bang) and indeed a moment or two later, a C130 flew past just where we had been.

Our TCAS may have picked them up but below 1000 feet it would have been up to us to see and avoid as no RA possible at that height.

So yes, it is worth while and certainly made a difference to us that day for sure.

It does seem that it is only Mil aircraft that use the frequency though. Never heard GA use it and there is quite a lot of that where we operate.

XA