Mount Gambier PAPI restriction
 

Anyone know why the Mt Gambier PAPI aerodrome chart shows the PAPI is not to be used by RPT jet aircraft? Presumably it is OK for charter jet aircraft?

Can't find a reference for # next to PAPI description.

Is it somewhere else in ERSA that i have missed?

Straight out of the front of ERSA:

PAPI#: PAPI Commissioned by ground survey (not available to RPT jets). Report any anomalies to AD OPR.

morno

Morno, thanks for that. Found the term in INTRO. Should look a bit harder next time.
As for the PAPI, Am interested to see if it suffers the same optical illusions as the T-VASIS in the exact same environment.

Wasn't there an accident at Mt Gambier caused by illusions in rain or mist?

ATSB in their report on the RFDS King Air accident made no mention of the possibility of erroneous light signals as a factor in why the aircraft landed three miles short of the runway. Previously the Mt Gambier T-VASIS was well known by local pilots to give erroneous indications under identical weather conditions to those existing at the time of the accident (night, mist, dew bulb and dry bulb temps close together, drizzle).

It was after the accident that a note appeared in ERSA and associated Mt Gambier IAL aerodrome chart, warning pilots to use caution when using the T-VASIS at Mt Gambier. Some months after the accident, a PAPI was installed primarily because it was cheaper (less lights and less maintenance).

I don't know if the PAPI was officially commissioned for use by all categories of aircraft (charter/RPT). Commissioning in years past was done by a Departmental Flying Unit aircraft from Essendon, but I understand that this job is now hived off to Pearl Aviation using a specially equipped aircraft. Hence the query on why is there a limitation for jet RPT. Does this mean the current PAPI at Mt Gambier is less safe and reliable if jet RPT are not authorised to use it? Of course it probably costs a fair amount of money from local airport authority budgets to have the PAPI flight tested. Travel flight time and other associated costs of bring in a special aircraft from interstate all have to be taken into account.