Class 'D' airspace radio procedures
 

Hey, I'm currently working towards a PPL and have an upcoming nav flight that takes me into Class 'D', specifically Maroochydore. I'm proficient with the procedures of Class 'C' airspace, having transited it a few times in previous Navs, but find myself a little unsure with the Class 'D' non-radar CTR procedures.

I've had a read of Airservices AIP GEN-3.4, but am still a little unsure if I'm on the right track. Here's the kind of calls that I'd consider making:


"Maroochy Tower, C172 ABC, is Ewan Maddock Damn, at 2500 on descent to 1500, inbound, received ATIS, request clearance"

Arrival request taxi to parking:
"Maroochy Ground, C172 ABC, for the GA Apron"

Request departure airways clearance:
Maroochy Ground, C172 ABC, is GA Apron for DEST, 2POB, received ATIS, request airways clearance"

Request desparture taxi clearance:
"Maroochy Ground, C172 ABC, is GA Apron for DEST, request taxi"

Departure Report:
"Maroochy tower, C172 ABC, departs at TIME, tracking 252, climbing to 4500, estimating DEST at TIME"

Any assistance or thoughts would be appreciated,
Jarrad

I believe that if you dont have a flight plan lodged, your first call in class D is "Maroochy TWR, ABC, inbound details"

I forgot to mention, I will have a flight plan and SARTIME lodged. :)

i dnt think marrochy has a ground freq dude. just cheack that one in ur ERSA. with what ya got there u should figure it out once in the air. if it all goes to **** just talk plain english to the guy and he will help u. after all its only another person on the other end. good luck big fella

Jazzy

With your inbound call, you will need to give the POB and your ETA.

But as someone else said, call first, even with a plan in the system with "Maroochy Tower, ABC with inbound details"


And with your departure call you don't need your estimate for xyz unless ifr.

Have fun.

Jazzy,
MC guys and gals are a good bunch of folk. Tower is 124.4, SMC and Clearance Delivery on 121.7. Take the time to look at the ERSA entry for aerodrome layout, and be especially careful not to taxi via the RPT apron as this is a restricted area.

As for your radio calls, technically as per AIP you should give your estimate for the first turning point or destination if tracking direct, but they won't chase you for it if you forget. Also in addition to your radial tracking you should append what it is reference to, eg vor / ndb / arp. "ABC departed xx, tracking 242 reference the vor, climbing A0xx, dest xx.

Normal procedure for VFR (low performance) flights, your level is to be cleared inbound or outbound at or below A040 as this reduces the coordination between the tower and BN CTR. Any further questions, just PM me as I have some inside knowledge.

P-W.

"Maroochy Ground, ABC to DEST, Request Clearance". GEN 5.14.2 item 2

"ABC, POB 2, Received ATIS, GA Apron, Request Taxi". GEN 5.14.4 item 1.

Note: there are a lot of optional items in the AIP taxi call. IMO your destination is not required as you have already got a clearance for it, nor would be the SSR code as you may have already been given it; if so you would have read it back. Skipper's pilots note! :}

Almost! :D
ABC, Departed Time, Tracking 252 (from the VOR/NDB if using it for tracking), Climbing to 4500, Estimating DEST At Time". GEN 5.14.8 item 3.

(you're already on the tower freq - no need to name them again)

Remember: It's "taxiing", "tracking" and "Departed" :ok:

Good luck and good to see someone keen on getting their calls right at last. Maybe you're the start of the new breed, Jazzy! :E

It is indeed fortunate that all of this pathetic complexity will go when we move to FAA NAS class D procedures as per the CASA instruction to AsA.

Why ever would a VFR aircraft have to give a departure call- there is just a chance that ATC would actually see the aircraft depart!

Oh, I know! To make the airspace look busy and complex!

Pathetic's right...

Perhaps the tower controller has other aircraft to watch & control, and can't spend several minutes watching Bloggs (not Capn) wander for a bit of a scenic before s/he actually sets course.

Gee Bloggsy,

I just dunno....ya try and help a guy out, with very NICE refs. 'n all, etc etc
:ok:
Then some A#%&'ole just comes in outta the sun............ :}:yuk:

I just dunno nomore......:sad::sad:

Seems some 'people' just carn't help themselves.....:=:=

But I CAN say that 'WE' used to record the DEP time the PIC gave, as sometimes (often?) they would actually climb out and DEP from 'Over The Top'....where we couldn't see them....it was those bloody big tin rooves ya know....:uhoh:

Dick,
Good grief, have you no compassion.

Think of the mental anguish, the pain, the suffering, the torment of Australia genuinely going to ICAO standards. How would we ever survive without the 5 to 10 times as many "radio phraseologies" as required by ICAO Annex X, Vol. II (or US/UK/Canada/NZ/etc etc).

Heavens above, we might even be in danger of using Marconi's wonderful invention for "communications", instead of a device for precisely publicly regurgitating correctly chosen aeronautical set phrases by rote, at carefully regulated times and places. Don't you understand Marconi's theory of acoustic lift, as soon a you stop talking, the aeroplane stops flying --- also known as the "flapping lip" theory of flight.

Next you will want flying to be as simple and straight forward as US (or UK/NZ/Canada/France etc etc etc), we don't really want people to be encouraged to fly, do we?? I thought it was supposed to be as difficult as possible, so the select Darwinian survivors can all be Captain Marvels.

Tootle pip!!

Jazzy,

I think you should drop the "Damn".

For ongoing situational awareness for the pilot flying, other aircraft in the area, and for ATC. Lets everyone know what you're doing, confirms to everyone that you're doing what you should be doing, and is another checking mechanism that you are executing your departure correctly. There's no underlying conspiracy.

Same with CTAFs on lovely CAVOK days - not about to drop my IFR departure call just because other aircraft can see me, and ATC "knows" what I'm about to do (and possibly has me identified on radar anyway). And I give an IFR-identical departure call on the CTAF freq when departing VFR - I just don't give it to Centre.

Departure calls are also handy for jogging the controlers memory when you have been told to 'maintain runway heading' and they hav'nt gave you any more instructions since you took off 5 min ago! :}

Why then arn't they then required at our busy GAAP airports?

Because they are not necessary, since GAAP is predominately a BUGSMASHER operation where some RT calls are not required. You see Dick, Australia for years has had a graded, tailored airspace system commensurate with the risk that makes your ICAO/Yank one-size-fits-all NAS arrangements look very average. :ok:

I find I agree with Lead and Dick here. Less unnecessary yap the better.
This coming Sunday will be a good case in point at the Jamestown airshow and fly in. Can you imagine the chaos that will occur if every VFR aircraft makes a departure report. Not only will it clog the airways for important calls but in any case nobody can possible keep track of dozens of aircraft taking off line astern.
You don't fly with your lip,so keep it shut unless really necessary and get your eyes out of the cockpit.

Bloggs,

Take large wooden mallet, go to garage, then repeatedly hit yourself in head with the implement. If brick walls are in proximity, then repeatedly bash head against same.

It's more fun that arguing with fundamentalists.

Thanks for the info guys, I appreciate the input.

Looks like the old "Aviate, Navigate, Communicate" holds true eh?