Changed procedures at non-towered aerodromes
 

CASA have made some changes to the procedures that apply at non-towered aerodromes (NTAs). They actually made these in June 2010, but I must confess that I have only just become aware.

I only found out because I was following the thread here about "Pilot standards decreasing". From reading that thread, it appears that quite a few other professional pilots were as unaware as I about those changes.

Was it just me, or was the educational campaign by CASA lacking?

This post is about the changes that were made in 2010 to NTA procedures. I am doing it to help educate myself and those other professional pilots that have been bypassed by the 2010 "educational campaign".

In late 2005, CASA introduced a number of major procedure changes to NTAs (which were still referred to as CTAFs at that stage). A quick summary of those changes:

1. CTAF aerodromes now referred to as "non-towered aerodromes";
2. Straight-in approaches now allowed at all NTAs. Aircraft to be "established" on final by 5 NM;
3. Circuit height based on aircraft performance;
4. Modified circuit entry procedures;
5. Modified circuit departure procedures. The first turn after takeoff could no longer be made at 500' AAL but had to be made later. In the case of a departure from the aerodrome, it had to be made upon reaching the circuit height - even when the direction of turn was in the circuit direction. If the turn was contrary to the circuit direction, then the turn had to wait until 500' higher (or 3 miles).
6. CTAF-R designation (radio required);
7. Additional broadcasts in the circuit (e.g. turning downwind, base, final);
8. Specific format for radio broadcasts (e.g. [location] TRAFFIC, [type][callsign] [message] [location]);

Those were all the major changes from November 2005. But from June 2010, almost all have now been tweaked in some way.

My understanding of the NTA procedures as they now stand:

1. Straight-in approaches now to be established by 3 miles (but note that straight-in approaches are "not recommended");
2. Circuit join on base leg now permitted (but "not recommended");
3. Departing the aerodrome: initial turn after takeoff can now be at 500' AAL when turning in the circuit direction;
4. CTAF-R designation abolished. Radio required at "certified", "registered" or military NTAs.
5. Additional broadcasts, such as "turning downwind, base, final", now under a different emphasis. These calls now only when considered to be of benefit to other traffic.

The circuit height and entry procedures appear to be unchanged, but it appears there have been some clarifications made.

The only procedure that appears to have undergone no tweaking or clarification is the one regarding broadcast message format. This is the one that states the NTA broadcast must follow this format:

[location] TRAFFIC, [type] [callsign] [message] [location]

e.g. "Maningrida traffic, Cessna 206 UBP, 15 miles southeast, inbound. Circuit at 58. Maningrida".

Although introduced in 2005 and unchanged today, it is extremely rare to hear a pilot make a broadcast that is exactly in accord with this format. I am beginning to think the correct format is beyond the language skills of 98% of NTA frequenting Australian pilots, but that should be the subject of some other thread.

Not here it's not.......I try really hard to make sure i get these clear concise and correct. In fact I was given a score of 8.5 just the other day, by a local smarty pants for my inbound call. He knows how much I hate it when these local wally's can't even get the simple things right.

Mind you ATC might not score me so high some days :ouch:

So I would agree..........its not that hard.

which rock have you been under? these have been in effect for well since implementation, and most calls are within, or close enough to the required format that i have heard

Nice to see CASA legalise what I have been doing for the last 25 years! :ok:

Dr :cool:

I'm 'with you' Forkie.....

They're ALMOST 'back to the future' of the 'Good Ole Days'.....

I just keep on using my 'common sense'....kept me alive so far.....

:p

Changed procedures...
 

What Forkie said...

Flopt

I thought the educational campaign by CASA was (for once) pretty widespread, actually. Only thing I'm surprised about is how you managed to not hear about this for the past year?

Its just you.

Everyone was sent a DVD, an information booklet, there were numerous articles in FSA and other publications, there were reg updates with big black bars drawn next to the new bits in AIP GEN 3.4, an entire training package released on the CASA website and after June 3, people started talking differently on the radio!

Careful who you group yourself with mate. :p

Maybe where you fly. :cool:

Nope, probably just you! :ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh:

Nothing startling, seems like what the rest of the world already does!

Remember the halcyon days when ATC read-back requirements were only three or four items? Since then, like inflation, read backs have steadily increased with each year and that doesn't include those clowns of the air who read back almost every ATC transmission, whether necessary or not:=.

Given that "almost every ATC transmission" is an instruction, you are supposed to read them back. Not that I agree with the philosophy...

now this is a bigger windbag than the oversquare thread.

by the time we go through learning/educating, the whole lot will have changed anyway....gotta remember, its government.... if they aren't changing something, then they aren't doing anything..... :ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh:

Ultralights posted...
Thats a pretty unfair statement bud. How do we know the original poster hasn't been operating ONLY into towered strips for the last ten years? IF you were in the same position, would you bother learning the procedures that you have no intention of using? That'd be like saying i should go and learn everything there is to know about a Trent 900. :ugh:

Sounds to me, like this guy is coming back into GA and looking at the regs involved rather than blasting about with a holier than thou attitude.

Kudo's to him :ok:

Cheers
Jas

what he said....

Even mainline operate into non towered aerodromes. To say that because you pole about in a 400 hence you don't need to be aware of the regs is idiotic.

Further, what did he do with the DVD/Training material sent? Never read FSA or any Australian related flying material? Never updated his AIP? Never heard all those people changing radio formats and wondered why?

Being completely ignorant of the entire story then posting in here phrasing it as the "educational campaign" in sarcastic inverted commas? Like somehow its someone elses fault that he didn't get the memo? One that was plastered metaphorically speaking on every wall in the known aviation universe?

Hardly an unfair statement 'bud', these regs are not applicable to GA only.

:E

CAAPS are available free on the internet, you don't even need costly subscriptions any more, but it IS the pilot's responsibility to be aware of current rules for the airspace they are flying in.
There was a big CASA "roadshow" thing about it here in WA.

Non towered aerodromes CAAP here http://casa.gov.au/wcmswr/_assets/ma.../ops/166-1.pdf