Helicopter Landing
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: uk
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The 135.475 is there to assist flight safety and if you are flying below say 1000 feet agl it is prudent to listen in on that frequency just in case your safety is at risk from someone taking off into your flight path. If you have only one radio then there is a problem but a good number of helicopters are now fitted with two radios and so use the facility that has cost alot of money to instal.
I will always contact whoever I think will provide me with information on other aircraft that are likely to conflict with my flight path and calling landing and QSY ends that assistance which is re-established as soon as practiable, either before or soon after take-off.
Fast low level jets are the most worrying and pose the greatest threat to landing and departing from private sites in the UK.
I will always contact whoever I think will provide me with information on other aircraft that are likely to conflict with my flight path and calling landing and QSY ends that assistance which is re-established as soon as practiable, either before or soon after take-off.
Fast low level jets are the most worrying and pose the greatest threat to landing and departing from private sites in the UK.
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: UK
Age: 71
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Just following up Head Turner's mention of that frequency (called SAFETYCOM in the blurb), it is a "good idea" but in practice I am not sure how it will get used, or what value it will have. Comms is a two way process - to work someone needs to to TX and someone RX.
En route low level VFR traffic will tend to be operating on whichever frequency gives the most appropriate FIS or RIS. If they have a second COM box, this will often be on another nearby ATC frequency. In those circumstances, it would seem a bit unlikely that someone making departure or arrival calls on SAFETYCOM will be listened to by anyone. It would certainly not be wise to assume that the aircraft in the vicinity is listening to the SAFETYCOM frequency.
How many pilots fly around with that frequency on one of their COM boxes?? Not many, I suggest.
En route low level VFR traffic will tend to be operating on whichever frequency gives the most appropriate FIS or RIS. If they have a second COM box, this will often be on another nearby ATC frequency. In those circumstances, it would seem a bit unlikely that someone making departure or arrival calls on SAFETYCOM will be listened to by anyone. It would certainly not be wise to assume that the aircraft in the vicinity is listening to the SAFETYCOM frequency.
How many pilots fly around with that frequency on one of their COM boxes?? Not many, I suggest.
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: South Africa
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The sky is so big, what are the chances.....
Its funny, how, even in a country 4 times the size of england, we can have close encounters.
I'm not even talking close to big town, but in ferrying over farm country, suddenly a R44 pops up out of nowhere.
Farmers checking their fences...
Radio? Oh sorry, I was listening to my FM and had the VHF turned down.
I'm not even talking close to big town, but in ferrying over farm country, suddenly a R44 pops up out of nowhere.
Farmers checking their fences...
Radio? Oh sorry, I was listening to my FM and had the VHF turned down.
Join Date: Feb 2001
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Agree Helinut.
I can see it might be of help when a few helis are operating from a common site for some sort of event, for example. but Head Turner are you really going to fly along with 135.47 on box 2 just in case someone happens to call lifting? On box 2 I'd have the next frequency I intended to use/next nearest ATSU/London Info/Volmet etc. Reckon 134.75 is well down the order of sensible freqs to have on box 2 en route.
I can see it might be of help when a few helis are operating from a common site for some sort of event, for example. but Head Turner are you really going to fly along with 135.47 on box 2 just in case someone happens to call lifting? On box 2 I'd have the next frequency I intended to use/next nearest ATSU/London Info/Volmet etc. Reckon 134.75 is well down the order of sensible freqs to have on box 2 en route.
Chaps, I would have mentioned SAFETYCOM earlier but in the blurb I read it indicated that it was for operating at aerodromes without an ATC or at aerodromes which normally have an ATC setup but are outside their normal hours of operation.
CAP 413 specifies that the name of the aerodrome must be included in the information call (to make it unambiguous) so it does not seem appropriate to use it for private sites or HLSs.
CAP 413 specifies that the name of the aerodrome must be included in the information call (to make it unambiguous) so it does not seem appropriate to use it for private sites or HLSs.
