Simon
I TOTALLY agree.
I am trying to discipline myself (not an easy thing to do !) to
monitor the area freq. instead of 122.7 or 9 when X/C soaring. My recent
training in power flying has shown me the other side of the coin with
respect to airspace use. I think glider pilots must come to grips with the
fact that we share the airspace with lots of things and that monitoring the
area freq. is another tool to minimize to chance of a coming-together
(combined with good airmanship/lookout/see-and be-seen.)
I carry my hand held on cross country flights to monitor the area
frequencies.
The small rubber antenna is not very effective in transmit, but I have found
it an
effective way to listen on area frequencies. A VHF scanner would do the same
job.
This allows me to monitor 122.7 etc with the installed radio which also has
a higher
output and an external antenna. This may not suit everyone, but it works
for me.
> This is the strongest argument I (personally) have for monitoring the
> area frequency when I fly, not 122.7 - and where I fly my (motor)
> glider, that is what I certainly do as a result - because I'm aware of
> the skydiving operations and other aviation around me, which has no
> idea that 122.7 exists (but that's a different topic altogether).
>
> In fact its only through radio monitoring that I have any idea that
> the two local skydiving operations exist at all.
>
> They aren't marked on the WAC chart; There is nothing to stop a
> glider (or indeed a light plane on the wrong frequency) being unaware
> of the skydiving ops around them.
They are on the ERC's, along with our gliding ++
>
> If you lived on the area frequency while soaring you might be
> surprised at the things you're otherwise missing (then again, there is
> a flip side - at times the only choice is to turn the bloody thing off
> after an hour of listening to jets being cleared every 3 minutes for
> approach into Melbourne, while soaring 80km's from Adelaide. I do so
> wish CASA's drive for economising hadn't lead them to interconnecting
> so many disparate area frequencies just to save a few $ on
> controllers' salaries)
Get it right, AirServices employ ATC's not CASA.
SDF
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