[Peetwo]

While Dick Smith's "Wake up Wazza" campaign gathers further momentum, the aftermath of Dick's flying visit to Ballina continues to evolve - here is the latest from Ean Higgins (legend) in the Oz today.. : 

Air waves choked as pilots eye safe landing space  

• by: EAN HIGGINS
  
• From: The Australian
  
• June 09, 2015 12:00AM
  

Reporter
Sydney




Barrie Stark, the father of one of the passengers killed in the Benalla crash in Victoria in 2004, at Mackay. ‘It’s the old problem’. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen Source: News Corp Australia

The aviation watchdog is accelerating a new report into Ballina airport on the NSW north coast amid rising concerns a huge rise in traffic is rendering the uncontrolled airspace unsafe.  

Civil Aviation Safety Authority documents show worries about overloaded radio transmissions as pilots desperately talk to each other to work out how to avoid collisions. “All organisations and individuals consulted reported concerns about radio-frequency congestion,” one document says.

CASA recorded several safety breaches at Ballina, including one very close call. “In October 2013, a Fairchild SA227 ‘Metro’ aircraft … narrowly missed a Bell 47G helicopter that had stopped on the runway during circuit training for the instructor to brief the trainee,” one document says.

The new aeronautical study for Ballina is being pushed through for release in August. Recommendations could include bringing the airport under controlled airspace or installing ground radio operators to provide local air-traffic information.

Aircraft using another northern NSW airport, Coffs Harbour, which hosts 350,000 passengers a year, are guided by air traffic control from Brisbane, but those flying into or out of Ballina, which has 430,000 passengers a year and growing fast, are left to their own devices below 8500 feet even though Brisbane controllers still have them on radar.

Those campaigning for an extension of controlled airspace , who include businessman Dick Smith, point to the loss of a corporate aircraft trying to land in bad weather at Benalla in Victoria in 2004 with the loss of six lives, when air traffic controllers more than once received an alarm that the plane was off course, but did not alert the pilot.

Barrie Stark, the father of one of the passengers killed in the Benalla crash, former army- turned-commercial pilot Alan Stark, said: “It’s the old problem of light aircraft flying below 8500 feet, therefore, the air traffic controllers were not required to say anything to them.”

Speaking from his home in Mackay, Queensland, Mr Stark said Mr Smith’s proposal for firefighters at Ballina airport to be trained as radio operators — as are many of their counterparts at airports in the US — made sense.

“My attitude has always been that the more people you give ­radios to and get information from the better off you are,” Mr Stark said.

I also noted that in Farmer Truss's home turf, the article from the local rag The Fraser Coast Chronicle - Dick Smith predicts collisions if CASA won't allow warnings - has created some healthy debate with some of the miniscule's constituents

Dick Smith's predictions of an air incident divides readers

9th Jun 2015 5:00 AM

CAMPAIGNER: Dick Smith has been criticised for wanting ground staff to be allowed to give operational information to pilots.

AUSSIE tycoon Dick Smith is dividing Chronicle readers after his prediction of a major collision or deaths at the Hervey Bay Airport.

On Saturday, the Chronicle reported Mr Smith's comments about ground staff not being able to communicate with aircraft about hazards on the runway or in the aerodrome, and that by law ground staff cannot speak with pilots except to give basic weather information.

Mr Smith also raised concerns about commercial planes landing and departing from the Hervey Bay Airport using only a radio to recognise other aircraft in the area.

The businessman, recognised yesterday as a Companion of the Order of Australia, said a major collision would occur at the airport unless the Civil Aviation Safety Authority changed regulations.

But readers of the Chronicle were divided about Mr Smith's dire warnings.

"One has to agree with Dick Smith considering his experience and knowledge and if one wants to discuss CASA, there's enough material on that body which would indicate a change is needed," News Watcher wrote.

On the Chronicle's website, reader anti-dopes said Mr Smith should leave it up to the pilots.

"(I) usually agree with a lot of what Dick says - but not this one," she wrote. "Separating air traffic is not difficult if the pilots communicate."

Ben May from Urangan said the commercial flights were managing the airport fine.

"Like the majority of small regional airports like ours, doing a visual approach and operating without a tower is (as) common as day," he wrote.

Mr Smith will visit Hervey Bay to discuss his concerns at a date to be set.

& this..

Letters: Dick Smith’s campaign not supported by facts

Alan Betteridge | 9th Jun 2015 5:00 AM

DICK Smith's claim that if CASA doesn't allow ground staff to notify planes about obstacles or weather conditions at the airport then there will be people dying at Hervey Bay is rich in rhetoric but a bit short on fact.

The idea of allowing unqualified staff to give operational information to pilots is fraught with peril.

Incorrect, out of date or limited information provided on an ad-hoc basis is far more dangerous than no information at all.

What if the person involved is busy doing their primary job and is unaware of an aerodrome obstruction and then tells the inbound aircraft that all is well?

But the biggest risk to aircraft at Hervey Bay, or indeed any aerodrome where there is a high density of aircraft of varying performance and pilots of vastly different skill levels, is in the sky - not on the ground.

In 2009 Airservices Australia conducted a trial of Unicom at Hervey Bay.

This was in response to a high number of reported breakdowns in separation between aircraft (or "near misses" as some in the media would have it).

The trial, importantly, included a directed traffic information service, updates on weather and operational information.

Its hours of operation were based on the arrival and departure of RPT (airlines) aircraft.

It was conducted by three highly experienced aviation personnel (of which I was one), and all had the necessary CASA approvals to provide the service.

The Unicom staff were able to monitor the local airport radio frequency, note the aircraft positions, levels and intentions and then use this information to provide the traffic information service.

The carriage and use of radio is mandatory in the Hervey Bay/Maryborough areas, but this frequency is not monitored by Airservices Australia staff in Brisbane.

The trial was a resounding success, proving that the service was cost effective, needed and well received by the aviation industry.

Although the service had been proven, the arrival of the GFC and CASA failing to mandate it meant it was never implemented.

A Unicom service is needed now more than ever, but it needs to be a stand-alone service, preferably managed and provided by Airservices Australia using experienced, qualified and rated personal.

Mr Smith's wish that commercial jets using Hervey Bay be radar-controlled from Brisbane is impossible.

Due to the type of radar now used, not all aircraft are visible to the controller and the radio frequency in use cannot be monitored, so it cannot be known what other aircraft are there, what height they are at or what their intentions are.

ALAN BETTERIDGE,

Tinana

MTF...P2