TALKING RADIO February 2010 Dear Reader, Welcome to the second edition of TALKING RADIO and the first of six bimonthly editions planned for 2010. With the focus on the Soccer World Cup gracing our country later this year, most, if not all companies are ensuring that their relevant staff are adequately trained to meet the specific requirements for this period and ensure that this approach remains a work in progress. In terms of aviation and related operations, all those relevant personnel operating within various work disciplines at airfields located within South Africa such as ATC, ground handling, airport staff; etc. that utilize a VHF radio for communication purposes within their working environment, are also currently receiving improved RT training and coaching to ensure that they acquire the necessary skills. It therefore stands to reason that those personnel such as student pilots, private pilots, paragliders, hang-gliders, etc. should also be considering making an attempt to improve their RT proficiency where required in order to ensure that they maintain their own level of professionalism when communicating on a VHF aeronautical radio while flying within, and outside of, controlled airspace. This RT edition will therefore focus on these areas within each discipline that I believe still require attention based on my own general summary of each of these VHF radio course requirements that I have identified over the past four months. Additional features include: 1. Future theoretical examinations 2. Geographical reporting points for unmanned airfields 3. La Mercy airfield Yours in maintaining professional RT Dylan Kemlo.
RESTRICTED VHF RADIO LICENSE The following items have been identified as areas that may require attention for those people striving to acquire, or improve their RT proficiency within this discipline, namely: AERONAUTICAL INFORMATION PUBLICATION: ENR & GEN I have identified that there is a shortfall and apparent lack of understanding and awareness with regards to students being able to correctly make use of and identify key elements within these documents. Remember that the AIP (Aeronautical Information Publication) is supplied in two different documents; A} This document is alphabetically listed from A-Z and highlights all the relevant information pertaining to the registered airfields / helistops. B} This document is sub-divided into ENR & GEN where ENR gives you more information regarding airspace specifications (en-route) and GEN supplies the user with information of a general nature (Minimum safe heights for example.) FLIGHT PLANS Note that the FAX number that appears at the top of an official flight plan is the direct contact telephone number to the Air Traffic Services division of the SACAA; i.e. (011-5451282). FPL s must not be faxed to this number supplied and instead need to faxed to FAJS briefing or any other ATSU that has a relevant fax number published for that station. (Refer to your AIP for the relevant telephone number/s.) RADIO FAILURE PROCEDURES Ensure that you understand what is required of you prior to going on your first student solo flight with regards to RCF procedures while in the circuit. This should be discussed with your flying Instructor if you have not yet had the opportunity to attend a restricted radio course. (This includes any solo flying that you may do during and once you have completed the PPL.) Consider doing a radio check after dropping the Instructor off and prior to taxi-ing
back to the holding point. This will assist in guaranteeing that your radio is at least serviceable prior to departure. GENERAL VHF RADIO LICENSE It is suggested to all commercial trainee pilots to consider only applying to do this radio license once they have completed all their theoretical commercial subjects, as a substantial amount of theory work that covers the syllabus for this license is covered in these subjects, particularly Radio Aids. You also need to look at Radio Telephony procedures, specifically those relating to non standard clearances and procedures such as letdowns; etc. The Professional RT CD/Manual will assist in enabling you to practice and perfect this. MORSE CODE This is a subject that appears to have lost its true value and meaning in the sense that many people have accepted the fact that navigational equipment such as the GPS will ensure your routing and tracking and they therefore have overlooked the importance of this valuable tool that was introduced in the early 1900 s as a form of communication. It is however still important for the pilot to be able to identify via audio the beacon that they are homing on by being able to distinguish the coding that is being relayed from that VOR. This subject is therefore going to be reiterated by the CAA amongst the flying schools and institutions to ensure that its significance remains intact. BASE OPERATOR VHF RADIO LICENSE During the month of January 2010, the CAA identified that, in compliance with section 22 of the Aviation Act 74 of 1962 and subsection 5 of Part 171 of the Civil Aviation Regulations that all personnel operating on an aeronautical frequency must be found competent in the operating of this equipment when making use of it for its intended purpose. For this reason, all personnel who work airside on a VHF radio will be required to attend such a course and be found competent. SAA is currently managing this process to ensure compliance and it is envisaged that the remaining local operators within South Africa and our neighbouring countries will follow suit.
PARAGLIDER VHF RADIO LICENSE Due to our airspaces in South Africa, both controlled and uncontrolled, becoming saturated with all types of certified and non-certified type aircraft, the South African Hangglider Paraglider Association (SAHPA) and RAASA has met with myself over the past two months to discuss the possibility of formulating a radio license specific to their requirements so that they may also start communicating with other traffic in flight, and thereby support the emphasis on improving safety for all parties concerned. This study manual has been accepted by RAASA as a training tool and the first such course of its kind will commence in Gauteng during the month of March 2010. The licensing for these personnel will be regulated by RAASA and it is envisaged that a radio license online examination will be put in place later this year and relevant personnel throughout the country will be designated by SAHPA to provide these lectures, while specific qualified designated examiners will be responsible for assessing these personnel by applying a practical skills test. OFFSHORE HELICOPTER LANDING OFFICER (VHF RADIO LICENSE) I do not have any news updates for this column at this time. CAPTIVE MANNED BALLOON (VHF RADIO LICENSE) For those of you living in and around the Gauteng area, you would be familiar with the captive manned balloon which has been operating at the Monte Casino for quite some time now, and has recently been joined by a further such balloon from the same company in Soweto and Sandton. Due to their positioning, they are operating within the Johannesburg Special Rules Area and after consultation with their operator, it has been agreed by all parties that they need to get their personnel licensed on aeronautical VHF radio so that they can make blind broadcasts each time they enter this specific airspace. Although they are only lifted by winch operation into the air for a period of fifteen minutes at a time, their height when fully deployed expands to approximately 600 feet Above Ground Level which means that they can become traffic for any other aircraft flying at 6500 feet on QNH or below in the Johannesburg Special rules west area. The first such RT course commences in the second quarter of March 2010.
PARTAC (VHF RADIO LICENSE) It has been reported to me by ATC that there are a number of personnel from various operators who are being booked with ATNS to do their practical skills test without first ensuring that they have done some type of airfield on the job familairisation, and, in certain instances, do not even have a valid drivers license. I have had the opportunity in my lecture presentations to start including the practical familiarization phase into my scope objectives, which is definitely a more pro-active approach to the current training mechanisms that are being utilized, and are ensuring that these personnel are more adequately prepared for their practical assessment than a person who merely completes the theoretical phase of this course and then determines that they are now ready to attempt the practical assessment. I am urging all those personnel that have completed the theoretical phase of this course, as well as their supervisors / managers, to first ensure that these personnel are rostered with an On the Job training Instructor for that institution, so that they may commence with familiarization and start to understand their responsibilities while operating on the maneuvering area of that airport. ADDITIONAL FEATURES 1. Future theoretical examinations The CAA is currently reviewing the examination process with the intention of incorporating the theoretical examination procedure for the Restricted radio license under the current theoretical subjects that are written through the CAA as part of the PPL requirements. In other words, once you have attended the relevant RT lectures, you will then be required to write the RT theoretical examination through the CAA or any approved ATO. On successful completion of this exam, (70 percent pass mark), you will then present the relevant CAA documentation as evidence to your examiner who will then be in a position to assess you further by means of a practical oral skills test.
2. Geographical reporting points for unmanned airfields I am currently compiling a database of all the relevant standard VFR reporting points for licensed uncontrolled airfields throughout South Africa. If anyone is able to assist in this regard, please email me the name of the airfield together with the known points to: rtstudyaid@hotmail.com 3. La Mercy airfield This airfield, which was recently named King Shaka International, is currently still under development and has therefore not yet been audited by the CAA to receive its official recognition as an airport. It is envisaged that the airfield will be fully operational prior to the start of SWC2010 and I will be monitoring this situation closely in order that I can update this airfield and its known VFR reporting points into my existing database portfolio.