WA Radio Scanner Users' Group

Hi,

Im new to aviation scanning - I was wondering if someone could help me get a leg up on some information.

I have all the frequencies programmed from other threads, but Im a bit confused as to what exactly Im listening to...

ie.

What is Perth/Melb Centre
Is Perth Departures for planes schediuled for take off?
What is ATIS?

If someone wouldnt mind explaining what Im listening too, that would be terrific.

Cheers,

d3funct.q45 wrote:Hi,

Im new to aviation scanning - I was wondering if someone could help me get a leg up on some information.

I have all the frequencies programmed from other threads, but Im a bit confused as to what exactly Im listening to...

ie.

What is Perth/Melb Centre
Is Perth Departures for planes schediuled for take off?
What is ATIS?

If someone wouldnt mind explaining what Im listening too, that would be terrific.

Cheers,

I have sent you a PM, I can explain things to you....jj

For others playing at home:

ATIS is the Automated Terminal Information Service which is a recording of the current weather/airport info. You listen to it before you take off or land.

Melbourne Centre is who controls airspace in Aus outside of normal airports I believe.

Perth Departure/Arrival is who aircraft contact around Perth airspace (and when inbound/outbound from Perth).

To continue the questions, why do some planes say "Heavy" after their callsigns?
EG "Cathay 171 Heavy"

Thanks

--Steve

I forget the exact weight, but its for, you guessed it, heavy aircraft. Just makes the controllers aware that its a large aircraft.

yorky wrote:I forget the exact weight, but its for, you guessed it, heavy aircraft. Just makes the controllers aware that its a large aircraft.

"Yorky's" pretty spot on there, most AC are taking off on runway 06 (7500 thousand Ft) today and tonight, heavy's will use 03, (10500 ft) for the longer length runway, all have used 03 today for landing as the x wind is at a safe level. AC 767, and above are classed as heavy's as well as A340-500 and Jumbo's.
Some other smaller AC will ask tower if they can use part or all of 03 for take off..lot depends on direction they are enroute and the wind,..

Melbourne Center Covers the southern Half of Australia and the Indian Ocean.

Brisbane Center Covers the Northern Half of Australia



This image is to give you some idea of the coverage in Australia, However it is not the Full coverage, as there are many more Sectors between YMML (Melbourne) and YSSY (Sydney)

This Image shows the the Sectors we use for our online Sim Network.

IMAGE Source http://vatpac.org/cms/index.php?option= ... &Itemid=62

Departures...
Departures Own the airspace along the Assigned Departure Runway to 5000ft, the Purpose of Departures is to Identify the Aircraft, ensure the Primary Radar Return is correct, and assign a higher level, out of Perth it is Flight Level 130, or 13,000 Ft, then they Hand of to APP

Winds and Limits...
A runway can be active for up to a 20 KT crosswind
A runway can be Active with a 5 Kt down wind on a DRY runway and a 0 Kt Down wind on a WET runway

Weight Classes...
Weight Classes are based on Wake Turbulence, a 737 is Medium,
767's are Heavy as are 747's A330's and A340's

757's... Not that we see many here in Perth, some different Configurations will depend weather the aircraft is M or H.

A new Classification with the introduction of the A380 Super Jumbo, the Class for that is Super Heavy.

The call sign Heavy is usually only Appended to Cargo Aircraft

AO11912 wrote:Melbourne Center Covers…(etc)

Thanks for that!

Agreed! Thanks mate, interesting reading!

If any one else wants any more answers to Aviation Procdures in regards to Positions used, Definitions EG SID/STARS, Airspace clasification, Shout a post here and i should be able to answer it.

I have read with interest this topic. For departures from Regional airports, Kalg, Albany, Esperance, etc.... Does Melb centre control those or what is the process?

Yes Melbourne center controls these.

But Center only handles the Airways Clearance and once the aircraft is airborne, as these places are all outside Radar Coverage, they therefore operate as a Procedural Aerodrome, the controller can not see the aircraft's Tag and can only rely on reports from the pilot.

Australia has limited Radar coverage, which starts from Cairns, Travels south and around to Adelaide, in what they call the J curve, Radar is also in Perth for 300 NM and Darwin. Outside those areas, no one can see the plane on a radar scope.

A typical Call would be from a pilot taxiing at Esperence, with no Tower.

(note OZW is the ICAO code for Skywest, and their call sign is OZWEST)

"Melbourne Center, and all Traffic Esperence, OZW123, Taxi's Esperence to RWY XX, for IFR DEP to the North"

"OZW123, No reported IFR Traffic Esperence (if that's the case, if not Melb will advise OZW123 of any IFR traffic Movements with in 10 Mins of the aerodome) Squawk 4454, call me passing FL150 (15000 ft)

OZWEST 123 will then switch to CTAF (Common Traffic Advisory Frequency) and broadcast his intentions of theta channel.

OZWEST 123 then departs and tracks via the 275 Outbound Radial from ESP VOR and calls Melbourne Center to enter Controller airspace.

"OZW123, Departed Esperence Time 0255Z (all times in UTC) on climb passing FL130 for FL150, Tracking via the 275 Outbound Radial, Request Clearance"

OZW123, your cleared to enter controlled Airspace on climb to FL 210, your cleared to Perth Via flight planned route"

Awesome. Yes very informative. Appreciate your detail aswell. Any thing else Will be keen to ask. Thanks AO11912

AO11912 - you clearly are not up to speed on the correct terminology that is used in the air....

"Melbourne Center, and all Traffic Esperence, OZW123, Taxi's Esperence to RWY XX, for IFR DEP to the North" "

There is not need to advise centre as to what direction you are tracking - they know your intended destination from your flight plan - unless you are making flight plan ammendment...

"OZW123, Departed Esperence Time 0255Z (all times in UTC) on climb passing FL130 for FL150, Tracking via the 275 Outbound Radial, Request Clearance"

Again - read up on your procedures - you dont say "Time" - simply state - departed 55 - as you dont need to give the 4 digit UTC. It runs more like .... Centre OZW123 departed ESP 55, tracking 275 reference the omni, passing FL130 request clearance - since there it is not a procedural aerodrome - there is no need to give your estimate for the first waypoint.

But then again - if you cant get the message out correctly - just say what you need to say to get your message out - but the correct terminology cuts down chatter on the freqs - that are becoming more and more busy.

In relation to your comments earlier ...

**Winds and Limits...
**A runway can be active for up to a 20 KT crosswind
**A runway can be Active with a 5 Kt down wind on a DRY runway and a 0 Kt Down wind on a WET runway

This is airport specific - you cannot use this as a rule of thumb- as each aiport is different. Numerous time i have landed at SYD - you will land with a 25kt Xwind and numerous times i have landed at various controlled airport with Tail wind up to 10knots

Weight Classes...
Weight Classes are based on Wake Turbulence, a 737 is Medium,
767's are Heavy as are 747's A330's and A340's

757's... Not that we see many here in Perth, some different Configurations will depend weather the aircraft is M or H.

The 757 is clasified as HEAVY

A new Classification with the introduction of the A380 Super Jumbo, the Class for that is Super Heavy.

Not called SUPER HEAVY - the wake turbulance seperation for the a380 is greater than that use for the 747 and other heavy aircraft

The call sign Heavy is usually only Appended to Cargo Aircraft

This is not correct again !!!! Geez - the use of Heavy is dependant on the MTOW of the aircraft - cargo has nothing to do with it mate !!!

Some times, the a 767/A330 will append with Heavy and sometimes it will not - it all depends on the weight of the aircraft


Hope this provides a more correct answer for those that are interested in being more correct

thats why he is a paramedic and not a comms officer