TALKING RADIO
December 2009
Dear Reader,
Welcome to the first edition of TALKING RADIO which happens to coincide with the beginning of the festive season. This year has seen an increase in radio lecture requirements countrywide for all the major disciplines, namely:
· Restricted VHF radio license
· General VHF radio license
· Base Operator VHF radio license
· PARTAC VHF radio license
· Offshore Helicopter landing officer VHF radio license
I have found in my lectures that there has been a keen interest by all to learn and apply the correct procedures in each relevant discipline which has been a very positive indication to me in the attitude of the people attending these courses. I have had the opportunity to lecture these specific radio courses at various stations throughout the country and after having obtained feedback from some of the operators regarding the improved radio service being supplied, have been suitably impressed with the outcome.
This RT edition focuses on some common errors that are still occurring and I have highlighted them below to emphasise their relevance and the confusion that can be created when these terms are used incorrectly. I have divided each RT module into the relevant discipline for simpler reading and understanding. Additional features include:
1. Radio check procedures
2. My RT website – www.talkingradio.co.za
Merry Xmas and a prosperous 2010,
Dylan Kemlo.
RESTRICTED VHF RADIO LICENSE
The radio lectures that were conducted by myself countrywide identified various procedures that were not being focused on countrywide, namely:
1. The misinterpretation of the term ‘CONFIRM’.
The term ‘confirm’ is being used incorrectly by students as a confirmation to information that has been passed to them by another party / unit (such as ATC) during a VHF conversation. I thus identified that personnel have been affiliating this term as an abbreviation of the word ‘CONFIRMATION’ which is not entirely correct. The terminology ‘Confirm’ refers to a question that is been asked and should therefore only be answered by the receiving party/unit using one of the following three possible replies:
‘Affirm / Negative / Standby’
2. The apparent lack of understanding and awareness of the AIP.
I have identified that there is a shortfall in this department 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.)
3. Flight planning
Students do not appear to be ‘pre-planning’ their cross country flights and therefore are not entering adequate or suitable information into the required flightplan format. You should not enter ‘DIRECT’ (DCT) in your routing column as this does not indicate your intended routing at all. Instead use geographical reference points or LAT/LONG co-ordinates to assist in the routing identification. Search and rescue procedures associated with the flightplan itself are not clearly understood.
A – B (Manned – Manned)
(Flightplan automatically cancels once safely landed at destination)
Search and rescue is normal as ATC is present at both stations concerned. (Unless the station is not operating on a 24 hour cycle as per the AIP in which case refer to B – C below.)
B – C (Manned – Unmanned)
(The pilot in command of this flight is responsible for ensuring that this flightplan is cancelled with ATC.)
i) Search and rescue must be requested with the closest manned airfield to destination as such:
SAR/FAJS eta + 1 Hour OR SAR/FAJS eta + 2 Hours
(NOTE - The length of time requested is at pilots discretion.)
ii) You may also request this as a fixed time indication:
SAR/FACT 1100
iii) You may also request no search and rescue required:
SAR/NIL
C – A (Unmanned – Manned)
(Flightplan automatically cancels once safely landed at destination)
Search and rescue will be filed as in A – B above i.e. – SAR/NML if you have filed a flight plan for this particular flight.
UNMANNED – UNMANNED
(SAR request as per B – C example above.)
GENERAL VHF RADIO LICENSE
This year I found that there was more of a demand from helicopter pilots to do this course as compared to fixed wing. Some of the common problem areas that I noticed on these lecture presentations were as follows:
1. Students are not always familiar with the RT and procedures associated within a procedural (non-radar) environment; i.e. – VOR/NDB Letdowns, non standard departure clearances, etc.
2. Radio communication failure procedures are not always clearly understood. Students are reminded to note the difference between radio failure procedures while training in the circuit or after having obtained a clearance to join controlled airspace, wishing to join controlled airspace from an uncontrolled environment without having obtained a clearance yet (nil flightplan), wishing to join controlled airspace with a flightplan (IFR) & (VFR), departing on a SID or arriving on a STAR.
3. The difference between IMC and LVO and the requirements for a pilot
to operate in either of these weather type conditions. Students also
need to focus on aerodrome familiarization with respect to runway &
taxiway markings as well as relevant aerodrome lighting.
IMC = Instrument Meteorological Conditions where the cloud base is
below 1500 feet AGL and the horizontal visibility is less than 3nm.
LVO = Low Visibility Operations where the cloud base is below 200 feet
AGL and horizontal visibility is less than 600 metres.
BASE OPERATOR VHF RADIO LICENSE
I have had the opportunity to work with airlines who through their own vision are promoting these lectures to personnel from their dispatch and departure control operations in order that they become multiskilled and are thus able to provide additional Base Operator duties as and when required in the future. This is a very good initiative in line with preparations for SWC2010.
I have had a lot of interest shown with this particular course and it has been fulfilling for me to see the keen interest and participation that has been shown by all those personnel that have attended. A common ‘problem’ that I have identified while presenting these lectures countrywide are:
1. Personnel not knowing the difference between port & starboard and also not being able to identify the color coding associated with these terms, i.e. Port (left hand side) = RED
Starboard (right hand side) = GREEN.
NOTE – How much Port is left in that bottle.
I would like to congratulate the SAX Richards Bay branch on their commitment to the base operator requirements and it was pleasing for me to see and listen to their RT applications and procedures on a recent unannounced trip past their office. (This follows my instructional lectures that had been held there on a previous occasion.)
PARTAC VHF RADIO LICENSE
(Practical Airport Radio Telephony and Airside Competency Licence)
This course has focused on the specific understanding requirement of RT and aerodrome design as (following the feedback from ATC), there still appears to be a great deal of uncertainty by operators as to how to communicate with ATC and which procedures to follow. For those of you unfamiliar with this course, communication with ATC is required by anyone while operating on the maneuvering area either by aircraft, vehicle or tug. This includes all taxiways and runways but excludes the apron. Some of the common ‘problem’ areas identified here are:
1. On the job training - Personnel are not continuing with on the job training following the attendance of the theoretical course in order to prepare themselves prior to attempting the practical skills evaluation test by a designated ATC. (Discipline in the correct use of RT and the understanding of instructions as issued by ATC is vital.)
2. Situational awareness – Personnel are encouraged to become familiar
with the environment in which they are working and thereby assist
ATC where possible while operating on the maneuvering area.
3. Proficiency in English. Remember that all relevant communication
between ATC and pilot/tug driver, etc. is to be conducted in the
English language universally and personnel therefore need to familiarise
themselves with English prior to attempting this course and the relevant
practical testing required.
HLO – HELICOPTER LANDING OFFICER VHF RADIO LICENSE
I worked with Russian and Angolan personnel this year that, despite them all having struggled with the English language, had a very positive attitude towards the course and persevered to meet the requirements. Some common ‘problem’ areas that I identified with this course were:
1. Lack of understanding of the English language. (This also leads to personnel in the class feeling intimidated when asked to participate in radio telephony communications.)
2. Misunderstanding of terminologies
3. Situational awareness onboard the vessel/rig.
1. RADIO CHECK PROCEDURES
I have been encouraging all those personnel that I have trained to date to consider doing a radio check prior to taking over the watch to ensure that their radio is serviceable and that it is functioning correctly. One of the major problems being encountered is that people are accepting watch responsibilities by assuming that their radio is fully operational and transmitting and receiving at an audible level. Radio checks are for example normally conducted by all pilots and ATC’s prior to handover and during their watch and this procedure should be adopted by all support staff as they are all part of the aviation community.
2. www.talkingradio.co.za
My new website aimed at assisting all relevant personnel with radio telephony procedures was launched on the 01st October 2009 and has received a very impressive number of hits to date. I have also received a number of compliments to date on my product and below is an example of one:
‘I think your CD is an excellent aid and a very good investment, even for someone who already has a
radio license like myself.’
(Thanks Bennie)
Please keep checking my site for further free downloads, study material and courses on offer and feel free to email me with any VHF RT or ATC related queries that you may have.