Safeskies Australia has announced it will be delivering a short seminar at the forthcoming 2011 Avalon Airshow devoted primarily to GA issues. As part of the seminar, CASA Manager of Flying Standards Roger Weeks and Captain Steve Tizzard AM, CEO of RA-Australia, veteran military and civilian flight instructor and former CASA FOI will both present papers. The seminar runs on the morning of Friday March 5; it’s free to all Avalon attendees and runs from 1000 to 1130. For more on Safeskies click here.
CASA says it has reviewed the airspace surrounding Gladstone aerodrome in Queensland and concluded that the non-towered aerodrome arrangements currently in place are appropriate. Gladstone, a certified aerodrome in Class G airspace with Class E starting at 8500ft, hosts passenger carrying, commercial and private air traffic, with helicopter operations accounting for 48 per cent of the total movements. Airspace users identified four issues with operations at Gladstone – gas discharge plumes, the need for an area navigation global navigation satellite system (RNAV/GNSS) approach for runway 28, northern departures being impacted by Rockhampton control steps, and interference on the Gladstone common traffic advisory frequency. To read CASA’s full Gladstone airspace review click here.
Tickes for the Wide Bay Australia International Airshow 2011 are now available for purchase at a special pre-Christmas price. Tickets for the three-day event, to be held at Bundaberg Airport from August 19-21, are currently available at a discount of 20 per cent, and as an added Christmas bonus event organisers are waiving the booking fee. The Wide Bay Australia International Airshow 2011 program will be headlined by Aussie Red Bull Air Race pilot Matt Hall, and will also feature the largest gathering of WWII fighters, as used by both allied and axis powers, that has ever been displayed in Queensland. For more information and to purchase tickets click here.
With air traffic in the Lake Eyre region still soaring due to recent rainfall filling up the lake, pilots are reminded to use the recently introduced special area broadcast frequency covering Lake Eyre when flying in the area. This special frequency – 127.8 MHz – was intended to have lapsed at the end of October, but has now been extended until February 28 2011. The region covered by the frequency centres on North and South Lake Eyre, from Lake Gregory in the east to Mt Margaret in the west and Lake Pantoowarinna in the north to Tarlton Knob mine in the south – and applies up to 5000ft. Pilots must broadcast their aircraft’s callsign, position and level, as well as their intentions. Pilots taking off or landing from within the designated airspace must also use the special area frequency. To read the Lake Eyre broadcast frequency instrument click here.
CASA wishes to remind pilots that it’ll be shutting up shop from Friday December 24 to until Tuesday January 4 for Christmas, meaning regulatory services, such as licence or medical renewals or changes to certificates or other permissions, will not be processed during this period. The regulator asks that any pilots needing such services act now. Should you happen to need CASA assistance during the holiday period due to unforseen circumstances or an emergency, a duty officer will be manning the CASA switchboard (Ph. 131 757).
On the ground at Avalon 2009. (Glenn Alford)
