EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
CIVIL AVIATION ACT 1988
CIVIL AVIATION REGULATIONS 1988
SUBREGULATIONS 99A (1) and (3)
DESIGNATION OF AIRSPACE FOR BROADCAST REQUIREMENTS — CTAF
Section 98 of the Civil Aviation Act 1988 (the Act) provides that the Governor-General may make regulations for the purposes of the Act and in relation to the safety of air navigation.
Paragraph 99A (1) (b) of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1988 (the Regulations) provides that CASA may designate airspace within defined horizontal and vertical limits as an area in which broadcast requirements apply. Paragraph 99A (3) of the Regulations provides that CASA may give directions specifying the broadcast requirements that apply to those designated areas, and the radio frequencies on which such broadcasts must be made.
Under these provisions, CASA has established across Australia broadcast areas centred on aerodromes. Depending on the likely volume of traffic associated with an aerodrome, an area is either a mandatory broadcast zone (an MBZ), in relation to which all aircraft must make alerting broadcasts, or a common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) broadcast area in which only radio-equipped aircraft must make such broadcasts.
From time to time, in response to changes in operational circumstances, CASA reissues instruments which designate areas in which broadcast requirements apply, state what those requirement are and provide for the radio frequencies on which those broadcasts are to be made.
In this instrument, the designated areas are CTAF broadcast areas in which radio-equipped aircraft must make certain broadcasts. The pilot in command of a radio-equipped aircraft intending either to land at an aerodrome in the designated area or fly through the area without landing, must immediately on entering the area broadcast certain information about the aircraft, including its callsign and type, its position and level and the pilot’s intentions.
Similarly, when taxiing for take-off from an aerodrome in a designated area the pilot in command of a radio-equipped aircraft must broadcast information identifying the aircraft, aerodrome and runway, the intended destination or direction and if instrument flight rules are to be used. Information identifying the aircraft and runway, and a statement of the pilot’s immediate intentions must be broadcast just before the aircraft enters the actual take-off runway.
The pilot in command of an aircraft that is not radio-equipped is not required to broadcast in CTAF designated areas.
CASA 484/04 had previously designated CTAF broadcast areas, broadcast requirements and radio frequencies for radio-equipped aircraft. The instrument revokes and replaces CASA 484/04 to incorporate a new CTAF broadcast area established at The Monument (Qld). The instrument also changes the CTAF radio frequency at Wiluna (WA) and Junee (WA) aerodromes. This is to facilitate the use of an Aerodrome Frequency Response Unit.
Legislative Instruments Act 2003
Under subsections 5 (1) and (4) of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 (the LIA), the designation is a legislative instrument. It is subject to tabling and disallowance in the Parliament under sections 38 and 42 of the LIA.
Consultation under section 17 of the LIA has been in accordance with standing arrangements under which the changes were considered and recommended by the Western Australian Regional Airspace Users Advisory Committee.
The instrument commences on 9 June 2005.
The instrument has been issued on behalf of CASA by the Head of Operational and Flight Crew Licensing Standards, a delegate of CASA under subregulation 7 (1) of the Regulations.
[Instrument number CASA 203/05]