Safety in the vicinity of non-towered aerodromes - Australian ...

Not a substitute for maintaining an effective lookout
While Flight Information Service, CA/GRS and UNICOM are important third-party
services that provide an additional level of information to pilots operating in the
vicinity of aerodromes without an active air traffic control service, there is a risk that
pilots could become too dependent on these services as a means of gaining situational
awareness. Even where available, these services are not designed to provide complete
traffic information or a separation service, and do not operate at all hours. These types
of information services, while useful tools, are never a substitute for monitoring the
CTAF, making appropriate broadcasts, and maintaining a vigilant lookout. Flight
Information Service, UNICOM and CA/GRS communications always take second
place to pilot-to-pilot communications.
The operators of CA/GRS and UNICOM services are not air traffic controllers, and
therefore they do not provide conflict avoidance advice or direction. Conflict
avoidance responsibility remains entirely with the pilot, and it is the pilot’s
responsibility to validate the accuracy of information received from these services and
identify situations where they need to take action to ensure separation. The
responsibility for the safety of an aircraft always remains with the pilot (CASA,
2007a).
Mid-air collisions have occurred in Australia due to a lack of situational awareness of
other traffic even when an air-ground radio service was operating:
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