Aeronautical Study of Port Macquarie - Civil Aviation Safety Authority

Office of Airspace Regulation Page 32 of 69
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the proximity of R574 (formally R595) boundary is an issue for GPS
approaches. Stakeholders have requested that the military review
and try to move the boundary slightly to accommodate the
approaches;
clearance through military restricted areas should be available for PT
aircraft when essential due to severe weather conditions (other than
having to declare an emergency);
(The OAR makes the following additional comments - Expedition
of clearances through Restricted Airspace is already managed by the
airspace controlling authority in accordance with procedures detailed
within the Manual of Air Traffic Services (MATS). These procedures
take into account diversion requests through Restricted Areas due to
severe weather.)
the LSALT (Lowest Safe Altitude) within 25 NM of PMQ is
5,300 ft AMSL, and 4,500 ft AMSL within 25 NM of TRE;
the possibility of a Class E airspace corridor, using BN Radar, (Lower
Limit of 4,500 ft AMSL), would provide IFR to IFR separation within
this area; directed traffic information-radar information service (DTI-
RIS) about known VFR aircraft to IFR; and a VFR traffic (on request)
service to VFR aircraft above the Class E base;
Class E airspace LL (base) 4,500 ft AMSL would still not provide
additional services in the CTAF procedural area or at the
aerodromes. However it would provide additional services from the
current Class E airspace base of 8,500 ft AMSL (an additional
4,000 ft AMSL of protection); and
if a Class E airspace corridor was considered it could possibly be
confined to an arc that encompasses the standard arrival and
departures tracks to/from PMQ/TRE (i.e. in via NICLA and out via
SORTI).
5.7 PMQ/TRE CTAF Frequency Congestion
The VHF allocated to the PMQ CTAF is 118.1 MHz. This frequency is also allocated
to operations at TRE aerodrome located South of PMQ and also allocated to
operations at KMP aerodrome which is located 23 NM North West of PMQ.
There have been numerous reports by pilots of frequency congestion occurring on
the CTAF 118.1 MHz.
Aircraft on the ground at any one of the three aerodromes in this location (PMQ, TRE
or KMP) are generally unable to hear other aircraft transmitting on the ground at any
of the other two aerodromes and consequently can unintentionally broadcast on the
frequency at the same time as another aircraft is broadcasting. A pilot may be
unaware that the transmission just made was over transmitted by another aircraft.
It was also reported that pilots operating at PMQ, TRE or KMP need to determine
which broadcasts are pertinent to the aerodrome that they are operating at. The
irrelevant traffic can be discounted only if the location is contained in the broadcast.
The use of both TRE and PMQ at similar times gives rise to considerations of
splitting the CTAF frequency (118.1 MHz) between the ports. However, this would
create problems with situational awareness of possible conflictions between the two
ports.
Airspace Review of Port Macquarie (YPMQ) May 2010 Version 1.0