(1) A CA/GRS at an aerodrome must provide the following services to aircraft within airspace designated by CASA:
(a) advice on relevant air traffic in designated airspace or on the aerodrome;
(b) aerodrome weather and operational information, including the following:
(i) wind speed and direction;
(ii) the runway preferred by wind or noise abatement requirements;
(iii) runway surface conditions;
(iv) QNH;
(v) temperature;
(vi) cloud base and visibility;
(vii) present weather;
(viii) other operational information;
(ix) for departing aircraft — time check;
(x) call-out of the aerodrome emergency services;
(xi) aerodrome information to pilots who telephone the service.
(2) A CA/GRS may only be provided by a certified air/ground radio operator (a CA/GRO).
(3) An applicant for certification as a CA/GRO for this section must hold:
(a) a flight radio operator licence or an approval under Part 64.B of CASR; and
(b) a Bureau of Meteorology Class A or B weather observer’s qualification;
and must also hold or have held:
(c) an ICAO-recognised air traffic controller licence; or
(d) an Australian Defence Force qualification equivalent to an air traffic control licence; or
(e) an Australian flight service officer licence; or
(f) a CA/GRO certificate previously issued by CASA.
(4) Without affecting subsection (1), a CA/GRO may provide aviation information requested by pilots.
Note The decision to use, or not to use, the aviation information provided by a CA/GRO rests with the pilot in command.
(5) A CA/GRS permanently located at an aerodrome must be provided with the following facilities and documentation:
(a) a suitable work area that provides the CA/GRO with:
(i) as far as practicable, a full view of the manoeuvring area and circuit area; and
(ii) a view of the manoeuvring area and the approaches to the runways;
(b) two-way VHF radio communications;
(c) an automatic aerodrome information service (an AAIS);
(d) a telephone;
(e) a means of receiving NOTAMs;
(f) meteorological instruments that meet both Bureau of Meteorology standards as in force or existing from time to time, and ICAO Annex 3, Meteorological Service for International Air Navigation standards as in force or existing from time to time, for the purpose of providing the following meteorological information:
(i) wind direction and speed (2 minute averaging) with measurement accuracy to be: direction ±5°; speed ±1 kt up to 20 kt, and ±5% above 20 kt;
(ii) QNH (measured to within 0.1 hPa and rounded down to the next whole integer; for example, 1010.9 hPa is reported as 1010 hPa);
(iii) air temperature (measured to within 0.5 degrees Celsius and rounded up to the next whole degree Celsius, for example, 12.5 degrees C is reported as 13 degrees C);
(g) current aeronautical documentation, NOTAMs, and charts appropriate to IFR and VFR operations within the CTAF of the aerodrome;
(h) the aerodrome emergency plan (AEP).
Note Bureau of Meteorology standards for relevant aviation instruments are contained in ICAO Annex 3, Meteorological Service for International Air Navigation. For ICAO documents, see section 1.07.
(6) A CA/GRO, in performing CA/GRO functions, must use the standard aviation communication techniques and phraseology set out in the AIP.
(7) A CA/GRS call-sign must be the location name of the aerodrome followed by the word “Radio”.
(8) Aerodrome information must be broadcast on the AAIS in the following order:
(a) preferred runway;
(b) wind direction and speed;
(c) runway surface conditions;
(d) QNH;
(e) temperature;
(f) cloud base and visibility;
(g) present weather or CAVOK;
(h) aerodrome operational information.
22.02 Aerodrome frequency confirmation system (AFCS)
(1) The operator of a non-controlled aerodrome with more than 10 scheduled air transport movements per week must provide a ground-based aerodrome frequency confirmation system (AFCS).
Note An AFCS may be used in conjunction with a pilot-activated lighting system.
(2) The requirement under subsection (1) may be satisfied by one of the following facilities:
(a) an aerodrome frequency response unit (AFRU);
(b) a UNICOM service;
(c) a CA/GRS.
22.03 Operation of UNICOM or CA/GRS
If a UNICOM or CA/GRS is provided, it must operate for the period 30 minutes before arrival to 30 minutes after departure of each scheduled air transport operation.
Note See also section 22.06.
22.04 Aerodrome frequency response unit
(1) If an AFRU is provided, and if a transmission, whether a radio broadcast or an unmodulated carrier burst, is made from an aircraft operating within radio range of the AFRU on the aerodrome frequency, then the AFRU must:
(a) be able to detect the presence of aircraft VHF carrier transmissions of 2 seconds or more duration; and
(b) at the end of the transmission — automatically respond with one of the following types of transmissions on the aerodrome frequency:
(i) a pre-recorded short voice message, if there has been no other received aircraft transmissions in the previous 5 minutes;
Note The pre-recorded short voice message normally takes the form of the aerodrome name.
(ii) a short (300 ms) tone burst if any transmissions have been received in the previous 5 minutes.
(2) Additional safety related aerodrome information may also be included in the AFRU voice message.
(3) For any transmissions which consist of 3 sequential carrier bursts over a 5 second period, the AFRU must be able to do the following regardless of radio transmission activity in the previous 5 minutes:
(a) detect the transmissions;
(b) respond to them in accordance with paragraph (1) (b).
(4) The AFRU must meet the technical requirements of, and be certified as complying with, the Australian Communications and Media Authority Equipment Compliance Requirements ECR 203A for Amplitude Modulated Transmitter/Receivers (Base and Mobile) for 25 kHz Carrier Frequency Separation in the Aeronautical Frequency Band 118 - 137 MHz, as in force or existing from time to time.
Note The Australian Communications and Media Authority Equipment Compliance Requirements mentioned in subsection (4) are freely available on the Federal Register of Legislation.
(5) Frequency coverage for the AFRU must be in the range 118.000 to 136.975 MHz at 25 kHz separation.
(6) The receiver must be:
(a) set for a sensitivity of at least 15 µV; and
(b) adjusted to a higher value in the case of nuisance activation or other interference.
(7) The AFRU must have a minimum capacity of 8 seconds for the recorded voice message.
(8) The AFRU audio transmissions must be clear and intelligible.
(9) The length of carrier transmission must not exceed the AFRU recorded voice message time.
Note The carrier must not continue after the voice modulation ceases.
(10) The transmitted recorded voice message or the tone burst of the AFRU must commence less than 500 milliseconds after the end of the aircraft transmission.
(11) The transmitter beepback tone of the AFRU must be a 1 000 Hz, 300 millisecond tone burst.
(12) If the primary power supply for the AFRU fails, the power source must automatically change over to a stand-by power supply capable of operating the unit without interruption for 24 hours.
Note CASA recommends that, unless the expected aircraft traffic and resultant transmission volume at an aerodrome are known, the transceiver should be able to facilitate, at a minimum, 2 voice responses per hour during the 24 hour period.
(13) In the event of an internal fault that results in continuous or jammed transmission of the VHF carrier, the AFRU must:
(a) internally detect the continuous or jammed transmission within 1 minute; and
(b) shut down or recycle the unit.
22.05 Power supply and changeover indications
Either of the following:
(a) the external housing of the AFRU;
(b) remote monitoring of the AFRU;
must provide an indication of:
(c) the presence or failure of the primary power supply; and
(d) whether a changeover has occurred to operation on the stand-by supply.
22.06 UNICOM services
(1) UNICOM (universal communications) services:
(a) are non-ATS radio communication services provided on an aerodrome CTAF to enhance the value of information normally available about a non-controlled aerodrome; and
(b) being a secondary use of CTAF, must not inhibit the exchange of aircraft-to-aircraft traffic information.
Note The primary function of the CTAF frequencies used by UNICOM services is to enable pilots to exchange traffic information for aircraft separation purposes.
(2) A UNICOM service is not a CA/GRS.
(3) An aerodrome operator’s use of UNICOM services, whether as a frequency confirmation system or otherwise, must be limited to the exchange of radio messages concerning the following:
(a) confirmation of the CTAF frequency selected by aircraft;
(b) general aerodrome weather reports;
(c) aerodrome information;
(d) estimated times of arrival and departure;
(e) passenger requirements;
(f) aircraft refuelling arrangements;
(g) maintenance and servicing of aircraft, including the ordering of urgently required parts;
(h) unscheduled landings by aircraft.
(4) General aerodrome weather reports provided by a UNICOM operator must be limited to simple, factual statements about the weather, unless the operator is authorised by CASA to make meteorological observations.