I personally find CTAF just a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist (in my experience). I do agree, if there is a published CTAF frequency, then use that but the vast majority of the time flying in airspace with no active ATC, there is never a time where the frequency was actually busy, CTAF or 122.8. It’s just annoying to have to look up a CTAF frequency when 95% of the time flying in uncontrolled airspace I’m the only one around.
2 Likes
You do not need to look up the CTAF frequency. In vpilot just use the command “.ctaf xxxx” xxxx being the airport ICAO code, this will provide you the frequency.
You only have to look up CTAF freqs twice, once for the departure airport, and once for the arrival. This is how it’s really done in the US. It turns regional comms into local comms alleviating comm traffic. If you type “.ctaf ksfo” into your vatsim client, it’ll give you the CTAF freq for that airport. How is this a burden. Pilots, real and hobbyists, use Vatsim to simulate real life; it’s in the name. There are AI ATC programs for those not interested in that.
This should have been looked up at the flightplanning and/or briefing stage. If there is any indication of ATC not being on, getting the CTAF is easily done by looking at the AIP or the sectionals (if the field is uncontrolled), and have that information well and truly prior to filing a flight plan, let alone connecting and flying.
BL.
And there are also users who hardly ever use the pre-filing page, because they file through their pilot client.
VATPAC only uses 122.8 for its advisory fequency.
Just use VPilot Dot Command .ctaf (airport) .x ctaf klax returns “The CTAF frequency for KLAX is 120.950”
Not much point in saying anything until it arrives world wide. That is the big place not in America
The question is whether this can be adopted 1:1 world wide. E. g. there are very few (controlled) airports in Europe that utilize something like CTAF outside their hours of operations (HX), some don’t have a specified frequency outside HX, others switch to AFIS which is completely different from CTAF…
Each vACC can decide what works best for them.
Where a real world airport has 24/7 ATC, use the tower frequency. Where there is more than one published tower frequency, the vACC can decide which one to use and contribute that to the database. They will already have documented procedures about which one to use when there is only one TWR controller on.
Where there is a published frequency to use outside ATC hours, use that as the CTAF. This is not unique to Europe.
It’s not rocket science.
Not really any different in the United States, given that some airports in the United States don’t have CTAF frequencies at all.
Minor correction here.. Most airports in the US do have CTAF frequencies. They are published on the sectionals, and if there isn’t a CTAF listed, 122.8 is supposed to be used. So in effect, every airport has a CTAF, including uncontrolled airports, private strips, airports where the tower closes, and those in continuous operation.
BL.
Thats incorrect, if they don’t have a published CTAF then the Tower Frequency is used.
I’m fairly certain Brad is referring to non-towered airports for which no CTAF frequency is published. At those fields, 122.8 is in fact the recommended frequency.
Just use vpilot with dot command; ex .ctaf (airport code .ctaf ksfo)
Major airports like KJFK and KSFO aren’t going to have a CTAF, given that the towers there don’t close unless COVID happens. If there isn’t a CTAF listed, you’re supposed to use the tower frequency as depicted on the chart.
I get that. The point here is that there are fields that aren’t controlled at all, nor have a CTAF listed for it. Those default to 122.8.
Additionally, there are fields that still do close at night, in which when they close, they revert to using CTAF. for example: KEWB, KVGT, KSBD, KSUS, or KGYY, which all use the CT for CTAF when they close. That’s why I said that most airports do have CTAF; it is just a matter of what they use for their CTAF.
BL.
1 Like