Dear Minister

Your letter of 12 September 2007 explaining the Airservices decision to transfer FLIGHTWATCH to ATC frequencies frankly horrifies me.

Minister, there is a major safety implication in this.  The reason all other countries of which I know have a separate frequency for pilots to obtain FLIGHTWATCH type information – such as weather, NOTAMS, placing flight plans etc – is so that air traffic control frequencies are not blocked when an air traffic controller is providing a separation service.  Surely this is obvious.

From your letter it is apparent that no industry consultation has taken place.  You state:

“I am advised by Airservices Australia that industry consultation will be by the way of an information sheet advising of the consolidation of FLIGHTWATCH frequencies into the air traffic control environment.”  (My underlining).

Minister, this is clearly not consultation, it is simply telling pilots after the decision has been made.

Most importantly, your Government’s policy is to move to the US NAS.  There is no way that this can be done without a separate FLIGHTWATCH system – as has existed in Australia previously, and still exists in the USA and in other modern aviation countries.

The reason that the low level ATC frequencies may be able to cope at the present time with providing a FLIGHTWATCH service is because Airservices does not provide a Class E separation service (as per NAS) at low levels at the present time.  Once Government policy is followed and this service is provided, it will not be possible to safely provide a FLIGHTWATCH type Flight Information Service on the same frequency.

I note that on 31 August 2004, Minister John Anderson issued a Direction under the Air Services Act 1995 section 16 in relation to Class C airspace.

I request that you immediately issue a similar Direction under the Air Services Act 1995 section 16 to have this FLIGHTWATCH decision reversed whilst proper consultation and a cost and safety benefit study is completed.

Yours faithfully

Dick Smith