Inflight broadcast procedure

[Álvaro Galiana 991951]

Hello everyone.

 

I am a frequent flyer over Africa, both on and offline, and I really apreciate all your hard work in such a beatiful as well as misknown continent. I know form some videos, as well as texts around the net, that planes over certain areas of Africa have an Inflight broadcast procedure, which consists in position reports broadcasted by the pilots in other to know each other position. From what I know those are uncontrolled airpaces, which means that there is no ATC I suppose, the frequency is 126.9. What I wanted to know is if there is such an IFBP over Africa on Vatsim? And if not could it be done?

 

Regards

 

Ã

[Andreas Fuchs]

Hi Alvaro,

 

I am not managing ATC in Africa, but by instinct I would use IFBP. Instead of using 126.90, I would use VATSIM's UNICOM freq 122.80.

 

Try this docomeent for detailled information on the procedure and where to use it: http://brahimtahiri.googlepages.com/03SAB003_IATA20In-Flight20Broadcast2.pdf

[Aggrey Ellis 964561]

VATCAF hasnt adopted that procedure. They're using the North Atlantic Position Report method.I am not rated for procedural control yet. I remember seeing this somewhere before.

 

 

The chart of IFBP is from 2002. I know 2 FIRs on that chart, Accra and Algiers are now fully radar covered.

[Andreas Fuchs]

Hi Aggrey,

 

are you aware of the difference between a normal position report and IFPB?

[Aggrey Ellis 964561]

Hi Aggrey,

 

are you aware of the difference between a normal position report and IFPB?

 

Ya, I read the paper.

[Andreas Fuchs]

So, I do not understand your previous posting

VATCAF hasnt adopted that procedure. They're using the North Atlantic Position Report method.I am not rated for procedural control yet. I remember seeing this somewhere before.

IFBP has nothing to do with ATC, be it radar- or procedural-control. IFBP is used for own separation and coordination by pilots, when flying in the IFBP-area, even when they are in contact with ATC. When talking to ATC, pilots use the same position report as you mentioned, the one for the North Atlantic. This means crews need to make two position reports for each waypoint: one to ATC and one on the IFPB-frequency, using the IFBP.

But: Crews rather do what they coordinate themselves through IFBP than what ATC tells them. They climb and descend on their own, ATC in most African countries is simply unreliable, it's dangerous! This is in respect to the real-world.

 

Now, in our virtual world, we have to follow ATC-instructions because they are reliable, since we all have radar. So, if you as a pilot have ATC active, you follow their instructions and also use the standard position reporting procedure, if required by ATC. But if you are flying in inactive airspace (=no ATC online) you'll rather do the IFBP, just for the sake of realism. Instead of using the official IFBP-frequency, you use VATSIM's UNICOM on 122.80.

 

Any questions? Did I miss a scenario? I gladly help.

[Thomas Mathieu 998318]

VATCAF has not implemented nor will enforce an IFBP because it is a non ATC procedure. Pilots are welcome to use the IFBP on unicom when no controllers are online.

 

If a controller is online, then standard position reports or radar control will overide the IFBP as the pilot will be on an active ATC freq rather than unicom.

 

VATSIM has no provision to use feq 126.90 for IFBP so unicom 122.80, is your best in non controlled areas.

[Álvaro Galiana 991951]

Thank you very much for your answers! And as I said keep up with the good job!

[Andreas Fuchs]

Hi Tom,

 

thanks for making this clear.

 

* when you are without ATC, you can use IFBP on UNICOM 122.80

* when you are with ATC, you should use standard position reports, if required

 

And please explain to your ATC-staff what "AFI" means

[Aggrey Ellis 964561]

Hi Tom,

 

thanks for making this clear.

 

* when you are without ATC, you can use IFBP on UNICOM 122.80

* when you are with ATC, you should use standard position reports, if required

 

And please explain to your ATC-staff what "AFI" means

 

On VATSIM most of the time it's pointless. I can be one of a handful of aircraft scattered across the continent so far they run no risk of colliding.

[Andreas Fuchs]

Some people would like to operate their planes realistically. And odds are, that two planes will cross their paths. If it is only for this instance, it was worth doing it, besides flying 1 NM oder 2 NM right of track!

 

Aggrey, if you do not care for rules, then don't follow them. But let the others please play here more realistically.

[Alexander Cohrs]

Andreas: Thank you for the information. Personally, I really do appreciate first hand informations like the ones you are providing to us. It really helps us to improve ATC services (or, in this case, pilot's procedures) in our region.

 

Aggrey: Of course you are right concerning the amount of traffic we usually got in Africa, however, this shouldn't be a reason for us to discourage pilots that try to use correct procedures. Not only that traffic at Central Africa is continuously increasing - even without anybody else being online in my area I would try to make it as real as possible when I am flying online. So people like me (and a lot of other guys, too) depend on such real world experiences like Andreas posted.

 

All: It's slightly off topic, however, if you see AFRC_FSS being online, go and take the chance to fly Non-Radar-Procedures in Central Africa. There are a couple of guys certified for that position, and you can expect an awesome experience including using position reports. And, to come back to this topic, of course Central Africa also gives you a good chance to practise these interesting Inflight Broadcasting Procedures on Unicom when there should be no ATC around

 

Alex

[Thomas Mathieu 998318]

Hi Tom,

 

thanks for making this clear.

 

* when you are without ATC, you can use IFBP on UNICOM 122.80

* when you are with ATC, you should use standard position reports, if required

 

And please explain to your ATC-staff what "AFI" means

 

The AFI is (in my best words) an aviation safety initiative, AKA Comprehensive Regional Implementation Plan for Aviation Safety in Africa adopted by the ICAO over the past few years to standardize procedures across the many nations of Africa. Most recently, the AFI included the implementation of RVSM airspace across the entire continent.

 

There is a boat load of un-discovered procedures and information still being researched by VATCAF, but the information resourses in Africa are very slim and current charts and docomeents are hard to come by. There are 21 countries in VAFCAF alone.

 

Ou staff is working hard to bring our procedures up to date every day. If anyone has any info to bring to VATCAF, we will appreciate it.

[Andreas Fuchs]

Well, basically I was trying to point out that you all are under the umbrella of the AFI: Africa Flight Information Region

[Thomas Mathieu 998318]

Well, basically I was trying to point out that you all are under the umbrella of the AFI: Africa Flight Information Region

VATSIM is setup quite differently from the AFI, but this is all new territory to be discovered. Hence our motto "Yours to Discover". VATCAF is a very new Division set out to explore from Côte d'Ivoire to Somalia.

 

Africa is an amazing continent to fly in, even with a simulator. I look forward to many more pilots packing up their bags and heading to Africa to enjoy the diverse airspace it offers.