Hobart and Cambridge are a bit different to other places
because of the proximity of the two aerodromes
and the nature of the operation of the two aerodromes.
It's a great place to fly but you've just gotta be prepared.
It's one of those areas you can get caught out very easily.
There's not a lot of alternative landing areas
around the southern half of Tasmania,
so you've gotta know that where you're going to
the weather's going to be OK and you've got a good route to get there.
If they're coming down from Launceston
and the weather's reasonable,
they can come basically in a straight line,
which takes them via Oatlands
and then the Craigbourne reservoir,
Campania, Richmond, into Hobart.
Just be aware of the control area steps
to the north and north-west.
We've had a few VCAs in that region.
So if they want to descend beneath the steps,
just make sure they do it early enough,
otherwise call us prior to that step and call for clearance.
MAN: Some of the reporting points,
for instance, Prossers Sugar Loaf on the east coast is hard to identify
just because that's a mountain within a range
and it can be hard to identify as well.
So try and pick a point that's quite prominent and very identifiable,
like Buckland is really good for the east coast.
Craigbourne reservoir is a really good one from the north
and the Tasman Bridge from the west as well.
Probably the things to watch out for here
are making sure that you are actually outside controlled airspace
before you call up air traffic control,
and just being aware of the step heights, particularly to the north.
To the south of Hobart, it is all uncontrolled airspace.
So basically from the eastern shore, as it's called here,
it's all controlled airspace,
so once you're past the eastern shore, you're OCTA.
There's an ALA at Lagoon Bay,
which is on private property out to the east of Hobart.
It does have some issues with landing out there,
particularly in fixed-wing aircraft.
There are lots of sheep out there and wombats.
And wombats like digging holes, so there are holes on the runway,
so before you go and land there
just make sure you check the conditions of the runway.
During summertime, the ALAs on the eastern coast,
Swansea and Triabunna, can be quite busy with aircraft
going up and down the coast,
so just be aware that there may be aircraft there
and to talk on the CTAF frequencies going in and out.
If you're coming from any direction into Class D,
we don't have radar down here.
The tower does have a screen as a feed from Melbourne -
it's only for information
and it does rely on the transponders being switched on
and working in the aircraft.
But it is a procedural tower,
so they rely on the information that you give them
being correct and accurate.
So definitely call early,
especially 'cause the main volume of traffic into Hobart
is all from the north -
that's the RPT traffic and also the general traffic.
Be familiar with the procedures following a jet in to land
or a larger aircraft in to land, taking off with wake turbulence.
They're descending from 10 to 11,000 feet at 30 miles
and they're doing 3 or 4 miles a minute,
so they are quite fast compared to most GA aircraft.
If you are following them,
the tower will generally give you wake turbulence separation,
but just be aware that they are larger aircraft
and they do create it and it can affect light aircraft.
Hobart can be quite different when it comes to last light,
as in the last light fades quite quickly, OK -
there's not a long twilight here in Hobart.
Also, it can happen slightly earlier than you think
due to the high terrain to the west -
we've got Mount Wellington which is 4,000-plus feet -
and during certain periods of time,
the sun does set below Mount Wellington
and we'll lose light quite quickly.
So just be wary that you might not have as much time as you're used to
down here in Hobart with last light.
HUMPHREYS: Operating a helicopter into Hobart can be interesting
because we do have the proximity of Cambridge Aerodrome
within about a mile of Hobart Aerodrome itself.
So you just have to be aware of the aircraft
operating into and out of Hobart and Cambridge.
Air traffic control will give us a heads up of what traffic is around.
But it is non-radar controlled here so it's all procedural,
so you have to be aware of where they're going and what they're doing.
GLASS: There's certainly quite a bit of helicopter activity
from both Cambridge and Hobart,
and they mix fairly well together.
It's just a matter of the controllers
making sure that the two operations work together
and giving plenty of traffic.
There's helicopters that actually operate from Hobart and Cambridge -
there are two companies - but they stick to the same rules as us
when they're talking to the tower.
There's not many issues there at all.
Just obviously be wary if they're air taxiing
to make sure that you're holding onto your controls
as they could be closer, just from their downwash.
But the pilots are pretty good and understand they have that downwash
and they don't generally fly too close to our aircraft.
There's also a rescue helicopter that operates from Hobart as well,
so they can be conducting winching training
or they could be out on a rescue, so sometimes they need priority,
obviously if they've got a medical emergency, to get out.
So just be aware of that as well.
In the fire season, there can be quite a few helicopters
and water bombers operating from Cambridge and Hobart.
Generally, they operate below 3,000 feet
and they can be operating without too many radio calls
due to the intense activity of their bombing.
So just be wary and keep away from those areas
if there is a bushfire that you see.
HUMPHREYS: The restricted areas we have
are the firing range up at Pontville,
which is just below a controlled airspace step
so it's something to be aware of.
It is NOTAM so we do make sure we check the NOTAMs,
make sure the firing range isn't active when we fly up that way.
Also, there's the Buckland training area,
which is another military training area,
which is a restricted area to the north-east of Hobart Aerodrome.
There is a danger area located to the south of Hobart
which is the Ralphs Bay training area.
This can have quite a few aircraft in it in summer
when it's quite busy and the weather's good,
so just be wary, and it may be an idea, if you can,
to give it a bit of a wider berth
and track inbound via an alternate point like the Tasman Bridge,
which is not too much further away.
The airspace starts before a place called Lauderdale
and a lot of people call at Lauderdale, or at those towers,
so you've got to get your call in prior to arriving at Lauderdale.
And that's a classic place where people do encroach on airspace,
so good points to call is Droughty Point or at Cremorne.
Also, from the north, due to the terrain as well,
people will want to have their height above terrain when they're inbound
and the airspace steps down.
So as you're approaching Craigbourne reservoir,
make sure that you're at the correct height there as well
'cause that can be a place
where there are airspace infringements as well.
Another place which is hard to find and the infringements can happen
is Mangalore, right across Sugar Loaf,
as it's hard to identify
because it's just an intersection with the highway
with a small township,
so just be aware of those places and make sure when you are coming inbound
that you are below the airspace so you do have a bit of room.
If you're coming in through the training area from Cremorne,
just be wary of those towers -
there's radio towers there, 660-odd feet,
that are not lit as well, so just be aware of that.
And if you're operating there in the training area,
those towers are an obstacle to be aware of.
There's also, just to the west of those radio towers,
a mobile phone tower on a hill there
which goes up to around the same height.
There is also a tower on Single Hill,
which is a hill that's inside the control zone,
to the south-west of Hobart,
but that tower is lit and is painted red and white.
We control when the aircraft get airborne at Cambridge
and which runway they land back on at Cambridge.
And that just helps us integrate that traffic in with the Hobart traffic.
Because the circuits conflict with each other,
we certainly need to know what the aircraft at Cambridge are doing
and the pilots read the procedures in ERSA,
and that's just to provide situation awareness
for the controllers and for the other pilots
so everybody knows what everybody else is doing.