I think we need to take a step back and look at what we need to achieve:
- VFR aircraft in class G airspace operating in the same vicinity on the same frequency, regardless of altitude or strip marked on map or not.
- a means of communicating with ATC (or them with us) if required (emergency, traffic alert, SIGMET etc)
- allocate local area frequencies if traffic volumes require it (to remove some congestion)
Neither the current nor the proposed system is really addressing that. I have lasted about 5 minutes on area frequency and then got sick of listening to the jet-jockeys talking at twice the speed of sound from 100 miles away.
What we need is an area frequency surface to top of class G, replacing the current CTAF. Then local CTAF frequencies in a geographical area (eg Whitsundays) or 10 or 25nm radius from regional airports with frequent RPT or flight training (eg Emerald, Gladstone, Bundaberg).
This would create a single area frequency and avoid the congestion by removing high-use areas by allocating them a discreet frequency, again from SFC to top of class G. Separating IFR (any other than class G) from class G is required if the recreational pilots are to use it.
I'm not holding my breathe that we get something workable:no:
Cheers, Thomas