Common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) is the name given to the
VHF
Very high frequency (VHF) is the ITU designation for the range of radio frequency electromagnetic waves (radio waves) from 30 to 300 megahertz (MHz), with corresponding wavelengths of ten meters to one meter.
Frequencies immediately below VHF ...
radio frequency used for air-to-air communication at United States, Canadian and Australian
non-towered airport
In aviation, a non-towered airport is an airport without a control tower, or air traffic control (ATC) unit. The vast majority of the world's airports are non-towered. In the United States, there are close to 20,000 non-towered airports compared ...
s.
Many towered airports close their towers overnight, keeping the airport open for
cargo operations and other activity. Pilots use the common frequency to coordinate their arrivals and departures safely, giving position reports and acknowledging other aircraft in the
airfield traffic pattern
An airfield traffic pattern is a standard path followed by aircraft when taking off or landing while maintaining visual contact with the airfield.
At an airport, the pattern (or circuit) is a standard path for coordinating air traffic. It differ ...
.
In many locations, smaller airports use
pilot-controlled lighting systems when it is uneconomical or inconvenient to have automated systems or staff to turn on the taxiway and runway lights. In Canada, the lighting system is accessed through an
aircraft radio control of aerodrome lighting (ARCAL) frequency, which is often shared with the CTAF.
Two common CTAF allocations are
UNICOM
A UNICOM (universal communications) station is an air-ground communication facility operated by a non-air traffic control private agency to provide advisory service at uncontrolled aerodromes and airports and to provide various non-flight services ...
and
MULTICOM. UNICOM is a licensed non-government base station that provides air-to-ground and ground-to-air communication, and may also serve as a CTAF when in operation. MULTICOM is a frequency allocation without a physical base station that is reserved as a CTAF for airports without other facilities.
Australia
In Australia, there are many landing strips in remote locations that have CTAF operations 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are also CTAF(R) landing strips which require the aircraft intending to enter the area of operation to be fitted with a radio. The most common CTAF frequency is 126.7 MHz at non-towered aerodromes, except for when two CTAF airports are near each other. Aerodromes using CTAF outside tower hours typically nominate a frequency that is used during tower hours.
United States
UNICOM and a CTAF may be mutually exclusive, but this is not always the case. In the United States, many non-towered airports use the same frequency for both UNICOM and CTAF purposes. Pilots are advised to check their sectional charts and/or Chart Supplement (formerly Airport/Facilities Directory) to determine the appropriate frequency for CTAF prior to operating at any given airport.
United Kingdom
Unlicensed aerodromes in the United Kingdom often recommend pilots communicate with each other using SAFETYCOM, currently 135.480 MHz. However, most gliding clubs use the Glider Ground Station Common Field Frequency, currently 129.975 MHz.
BGA Laws and Rules, Radio Guidance
retrieved 2018-09-19.
See also
*Acronyms and abbreviations in avionics
Below are abbreviations used in aviation, avionics, aerospace and aeronautics.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
N numbers (turbines)
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
V speeds
W
X
Y
Z
See also
* List of avia ...
References
Airbands
Avionics
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