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When is UHF required?

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When is UHF required?

Old 11-20-2018, 11:56 AM
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Default When is UHF required?

I work for a 135 operator and the airplane does not have a UHF radio. We have ops spec which allows the airplane to fly with single-long range in the western Atlantic. I am being told by people in our training department that we are not allowed to fly the Atlantic Routes between the Bahamas and Wilmington because we don’t have a UHF radio. Is this correct?
Regs specifically state UHF is required beyond line of site communication, but that doesn’t really answer my question.
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Old 11-20-2018, 12:18 PM
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Originally Posted by Busdriver91 View Post
I work for a 135 operator and the airplane does not have a UHF radio. We have ops spec which allows the airplane to fly with single-long range in the western Atlantic. I am being told by people in our training department that we are not allowed to fly the Atlantic Routes between the Bahamas and Wilmington because we don’t have a UHF radio. Is this correct?
Regs specifically state UHF is required beyond line of site communication, but that doesn’t really answer my question.
Don’t you mean HF?
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Old 11-20-2018, 12:24 PM
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He was told, “ya need uh HF radio, dude.”

GF
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Old 11-20-2018, 12:50 PM
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Busdriver:

UHF is used almost exclusively by military.
225-399.95 MHz

Typical ATC VHF:
118.0-136.95MHz

HF is the lowest frequency (and therefore, longest range)
2.1-28.0 MHz
Usually written as
2100-28,000 KHz.
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Old 11-20-2018, 01:22 PM
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Yes, now that I have been thoroughly schooled in the use of different types of radios that I have never used, back to my original question (however insert HF instead of UHF).
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Old 11-20-2018, 01:52 PM
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I didn’t read all 114 pages figuring I’d leave you something to do:

https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_91-70B.pdf
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Old 11-20-2018, 03:44 PM
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The more common VHF ATC radios have a range of about 120-200 miles, depending on a number of factors.

Overwater routes that exceed or are near these limits will require HF. HF can sometimes go halfway around the world...very dependent on frequency, time of day, the ionosphere, and atmospheric/solar interference.

For airlines, we are required “LDOC:” Long Distance Operational Control. This can be met by ACARS and SATCOM, with HF as a backup. LDOC is also used for ATC coordination on long haul routes, such as the Atlantic or Pacific.

I’m not sure in your case if that is for Operational Control, ATC, or both.

In days past, it was done by dual HFs. Your company might get by with that, or an HF and a SATCOM.
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Old 11-20-2018, 04:13 PM
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I don’t think you need HF between Carolina Beach and the Florida airports, VHF has coverage. Further east and over BDA, you’ll need HF. AR3 is only 200 nautical off JAX, which st jet levels has VHF coverage.

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Old 11-21-2018, 10:07 AM
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A good rule of thumb for VHF range is square root of your flight level, multiplied by 12.

If you are at 10000 feet, you'll have about 120NM of range. FL300 and you'll have close to 208NM of range.
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Old 11-21-2018, 10:27 AM
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Originally Posted by zondaracer View Post
A good rule of thumb for VHF range is square root of your flight level, multiplied by 12.

If you are at 10000 feet, you'll have about 120NM of range. FL300 and you'll have close to 208NM of range.
Good one! Never heard that before.
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