Getting down is important too ...

You will pass through more than one sector of Brisbane Centre as you head north. Change frequency each time you are advised to by CTR and when on the new frequency listen out for a couple of seconds to make sure no-one else is transmitting then report in "Brisbane CTR, COmpass six forty five, maintaining FL xxx" If you have yet to reach a cruising level then report both the level you are passing and the level you are cleared to "Brisbane CTR, Compass six forty five passing FL185, on climb to FL310"

You will be given your descent instructions and approach details when you are about 150 nm out from Hamilton Islandy, things will happen quite quickly from here. Plan to start your descent about 120-140 nm out, depending on your altitude and the strength and direction of the wind. About 80 nm out you will be able to get the ATIS for Hamilton Island and about 50 - 60 nautical miles out you will be handed off to Hamilton Island Tower (HM_TWR). Hamilton Island is in Class D airspace, this means there is no radar coverage and ATC separate aircraft by what is called procedural control. You will not be given vectors, do not ask for them. On first contact with the TWR you should report the following:

• Who you are (Compass six forty five)
• Your altitude (and what you have been cleared to if lower)
• Your direction of arrival. This is most commonly expressed by the radial of the VOR you are on.
• The ATIS you have received

VOR radials are expressed as a bearing AWAY from the station, as you will be approaching from overhead Mackay this is a southerly direction (actually the 157 radial) even though you will be tracking 337.

So our initial report will be something like:,

"Hamilton Tower, Compass six forty five is 55 DME from Hamilton Island through FL150 for 9,000 feet, on the 157 radial, with inromation ECHO"

The response from TWR constitutes a clearance and an acknowledgement. In Class D airspace this can be very short, but at the same time give you a clearance to proceed a very long way. TWR will either respond with just your call sign or your callsign and some other instructions. At Hamilton Island the following are common:

• "Compass six forty five" (this actually clears you to make a visual approach and continue all the way to the runway threshold, but NOT to land).
• "Compass six forty five, descend to xxxx feet, call at yy DME"
• "Compass six forty five, track for right base RWY 14,, remain west of Dent island" (Dent Island is the small island directl to the west of Hamilton).

It is common under procedural control to have to report both altitude and DME distance on request to TWR, so stay alert. You may also be asked to do so "in turn" make sure you do so in the proper order "Virgin nine nineteen, Compass six forty five, in turn report altitude and DME Hamilton" if you hear something like this make sure you let Virgin 919 go first.

Unless the cloud is pretty low it is usual for aircraft at Hamilton Island to be given a visual approach. You will often be asked to locate and follow a proceeding aircraft ("Compass six forty five, number two behind the A320, track for right base runway 14")).

As you get closer TWR will give further instructions. You will either be told to turn base, or sometimes told, "call when ready for base" If you recieve the later instruction when you are ready call and say so "Compass six forty five, ready for base". In these circumstances you will often be given your landing clearance at that time. Remember that almost all aircraft at Hamilton Island have to back track along the runway so don't be surprised if you see an aircraft on the runway heading towards you as you turn base. Sometimes in these circumstances you will be told "Compass six forty five, expect late landing clearance"

Once you have landed roll through to one of the turning nodes, at some point along the way TWR will clear you to backtrack "Compass six forty five, cleared to back track RWY 14". Don't be surprised if there is following traffic for TWR to also ask for "minimum delay on runway" This request should be complied with at all times and under these curcumstances you may taxi at a higher speed than normal.

The return flight is YMA646. The procedures are more or less the reverse, and we encourage you to do the return flight in the same session. The main difference is that Brisbane is Class C airspace and so is radar controlled and you will be given specific instructions to follow.