Skip to content

Ground

Info

Pietermaritzburg does not have a dedicated Ground frequency, as such all Ground responsibilities are assumed by Pietermaritzburg Tower (FAPM_TWR). Under no circumstances should a FAPM_GND position ever be opened without prior approval from staff.

Visual Flight Rules (VFR) Aircraft.

On initial call with the controller assuming SMC responsibility, the VFR aircraft is expected to provide:

  • Aircraft Registration, if the callsign used is not the aircraft registration
  • Aircraft Type
  • Persons on Board
  • Fuel Endurance
  • Intentions

Once this data has been received by the SMC controller, the controller shall then issue the QNH, Active, and if operating on a FPL, a squawk. At Pietermaritzburg, filing a flight plan as VFR is not mandatory unlike Cape Town, so you do not need to ask for a pilot to file a flight plan.

VFR Phraseology

"ZSDUR, thank you, start up approved, expect Runway 17, QNH 1015, report ready for taxi."

Pushback Procedures

An aircraft must be squawking their assigned ASSR code provided in the clearance before further clearance is issued. If this is not the case, the SMC controller must instruct the pilot to do so BEFORE any further clearance is issued.

  • There should not be a need for pushback out of Pietermaritzburg, as such all operations will be conducted as taxi out, with aircraft requiring startup only.

Pushback Phraseology

"(callsign), start up approved, QNH 1015."

Taxi Procedures

Taxi Phraseology

"(callsign), taxi to the holding Point Runway 17, report ready.".