SARTIME

Supporting pilot safety
SARTIME

Managing Search and Rescue times (SARTIME) and cancelling them at the end of a flight is a critical responsibility of pilots in command. It ensures that Airservices and emergency response authorities such as the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) know that you’ve arrived safely. It also prevents unnecessary search and rescue operations – a highly resource intensive, and at times costly, process.

In 2022, around 8000 SARTIMEs expired without being cancelled by pilots. Around 1 in 25 of these were passed on to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) when pilots could not be contacted by Airservices.

SARTIMEs versus flight notes

What is a SARTIME?

What is a SARTIME Flight Notification?

What is a Flight Note?

What is an ICAO Flight Notification?

Pilots of Visual Flight Rules (VFR) flights intending to operate in controlled airspace (except for VFR flights in Class E airspace) must submit flight details to ATS. An ICAO Flight Notification can be lodged through the NAIPS Internet Service, where you have the option to nominate a SARTIME on the ICAO Flight Notification. However, a responsible person can hold watch as an alternative to nominating a SARTIME.

Am I required to submit a SARTIME, flight note or flight plan (FPL)?

AIP states that VFR flights in the following categories are required to submit a SARTIME Flight Notification to ATS, or, as an alternative, to leave a Flight Note with a responsible person:

Regular Public Transport (RPT) and Charter (CHTR) flights
over-water flights
flights in Designated Remote Areas
flights at night proceeding beyond 120NM from the aerodrome of departure (AIP ENR 1.10-5, 2.12).

Air Work (AWK) and Private (PVT) VFR operations are neither formally required to submit a SARTIME nor a Flight Note. However, for search and rescue purposes, it is highly recommended that at the very minimum you lodge a Flight Note (ENR 1.10-7 2.21 and ENR 1.10-8 2.22).

For VFR flights, this means that, if you leave a Flight Note with a responsible person there is no requirement to formally lodge a SARTIME with Airservices.

For search and rescue purposes, it is highly recommended that at the very minimum you lodge a flight note, even if you are not required to (ENR 1.10 -7 2.21 and ENR 1.10-8 2.22).

As an alternative to a SARTIME, it is good practice to use an ICAO Flight Notification whenever possible and ensure a responsible person nominated by you e.g., friend, relative, flying school or company, can hold watch on your safe arrival.

Who can hold your SARTIME?

Any person deemed to be a responsible person can hold watch on your safe arrival. This could be a friend, relative, your flying school or company. The person you nominate may need to provide emergency services with accurate information about you and your flight, so ensure they have:

a description of the aircraft you are flying
the details of your flight, including the route
your contact details
Australia’s search and rescue authority contact details—Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) 1800 815 257.

Airservices maintains a centralised SARTIME database known as CENSAR.

Pilots operating VFR flights in Australian airspace may nominate a SARTIME for Airservices to manage. The SARTIME service is currently accessed free of charge by pilots (including military pilots) across Australia.

As an alternative to a SARTIME, it is good practice to use an ICAO Flight Notification whenever possible and ensure a responsible person nominated by you holds watch on your safe arrival.

How to nominate, amend and cancel a SARTIME with Airservices

Online

The best way to lodge, amend and cancel your SARTIME is online. For example, you may nominate a SARTIME using an ICAO Flight Notification. The NAIPS Internet Service provides automatic confirmation of successful flight notification.

By phone

You can lodge, amend and cancel your SARTIME by phoning Airservices on 1800 814 931.

When the SARTIME’s operator answers your call, state:

what you want e.g., ‘cancel SARTIME’
your callsign
your location
your SARTIME in UTC.

By radio

If the preferred methods are unavailable, you can lodge, amend and cancel your SARTIME by radio (HF or VHF). Remember that there may be some delays due to operator workload or HF interference.

When nominating or amending a SARTIME by radio:

include the phrase ‘SARTIME details’ in your initial transmission
wait for the operator to respond before nominating your new or amended SARTIME.

When cancelling a SARTIME by radio:

end your transmission with ‘Cancel SARTIME’
wait for the operator to respond with the phrase ‘SARTIME cancelled’ for confirmation they have received your transmission.

Managing your SARTIME

Only one SARTIME may be current at any time.
If more than one SARTIME is required, simply enter ‘TBA’ in your Flight Plan for subsequent legs. These TBA’s can be changed to the desired SARTIME before the start of the flight by using one the methods mentioned above. Only cancel your SARTIME once. If you cancel it on the phone there is no need to cancel it again online (AIP ENR 1.10–5 2.13).

What happens if I forget to cancel my SARTIME?

If you forget to cancel your nominated SARTIME, communication checks will be made by Airservices. This includes:

a phone call to the contact numbers provided in NAIPS
radio calls and making contact with our ATC towers to see if you have arrived safely.

These checks increase the workload for the SARTIME operator, HF operators and our air traffic controllers. If we cannot contact you within 30 minutes, the flight details are provided to the JRCC or military SAR authority, Headquarters Joint Operations Command (HQJOC) and a uncertainty phase is declared. Any SARTIME not cancelled by the nominated SARTIME is immediately subject to communications checks.

Person checking mobile phone and laptop.

Remembering to cancel your SARTIME

Remembering to cancel your SARTIME along with your other responsibilities at the end of a flight can be a challenge.

A number of ways you can remember to do this is as follows:

Set the alarm on your smart watch or mobile phone for your SARTIME minus 5 minutes, reminding you to cancel your SARTIME online or by phone.
Add cancelling your SARTIME to your post flight checklist.
Use the inbuilt alarm on your electronic flight bag if available.

You can cancel your SARTIME through NIS or by calling CENSAR on 1800 814 931.

For more information, visit

Lodge a VFR flight notification

Resources

For more information, visit

Download and print the

SARTIME Minus 5 poster

To obtain a copy of the poster, email safetypromotions@airservicesaustralia.com.

For more detailed information on SARTIME operations, email SARTIME@airservicesaustralia.com.

Popular searches