Handheld radios may be contentious at the moment but they are still an essential item of safety equipment. You should not leave home without one

The Icom A24 is an excellent transceiver to use while flying. Its simple, one-handed operation is its key feature. The well labelled keypad is easy to use and the large display aids fast frequency recognition. The display is backlit, and so is the keypad. The light stays on until you turn it off - a very handy feature for flying at night. It’s even water-proof.

The IC-A24 stores the last 10 channels used. You can access those channels by pushing the flip-flop recall buttons on the front panel. It is particularly convenient for switching between several frequencies, such as NAV and COM channels.

It also has VOR navigation functions. The DVOR mode shows the radial to or from a VOR station, and the CDI mode shows the course deviation to or from a VOR station. You can also input your intended radial to or from the VOR station and show the course deviation on the display. It can receive and transmit on all 760 channels with the new requirement of 25 kHz tuning steps.

The IC-A24 is available from Loutzavia Pilot Shop for R3200. They will also supply you with the necessary license forms. Contact Pieter on 012 567-6775

A transceiver is an essential item of safety equipment that every pilot should have. Total electrical failures are not uncommon in aircraft with single electrical systems, and a portable transceiver may be the only way to communicate or navigate on VORs. For many sport pilots flying paragliders over vast distances, handhelds are not even optional, they are a necessity.

So how do you go about legally owning a handheld radio? In the past, when a pilot wanted to buy a handheld transceiver he simply walked into a pilot shop and showed his radio license. A non-pilot or planespotter could buy just a receiver without a license.

The understanding had always been that the radio license issued by the CAA was sufficient for the purchase of the transceiver, whilst a receiver does not require a license as it cannot transmit and is thus harmless.

The Julian Swift case has, however, brought to light the fact that this might not be the right way.

We consulted ICASA’s Mr Dirk Visser, who said that, “The Electronic Communications Act, (Section 32) states that 'no person may posses any radio apparatus unless he or she is in possession of a radio frequency spectrum license…'”

So it seems that a dealer cannot sell a handheld until it is first registered to the owner.  The intended owner has to fill in the Radio Communication Application Form, (available on the ICASA website), and submit it with the R380 initial fee to ICASA. This is the same form used to register radio equipment on board the aircraft; the only difference is that it is marked as mobile and not part of the aircraft equipment list. It may take a week or two, but once the license has been received, the purchaser can collect the radio.