Common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) is the name given to the VHF radio frequency used for air-to-air communication at United States and Australian non-towered airports.
Australia
In Australia, there are many landing strips in remote locations that have CTAF operations 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are also CTAF(R) landing strips which require the aircraft intending to enter the area of operation to be fitted with a radio. The most common CTAF frequency is 126.7 MHz at non-towered aerodromes, except for when two CTAF airports are near each other. Aerodromes using CTAF outside tower hours typically nominate a frequency that is used during tower hours. == United States ==
United States
UNICOM and a CTAF may be mutually exclusive, but this is not always the case. In the United States, many non-towered airports use the same frequency for both UNICOM and CTAF purposes. Pilots are advised to check their sectional charts and/or Chart Supplement (formerly Airport/Facilities Directory) to determine the appropriate frequency for CTAF prior to operating at any given airport. == United Kingdom ==
United Kingdom
Unlicensed aerodromes in the United Kingdom often recommend pilots communicate with each other using SAFETYCOM, currently 135.480 MHz. However, most gliding clubs use the Glider Ground Station Common Field Frequency, currently 129.975 MHz. == See also ==