Airways Navigational
Facilities (ANFAC) was the original DCA publication "published for the purpose
of providing a summary of radio data for the major civil air routes of Australia
and its Territories". It was introduced around August 1944. Measuring 20
x 26 cm, it was issued monthly (later quarterly) and distributed free through
all ATC Centres.
Supplements to each quarterly edition were distributed updating the basic information. Each new supplement consolidated all the previous supplements for that edition. New or changed information could also be found in Aeradio Notices to Airmen (ANTAs) - later internationally standardised to Notices To Airmen (NOTAMs).
In the days of ANFAC, the principal radio navigation aids were the Lorenz Range, Homer/Non Directional Beacon (NDB), and later the Visual-Aural Range (VAR). The Australian Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) started to make an appearance in the early 1950s.
ANFAC was later replaced by Radio Navigation Charts (RNCs, later En Route charts - ERCs), the Aeronautical Information Publication - Operations (AIP-OPS), and later still the En Route Supplement (ERS) and En Route Supplement Australia (ERSA).
Click here to see a typical page from the March-May 1955 ANFAC.
Typical contents of ANFAC were:
Key to Symbols
Phonetic Alphabet
Procedures For Use Of VDF [VHF Direction-Finding] Stations
VDF Facilities
Emergency Procedures
Route: Darwin-Carnarvon
Routes: Geraldton-Perth and Perth-Forrest
Routes: Ceduna-Adelaide and Adelaide-Alice Springs
Routes: Adelaide-Melbourne and Melbourne-Broken Hill
Route: Melbourne-Launceston-Hobart
Melbourne Area
Route: Melbourne-Sydney
Sydney Area
Routes: Sydney-Brisbane and Sydney-Dubbo
Brisbane Area
Route: Brisbane-Townsville
Route: Townsville-Port Moresby
New Guinea Routes
Route: Brisbane Camooweal
Route: Alice Springs-Darwin
Broadcasting Stations
Locations of Aeronautical Light Beacons
Flight Information Regions With Search And Rescue Regions and Facilities
AIREP Form of Report
Air Traffic Advisory Areas
Distance Measuring Equipment (DME)
American Standard Time Signals
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