The Department of National Defence (DND) and Nav Canada are decommissioning approx 30 VORTACs and TACANs over the next two years. The ones being turned off in 2011 are:

Sydney  25 April 2011
Moncton  2 May 2011
Gander  6 June 2011
Stephenville  13 June 2011
Fredericton  August 2011
Sioux Narrows  5 September 2011
London  3 October 2011
Mansfield  10 October 2011

The VORTACs will be replaced with a VOR/DME installation, and the TACAN will be replaced with DME only.

This may affect you if you use these military navigational aids. Be sure to check the NOTAMs before you fly.

AIC 21/11 has more …

The CBC has reported on a Goodyear blimp crash in Germany this past week. The item that caught my attention was the following fact:

The pilot yelled “We had an accident!” followed by “I crashed the airship!” as the smell of fire crept through the blimp, Storch told the DAPD news agency on Monday.

Storch and two other passengers, a man and woman from a TV crew, leapt two metres to safety.

The sudden loss of weight caused the ship to shoot into the air, where it burst into flames, killing the pilot …