In no particular order here is what I think are some of the most interesting airports in Canada and why. If you have a cool or interesting airport you’d like to add to this list, email me or send me a note on Bluesky. Orillia Rama Regional (CNJ4) & Rockcliffe Airport (CYRO) Why: Both airports…
Flight school teaches how to to navigate long distances, ensure the weather will suitable for your flight, how to divert in case of an emergency, and how to manage fatigue while flying. However, if you are planning a multi day trip across the country there are a few other things you need to know: What…
NavCanada’s Operational Information System (OIS) outlines all of the traffic flow-related information for Canada and most US centres. It offers the following information that can be used by smaller operations, flight dispatches, and IFR GA pilots on: It also displays which runways are in use at airports and at what capacity (measured in aircraft arrivals/departure…
To view my full tutorial on how to use Windy for Flight Planning. See my previous blog post. Windy has recently made a (old) new model available for Canadian aviators to use for their short term flight planning: The High-Resolution Deterministic Prediction System. For years I’ve been touting the accuracy of the European Centre for…
One of the main advantages of flying is that you get to travel in straight lines. You know that saying: “The shortest distance between two points is a straight line”. Take, for example, this short flight from CNC3 to KERI. As the crow flies (over Lake Erie): 101nm or approx. 50 min of flying time….
An air traffic controller shortage in Toronto is starting to negatively effect general aviation across the city. Controlling Canada’s Airspace NavCanada is Canada’s non-profit organization that is responsible for managing traffic over the world’s second largest country. In addition they also manage traffic over the Atlantic Ocean as far east as Reykjavík, Iceland. They do…
In Canada, there are three ways search and rescue (SAR) officials will initiate the start of a search for a missing aircraft. Of which, only two of them will be initiated automatically during certain events: The third way is “manual” activation by a responsible person who has been following the flight using a flight itinerary….
Making my way westward towards Lake Havasu, Nevada (KHII), I decide to stop for lunch in Dalhart, TX (KDHT). The next leg of my flight will involve scrutinizing the route on a full stomach. With my iPad and ForeFlight open, I’m interrupted by a fellow pilot inquiring if that’s my airplane on the ramp and…
Update: A 45 min presentation on this topic is now available on YouTube Flying General Aviation from Canada to the United States can be an elaborate process. This post will cover what you need to do in order to file all the necessary paperwork to land in the USA and clear customs and immigration with…