NavCanada turned off all VOR receiver test facilities (VOT) in Canada (I believe). This means there is no longer a way for you to test your VOR on the ground before you depart. I’ve never used one before, and I suspect most people nowadays don’t use them either. The full list of VOTs that are…
When I originally booked my flight, using Aeroplan, the itinerary showed that my flight to Sydney would be a non-stop flight: However every source I look at (including a friend I have who works for Jazz) says that the flight will be stopping in Vancouver. This lead me to fully understand the different between a…
We’ve all heard the “atc jokes” that have been floating around the Internet. You know, the ones like this: ATC: He’s at your 3 o’clock Pilot: Sorry, we only have digital watches. *groan* So here some “real world” ones reported by either controllers or pilots on frequency: Several planes were running up and waiting to…
So, I will be heading off on a month long vacation to the pacific next week. Specifically, Australia, New Zealand, and Samoa. Well, the Samoan visit is still up in the air as they suffered a large earthquake and tsunami this week. I had booked a flight on a Polynesian Airlines between the islands of…
Does anyone know if the airspace around LFVP is managed by NavCanada or Frances’ Air Traffic Controllers? For those of you who don’t know. Saint Pierre and Miquelon is a French territory off the coast of Newfoundland. The reason why I ask is because the airspace appears in the Transport Canada Designated Airspace Handbook. Even…
Matthew Stibbe posted a comment asking about Q Codes: Now if only someone could explain the origin of the Q-codes (e.g. QNH, QFE and the ever-mysterious QSY which means ‘I’m changing frequency en route’ but why?) Q codes were developed in 1907 in order to facilitate communication with other nations for which there was no…
I went flying on Saturday with a coworker. The weather was perfect! We headed up north to Barrie and could see the Toronto skyline. The visibility was at least 80kms. I guess that’s what you get when you combine a cold front with a high pressure system. I’ve been working hard on a project and…
I always wondered why UTC was given the “Z” letter designation when dealing with all things flying. I found my answer today, and it has to deal with a concept known as Nautical Time Zones. Nautical Timezones are the idealized version of terrestrial time zones. That is, each zone is exactly 15° in size. As…
Porter announced that it will be adding Steam Whistle Pilsner as part if its complementary beverage service. I highly suggest you order one next time you’re on a flight. As well, if you have time while in the city, go on a brewery tour! They are only minutes from the airport. Porter is also adding…
I’m going to be heading to Australia in about a month and was going to see if I can take up an airplane around Sydney while I’m there. I haven’t done any research on the matter but I was under the impression that: You can log dual time in a foreign country/airplane You can only…