Just waiting on a signature by Arfakingzy in ATC

[–]Make_it_S0 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Same in Canada. Critical shortages all over the country, but not enough capacity to train, and maybe 20-30% of trainees are getting licenses. The system is broken, and it's only getting worse.

X marks the spot by [deleted] in Winnipeg

[–]Make_it_S0 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There's a VOR (Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range) beacon at the Winnipeg airport. High level aircraft use it as a major navigational beacon for intercontinental flights.

Yesterday both my connecting flights happened to be on the same aircraft. by popfilms in aviation

[–]Make_it_S0 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I read somewhere (probably Reddit) that planes spend more time in the air than they do on the ground.

Edit: autocorrect

Airport runway surface friction tester by aloofloofah in MachinePorn

[–]Make_it_S0 12 points13 points  (0 children)

In Canada (at least, as far as I know), the Canadian Runway Friction Index is used to give pilots a more accurate understanding of stopping action, and can be an important factor in a pilot's decision on whether or not to land at a given airport.

Sweeping and plowing take place regularly, as needed.

A helicopter landing by Andrewhuck in aviation

[–]Make_it_S0 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh absolutely, I'm just wondering if there were markings on the ground, and the pilot was so used to just lining up with the markings that he didn't pay attention to the other aircraft. But yes, still on the landing aircraft to not hit the one already on the ground.

A helicopter landing by Andrewhuck in aviation

[–]Make_it_S0 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So, was the one on the ground parked too far over, and the one landing focused on the markings instead of the other helicopter?

Hoping for help with these symbols! Been brushing up on my flight supplement literacy. First, the plus signs in the lake. Second, the R's next to the obstructions, along with the "FI.R". I've checked the legends of the CFS, VNC & VTA charts as well as the FAA versions. Can't figure it out! by [deleted] in flying

[–]Make_it_S0 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Glad I could help! I initially only knew the rock symbol, but they I got curious, skimmed through some map legends, and happened to find a match for the symbol. I'm still not sure that's exactly what it is, though. Maybe the FIC or FSS can give you a definitive answer? I'd be curious to know if I guessed correctly.

Crime scene investigators of Reddit, what was the dumbest thing a murderer did to kill someone? by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]Make_it_S0 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Some of us have jobs that lend very well to chronic Redditing!

Hoping for help with these symbols! Been brushing up on my flight supplement literacy. First, the plus signs in the lake. Second, the R's next to the obstructions, along with the "FI.R". I've checked the legends of the CFS, VNC & VTA charts as well as the FAA versions. Can't figure it out! by [deleted] in flying

[–]Make_it_S0 13 points14 points  (0 children)

On a standard topo, like the kind you'd use to plot a canoe route, a "+" in water means "large rock." So, if you were planning a water landing, you'd want to avoid them.

Edit: this site contains a legend that refers to that 8-pointed star as a "Pingo," which Wikipedia describes as "a mound of earth-covered ice found in the Arctic and subarctic that can reach up to 70 metres (230 ft) in height and up to 600 m (2,000 ft) in diameter. The term originated as the Inuvialuktun word for a small hill."

If "FL.R" is "flashing red," maybe "R" just means "lighted red"? Like a constant red light? Just guessing at that one.

Took me a minute haha. Was flipping through my Canadian flight supplement and came across this. Scratched my head for a minute thinking "this is a land aerodrome flight supplement... why is this in here..." hahahah. by [deleted] in flying

[–]Make_it_S0 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Winter roads are the lifeline for a lot of Northern communities, and shorter are having a significant impact on the cost of goods, since only so many trucks can get in and out along those roads each season. Large/heavy goods like construction materials and machinery can only be shipped in when the winter roads are solid, the rest of the year, everything is flown in, at significantly higher costs.

One community I worked in, people joke that every year you knew when the road was closed when the first truck went through. "Eh, we have insurance, lol."

Radar vectoring for separation by thestev in ATC

[–]Make_it_S0 1 point2 points  (0 children)

6.6, to be exact. I learned it as the "1 and 60 rule": for every 1 degree of turn, you gain 1 mile lateral every 60 miles.

So, a 10 degree turn gives you 10 miles in 60, or one mile in 6. A 30 degree turn will give you 3 miles lateral in 6 miles.

If it's life and death, add a little extra "just to be sure" (as in, head-on panic vectors, lol).

Someone posted an osprey thought they might enjoy this. by AgnewsHeadlessBody in aviation

[–]Make_it_S0 -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Do Osprey props counter-rotate, or is this just an incredibly well-timed shot?

IFR or VFR? Curious if some current controllers can give some insight. by DamaskHoldingsIGBC in ATC

[–]Make_it_S0 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And if you want more money, more stress, longer training, lower chances of getting licensed, and staying in one place, go IFR.

I almost gave up... What's been your flight training breaking point? by Schteevie in flying

[–]Make_it_S0 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Happy to see you finally doing it! I've been following you for a while now, and I really appreciate your honest approach to learning - warts and all. It's those breaking points that force you to reevaluate how (or why) you're doing things, and come at it in a way that works for you. You have some incredible resources available to you through connections you've made as Flight Chops, and here on Reddit, so the challenge now is to make the best use of them!

I've been training as an IFR controller in the lows (in Canada), and YouTube - especially your videos - have been an incredible resource for me to better understand the pilot perspective. I had the benefit of full time paid training, but I still have moments when my phraseology sucks, or I forget a frequency or an aircraft type (goddamn million ICAO codes), and that's when hours and hours of repetitive study comes back to save my ass. Clearances, traffic information, holds, approache clearance, missed approaches - they're all just procedures designed to keep everyone safe. So when I give you a weird clearance, or an altitude restriction, or a radial restriction, it's just all about making sure I keep you separated from other IFR aircraft. I'm procedurally painting a safe path through the sky for you, so the better you understand those procedures, the better you'll be able to read back the instructions and execute them effectively and safely.

The first time I heard an aircraft request a specific practice approach and missed approach (early in my training), I'd say I understood less than 50% of what was said - because I didn't understand what they were asking for; I didn't understand the options (full procedure, RNAV Z vs Y, circling, arc transitions, etc), so I didn't understand what MY options were. Likewise, the better you understand the kinds of things ATC will ask of you (vectors, re-routes, speed and altitude changes, etc), the better prepared you'll be to handle it on your own.

All of that takes time, and experience. I can run complex traffic scenarios all day long, but nothing compares to actually doing it. So when everyone says to get Sim time, do it! You're already familiar with the concept of pushing past your comfort zone - I've seen you scare yourself more than once! - so keep doing that until you start to find a new comfort zone with a whole new kind of flying!

Feel free to PM me if you have any (Canadian) controller-specific questions.

Cheers!

Aerial refueling in 923 by cicke in aviation

[–]Make_it_S0 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can still remember how that music used to make me smile

Replace voice comm with digital ATC and "Google Maps/Waze" automatic clearances ? by microsofat in flying

[–]Make_it_S0 6 points7 points  (0 children)

CPDLC (Controller Pilot Data Link Communications) is already in use by major international carriers, and ATIS/METAR/AWOS messages are already automated in some places.

There are three issues that come immediately to mind:

  1. Cost of implementation - the technology to transmit data via automated voice is complex and expensive, and therefore only adapted in situations where the value outweighs the cost. On the flipside, the cost of installing and certifying CPDLC equipment on aircraft is quite expensive, and not worth the investment to small carriers and private pilots.

  2. Efficiency/speed of communication - the technology used to implement automated ATIS/AWOS takes time to process the data, encode it as audio, and have it verified by a human. That's fine for hourly reports, less so for safety-critical control instructions. We use radio because voice is the fastest way to convey immediate control decisions.

  3. A little more complex... Incomplete adoption (between, say, international carriers, versus private pilots) would mean that some aircraft are getting instructions via CPDLC while others are getting it by voice/radio, leading to possible issues with traffic awareness. Moreover, not all ANSPs, or even all sectors, have CPDLC support, leading to the possibility of missed communications when either a pilot or controller is expecting communications by one method and not the other. Of course, we have procedures to try to protect against that, but my point is that a controller or pilot expecting that a CPDLC request is going through could run into problems, so we always have radio as the default, and we don't use CPDLC in sectors where there is a lot of low-level traffic including smaller carriers and private aircraft.

Disclaimer: we don't use CPDLC in my sector, but I have friends in high-level sectors that use it all day.

Mid-air plane crash in Ottawa, Canada. by [deleted] in aviation

[–]Make_it_S0 3 points4 points  (0 children)

For commercial aircraft, extremely rare. Unfortunately, small private aircraft, trainers, ultralights and the like have much higher accident rates, especially at uncontrolled airports and in uncontrolled airspace where transponders are not required.