Search found 63 matches

by charrois
Sun Jul 25, 2021 10:45 pm
Forum: General Comments
Topic: IFR differences between Canada and the US
Replies: 16
Views: 2901

IFR differences between Canada and the US

Hi everyone. I've had my instrument rating for awhile, but hadn't flown IFR for a long time so I'd lost currency. I just finished studying up and getting my IPC done, so I'm eager to start getting some practical experience by filing IFR on most of my cross countries going forward. However, a fair bi...
by charrois
Tue Jun 15, 2021 6:39 pm
Forum: General Comments
Topic: US Airspace question
Replies: 15
Views: 1528

Re: US Airspace question

If you fly into the New York area on a nice sunny VFR day, you will likely get to experience this, especially in the vicinity of White Plains/Long Island/Teterboro. Funny you should mention that - the reason I ask is I'm planning on a flight across the country to Teterboro. I'll likely be coming in...
by charrois
Tue Jun 15, 2021 5:46 pm
Forum: General Comments
Topic: US Airspace question
Replies: 15
Views: 1528

Re: US Airspace question

Pilots looking out windows should always be the first line of defence, I agree. But if I'm toodling along at 10,500' not talking to anyone and there is a big jet behind me descending through my altitude and coming in to land somewhere, I'm not going to see him or even be talking to someone to know h...
by charrois
Tue Jun 15, 2021 5:18 pm
Forum: General Comments
Topic: US Airspace question
Replies: 15
Views: 1528

US Airspace question

Hi everyone. Surrounding the larger airports here in Canada, class C airspace typically goes from its base up to 12,500', whereupon class B airspace takes over from 12,500' - 18000' (usually covering a larger area), and then class A above that. So at such an airport, airspace is typically controlled...
by charrois
Sun Nov 29, 2020 2:54 am
Forum: General Comments
Topic: "Digital" 406 MHz ELTs to Be Mandatory - TC
Replies: 61
Views: 3592

Re: "Digital" 406 MHz ELTs to Be Mandatory - TC

I seem to recall awhile ago COPA talking about pushing for ADS-B out equipped aircraft to possibly reduce the dependence on ELTs altogether. Does anyone know what happened to that thought? There's no question that 406 MHz ELTs are superior to 121.5 in that the signal isn't anonymized, and may contai...
by charrois
Sun Nov 29, 2020 2:36 am
Forum: General Comments
Topic: IFR currency required for training flights
Replies: 15
Views: 1661

Re: IFR currency required for training flights

Thanks for all the responses, everyone. Thanks praveen4143, for detailing your experiences at Springbank - I would assume that Villeneuve (Edmonton's version of Springbank for training) must be much the same. Shortly after posting, I realized that calling the regular 1-866-WXBRIEF phone number to as...
by charrois
Wed Nov 25, 2020 3:37 am
Forum: General Comments
Topic: IFR currency required for training flights
Replies: 15
Views: 1661

IFR currency required for training flights

Hi everyone. I'm instrument rated but it's been more than 2 years, so my currency has lapsed. In preparation for doing my IPC, I've been doing some practice flights with my friend who is instrument rated and current. It's been going well, until today, when my province (Alberta) instituted COVID-19 r...
by charrois
Mon Nov 04, 2019 8:59 pm
Forum: General Comments
Topic: ADS-B
Replies: 26
Views: 3732

Re: ADS-B

The skyBeacon X sounds like a good possible solution for retrofits. I can see it as a remote transponder option.. though I wonder what they'll be using as a control head for people without glass cockpits it can integrate with. I wonder if Aireon did any testing for signal blockage on a belly-mounted...
by charrois
Mon Nov 04, 2019 3:40 pm
Forum: General Comments
Topic: ADS-B
Replies: 26
Views: 3732

Re: ADS-B

At least at the moment, Nav Canada has made it pretty clear what their ADS-B requirements are going to be, and they've been very inflexible on their requirement for antenna diversity, despite pressure from COPA and other organizations: https://www.navcanada.ca/EN/products-and-services/Service%20Proj...
by charrois
Mon Nov 04, 2019 12:44 am
Forum: General Comments
Topic: Red Deer is getting a control tower
Replies: 9
Views: 2280

Re: Red Deer is getting a control tower

Great news! Red Deer had more movements this past year than Villeneuve (the main Edmonton-area training airport with a control tower), and recent changes to their airspace and procedures were clearly more of a confusing "hack" to try and improve significantly worsening safety issues over the past fe...
by charrois
Mon Nov 04, 2019 12:38 am
Forum: General Comments
Topic: ADS-B
Replies: 26
Views: 3732

ADS-B

Apologies if this comes of as some kind of rant... but the lead story on CTV News today (https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/air-traffic-control-changes-in-u-s-europe-may-force-ottawa-to-buy-new-executive-jets-1.4668608) makes me just have to comment. Apparently, the 2020 mandate for ADS-B Out in the US...
by charrois
Fri Nov 16, 2018 4:23 pm
Forum: General Comments
Topic: COPA for Kids pilots now require police check
Replies: 236
Views: 24610

Re: COPA for Kids pilots now require police check

COPA President Bernard Gervais summed it up in the following article: https://copanational.org/en/2018/11/16/ ... mber-2018/ I'm glad they publicly clarified the reasoning behind their decision. The takeaway is that though they didn't necessarily want to do it, their insurance company pretty much i...
by charrois
Fri Nov 16, 2018 1:42 am
Forum: General Comments
Topic: COPA for Kids pilots now require police check
Replies: 236
Views: 24610

Re: COPA for Kids pilots now require police check

I am actually one of the current Board Members of COPA that some of you here speak favorably of and some not so much. Thanks for weighing in! For the most part, I'm quite happy with the representation that COPA offers and I know that the board members do everything they can to promote and protect a...
by charrois
Thu Nov 15, 2018 12:31 am
Forum: Accidents, Incidents & Overdue Aircraft
Topic: Plane with 2 aboard missing between Chilliwack and Edmonton
Replies: 44
Views: 9039

Re: Plane with 2 aboard missing between Chilliwack and Edmonton

My SPOT runs every time I fly, broadcasts every 5 minutes, and is posted to a website live. That can't be done without a cost. If Flightaware was doing that for every VFR ADS-B aircraft, it wouldn't surprise me if their costs go up... Someone has to pay them. Actually, it does. Or at least it can. ...
by charrois
Wed Nov 14, 2018 11:39 pm
Forum: General Comments
Topic: COPA for Kids pilots now require police check
Replies: 236
Views: 24610

Re: COPA for Kids pilots now require police check

I'm glad the posting I made has stirred up some healthy discussion on the issue. As with most things, there are obviously several points of view and everyone is entitled to their opinion and their right to defend it. When I started the discussion I wanted my initial post to remain neutral so we had ...
by charrois
Mon Nov 12, 2018 9:09 pm
Forum: General Comments
Topic: COPA for Kids pilots now require police check
Replies: 236
Views: 24610

Re: COPA for Kids pilots now require police check

COPA made the decision to make it a requirement. They also have a note in their COPA for Kids Guide that "COPA does not reimburse expenses associated with obtaining a VS Check."
by charrois
Mon Nov 12, 2018 8:51 pm
Forum: General Comments
Topic: COPA for Kids pilots now require police check
Replies: 236
Views: 24610

COPA for Kids pilots now require police check

As the organizer for COPA for Kids events at our COPA Flight 139 (Westlock, AB), I was recently made aware that "As of January 1st, anyone participating as a pilot in COPA for Kids must complete a Vulnerable Sector Check with their local police." I have my own thoughts about this, but rather than bi...
by charrois
Tue Sep 25, 2018 1:19 am
Forum: Accidents, Incidents & Overdue Aircraft
Topic: Plane with 2 aboard missing between Chilliwack and Edmonton
Replies: 44
Views: 9039

Re: Plane with 2 aboard missing between Chilliwack and Edmonton

SPOT may be great, but subscriptions aren't "a few dollars". Looks like the minimal package is $200/year. I most certainly would oppose putting a requirement for something like that into the CARs. For those who want it, it's a great option. But I wouldn't want to see it as yet another legislated req...
by charrois
Fri Aug 24, 2018 11:19 am
Forum: General Comments
Topic: IFR Refresher resources
Replies: 2
Views: 1023

Re: IFR Refresher resources

Thanks for the response - great thread, which somehow I missed before posting.
by charrois
Tue Aug 21, 2018 1:09 pm
Forum: General Comments
Topic: IFR Refresher resources
Replies: 2
Views: 1023

IFR Refresher resources

Hi everyone. I got my IFR rating back in 2012 but haven't done much with it since, and hope to go for an IPC and get myself current again soon. But I do want to be prepared and am wondering what resources people could recommend. I signed up for Harv's Air Instrument Course awhile ago (figured that a...

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