Unusual Dash 8 activity at CYTZ today

[omgwereallgoingtodie]

Well unusual to a rookie like me!

There has been a Dash 8 (I don't recognise the markings, not a porter or an air canada) doing low approaches over runway 08 for the past hour or so today.

Just curious as to what it might be doing.

Appreciate any info.
Thanks

[goleafsgo]

Q400 or old dash? i believe nav canada has a dash-8 that they use to test the ils

[omgwereallgoingtodie]

I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to tell the difference
But that would make sense

Thanks

[sanjet]

Navcanada? Blue and white?

[URC]

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/NVC301

[omgwereallgoingtodie]

Yep white and blue indeed
So looks like it was navcanada doing the ils thingy

Ok so next question , what does testing the ils actually involve?

Thanks

[sanjet]

Im sure someone can be more precise, but in short, the pilots fly the instrument approaches to a certain height and go around and try it a couple of times while some guys sitting in the back looking at screens monitor it looking at parameters and advise if there are any anomalies and recalibrate the ground radio aids / ILS if required. Done sometimes if there are new construction nearby / damaged ground station / PIREPS / required timely check / newly built approach / etc.

[omgwereallgoingtodie]

Well that looked lie what they were doing and it would make sense as believe that 08 has an instrument landing system ( I don't think 26 does, willing to be corrected)

Now I can go back to staring at the windsock and hoping the winds die down

[aileron]

NavCanada was conducting flight checks for 08 today; yes 26 has an ILS with a 4.9deg g/s.

[EA757]

Is that the one?

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Nav-Cana ... d1c75f8b2c

[omgwereallgoingtodie]

Thanks for the info
Always appreciate learning something new !


EA757 - could well have been it , the angle of the sun made discerning any markings difficult

[Changes in Latitudes]

Actually, the RNAV came down with a rash and told the ILS that it should get itself tested.

[skymarc]

Do Nav Canada really need a Dash 8 for that? Wouldnt a King Air do the job?

[omgwereallgoingtodie]

I wondered if it was something to do with the unusual glideslope angle or something at CYTZ
(disclaimer, I may not know what I'm talking about!)

[AuxBatOn]

They did some work in Ottawa as well. I was on the ILS 32 and they were proceeding inbound on the Visual 14 for some testing on runway lighting. A little weird!!

[PostmasterGeneral]

Do Nav Canada really need a Dash 8 for that? Wouldnt a King Air do the job?

They use a CRJ200 here in YYC.

[Rudy]

Do Nav Canada really need a Dash 8 for that? Wouldnt a King Air do the job?

Probably. They also use two CRJ-200ER's.

[PostmasterGeneral]

THink they have a couple 601's too? Or did they sell all of them for the RJ's?

[Donald]

I could be wrong but I believe the amount of equipment required in the back plus the range to do flight checks all over Canada makes the CRJ-200 a good choice. I think the 601's were replaced with the 200's.

[bizjets101]

Nav Canada Inspections

C-GCFI Challenger 601 3020 withdrawn from use March 2011

photo bcavpics/flickr

C-GCFG Challenger 601 3022 sold May 2009 to Quebec Govt.

photo speck727/flickr

C-GCFK Dash 8-102 028 in service Nav Canada

photo bill_fawcett/flickr

C-GFIO CRJ200 7526 in service Nav Canada ex Atantic Coast A/L

photo patcard/flickr

C-GNVC CRJ200ER 7519 in service Nav Canada ex Atlantic Coast A/L

photo dahemody/flickr

[grimey]

When I was an FSS in YTH, we were told that we couldn't go for a ride-along if we were on a day off when the came by in the 601 for inspections, because there was no extra room. I'm not sure how accurate that was (there may have been a seat or two), but no, it wouldn't all fit in a King Air.

[sanjet]

I wonder if they have a spec ops to operate without a flight attendant.

[Double Wasp]

no, it wouldn't all fit in a King Air.

Seems to fit in this one fine: http://www.airliners.net/photo/Cobham-F ... 96e5f0e7a4

and the equipment has been shrunk even further to fit into this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shanair/70 ... otostream/

I wonder how many guys will stick around Nav Canada if they convert the fleet to the mighty DA42?

I guess if the pay and pension are right it might not matter what they fly.

Well enough pot sturring...

Cheers
DW

[tower controller]

I suppose with the modernization of equipment it won't be long before all the Flight Check equipment will fit in a 172. However, the in transit time is as much of an issue as physically holding all the equipment. Every ILS in the country has to be checked every six months and there are special checks if there's been construction or anything.

Also if your airport has two ILS's they are scheduled not to expire at the same time, and that's done in case aircraft unserviceability or weather causes a certification to elapse you don't loose both ILS's. So in other words the Flight Check guys and gals cover a lot of territory and spend a lot of time on the road.

[linecrew]

The Dash was given to Nav Canada by Transport Canada when Nav Canada was created. It, as well as the two Challengers, were already configured and used for flightcheck before they got them. The Challengers were recently retired and I was told the reason they replaced them with the two CRJs is that they were made an offer on them that they simply could not refuse...something along the lines of the price of each RJ being cheaper than most of the alternative smaller aircraft types being considered.