Toronto City Centre Airport.....what a "S-Hole"...

AOW · Post by **AOW** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 10:08 pm

flybe

fogghorn · Post by **fogghorn** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 10:35 pm

N2 wrote:Toronto is a shit hole at the best of times!

Here here, I'll second that motion

Walker · Post by **Walker** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 11:06 pm

Intro-

So the thing to do is have some wealthy individual come in, buy up most of the space, then PRIVATALLY and VERY quietly and VERY Quickly build a bridge for cars, AND a high-speed pedestrian train, so the whole thing could be used as an express gateway to down town Toronto… If its private money building the thing I would imagine it would be much more difficult to shut down…

rotateandfly · Post by **rotateandfly** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 11:35 pm

dammit i was gonna fly a x-country into CYTZ thinking it was gonna be really cool landing on an island just outside Toronto, where do I go now? Buttonville ??

hazatude · Post by **hazatude** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 4:26 am

rotateandfly wrote:dammit i was gonna fly a x-country into CYTZ thinking it was gonna be really cool landing on an island just outside Toronto, where do I go now? Buttonville ??

Hamilton

gr8gazu · Post by **gr8gazu** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 7:24 am

Just a quick note to those who trash YYZ.

I moved here 10 years ago out of neccesity for employment.

While still a solid Westcoaster, Toronto has proven to be a fantastic city and a great place to raise my family.

I do look forward to moving back for retirement, but that may be another 15 years or so.

In the mean time, I have always made the best of the situation, have become a part of the community and enjoy life in my alternate. You don't always get to your destination....

Cheers!

TorontoGuy · Post by **TorontoGuy** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 7:46 am

rotateandfly wrote:dammit i was gonna fly a x-country into CYTZ thinking it was gonna be really cool landing on an island just outside Toronto, where do I go now? Buttonville ??

Oh, fly into the island. It is a fun arrival and departure and a fantastic sight as you descend below the skyline. There are few other places where you can fly past a building, in this case the CN Tower, and there's still half of it above you! Despite the rotting conditions at the airport, you'll be right downtown. Whereas at Buttonville, you'll need a car to get into town (it is north of the city limits, albeit in a heavily built-up suburban/light industrial area).

TorontoGuy · Post by **TorontoGuy** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 7:50 am

gr8gazu wrote:Just a quick note to those who trash YYZ.

I moved here 10 years ago out of neccesity for employment.

While still a solid Westcoaster, Toronto has proven to be a fantastic city and a great place to raise my family.

I do look forward to moving back for retirement, but that may be another 15 years or so.

In the mean time, I have always made the best of the situation, have become a part of the community and enjoy life in my alternate. You don't always get to your destination....

Cheers!

You're quite right and, as a TorontoGuy I was kidding when I chipped in to this thread (although not kidding about the condition of the island airport, which makes me sad). My ancestors were instrumental in building this town; some were among the pioneers, another built a major hospital, one was one of the city's great building architects, my grandfather was mayor, and I was a newsman on its largest newspaper. I hate parts of what it's becoming and the gun violence between the gangs does make me sick and sometimes think about moving to the countryside. But there's still a big heart tug here for me.

Hedley · Post by **Hedley** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 7:52 am

Fly into both the island and buttonville. Read the CFS about "noise sensitive areas" for cytz, and try not to hit the smokestack

I used to fly out of there in the 70's - kinda nostalgic for me, but sad to see how it has deteriorated, despite all the money in Toronto.

Buttonville is fun because it's so hard to see from the air, until you're almost on top of it.

Then fly to Brampton, with all of it's funny, narrow little taxiways.

Then fly to Burlington before they sell it off for condos.

TorontoGuy · Post by **TorontoGuy** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 7:55 am

Hedley wrote:
Then fly to Burlington before they sell it off for condos.

The word I have from a pilot at Burlington is that, while it's up for sale, it will remain an airfield.

Hedley · Post by **Hedley** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 7:57 am

torontoguy wrote:

My ancestors were instrumental in building this town; some were among the pioneers

Hey, ever heard of a guy called "Sir John Beverley Robinson"? He's my great-great-great-grandfather.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bever ... d._1863%29

Dunno if you've ever heard of Osgoode hall:

http://www.osgoodehall.com/

but that used to be my family's estate. My grandmother told me they put up that weird fence to keep the cows out

TorontoGuy · Post by **TorontoGuy** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 8:05 am

Hedley,

May or may not have come across Robinson's name before; can't recall. Interesting life.

Osgoode Halls' right outside my office window. I'll wave at it for you as I walk by at lunch. Or shall I just reclaim it for you?

Yes, those are cowcatcher gates.

EI-EIO · Post by **EI-EIO** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 3:53 pm

AOW wrote:flybe

was it doing touch/go or what? I remember one of the local freebies quoting Sparrow's lot that Q400 couldn't make it into / out of YTZ based on BBD's public figures:

http://www.eye.net/eye/issue/issue_10.2 ... rport.html

CID · Post by **CID** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 4:08 pm

I think CYTZ looks nice. Of course I've only ever seen it from the CN Tower.

Doc · Post by **Doc** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 4:28 pm

I'm sure it looks nice from the space shuttle as well....

TorontoGuy · Post by **TorontoGuy** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 4:54 pm

Doc wrote:I'm sure it looks nice from the space shuttle as well....

Yeah, not bad.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&hl=en&q= ... 9,1.065674

TorontoGuy · Post by **TorontoGuy** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 5:01 pm

For those who haven't the foggiest idea what we're talking about, or why the bruhaha by anti-airport types:

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&hl=en&q= ... 133209&t=k

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&hl=en&q= ... 033302&t=k

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&hl=en&q= ... 008326&t=k

ch135146 · Post by **ch135146** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 5:21 pm

hazatude wrote:
rotateandfly wrote:dammit i was gonna fly a x-country into CYTZ thinking it was gonna be really cool landing on an island just outside Toronto, where do I go now? Buttonville ??
Hamilton

Hamilton is a shit hole for all times.

cyyz · Post by **cyyz** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 5:57 pm

ch135146 wrote: Hamilton is a shit hole for all times.

Yeah, toronto sucks but Hamilton, man what a stench, almost as bad as buffalo.

AOW · Post by **AOW** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 6:21 pm

EI-EIO wrote:was it doing touch/go or what? I remember one of the local freebies quoting Sparrow's lot that Q400 couldn't make it into / out of YTZ based on BBD's public figures:

As far as I saw, it only did one low and over... according to some of the ramp guys they have had other Q400(s) in before (BBD test flights). As for the ability for a Q400 to land on a 4000' runway, I can only make guesses... Anybody got actual figures? I have heard that even on a +30ºC, zero wind day, they could still get in/out with a modest load reduction...
On another note, NavCan was here a couple of weeks ago with a bunch of equipment and a Dash 8. Apparantly they're going to install an ILS on 26, with a 4.5º G/S to adequately clear the Hearn Stack. Would be nice to have an ILS that was actually useable! (the ILS for 08 is only useable when certain conditions are met at CYYZ... probably equivalent to pearson being completely shut down -- thus it's pretty much useless)

Dockjock wrote:Don't forget Druxy's, if it's still there. $8 for a bit of crappy corned beef on rye, no pickle. 30 square foot patio, not facing the runways. Open 11-1 alternating tuesdays.

Druxy's is still here (apparantly surviving thanks to any visiting pilots being to cheap/in a rush to pay $5.50 to cross to the mainland and $??? to take a taxi to a reasonable eatery) but has recently moved into the old Terminal A, having had to leave CCAL East while it is under destruction.

3 flight schools, 3 FBO's, 1 FBO has 2 lounges at opposite sides of the airport, all in various states of bankruptcy/fire sale conditions (or so it seems). Seaplane ramp rotting away. Tie up space for *perhaps* one C172 on floats.

Its now 2 flight schools, 2 FBOs (only one lounge each), both in slightly better condition. Seaplane ramp is older than I am, and the dock is out of the water at the moment. It does look as though it's been over Niagara Falls a few times, however. The seaplane launching trailer is at least 40 years old and can't lift anything larger than a 206 without some interesting modification (DHC2 is fun, don't want to try anything larger!)

Walker · Post by **Walker** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 6:28 pm

ok google earth says ther boat ride is 475' Hell the boat from vancouver to victoria is longer than the actual gap! http://www.bcferries.com/about/fleet/pr ... sland.html

maybe the thing to do is buy an old junker of a ferry and start a compeating service.... with a corssing time of zero..... IE drive on drive off.... AKA a bridge...

TorontoGuy · Post by **TorontoGuy** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 6:52 pm

AOW wrote:
EI-EIO wrote:was it doing touch/go or what? I remember one of the local freebies quoting Sparrow's lot that Q400 couldn't make it into / out of YTZ based on BBD's public figures:
As far as I saw, it only did one low and over... according to some of the ramp guys they have had other Q400(s) in before (BBD test flights). As for the ability for a Q400 to land on a 4000' runway, I can only make guesses... Anybody got actual figures? I have heard that even on a +30ºC, zero wind day, they could still get in/out with a modest load reduction...

Deluce has already debunked the blithering about the Q400s being too much airplane for the runways. He said the naysayers were quoting takeoff requirements when the plane's cabin is configured for maximum seating -- which he won't be using.

(typical loudmouth complainers tactic: throw something out as a roadblock, neglecting to mention the details. Sigh.)

TorontoGuy · Post by **TorontoGuy** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 6:56 pm

Walker wrote:ok google earth says ther boat ride is 475' Hell the boat from vancouver to victoria is longer than the actual gap! http://www.bcferries.com/about/fleet/pr ... sland.html

Yes, the Western Gap was dug as a western access to Toronto Harbour for lake freighters. So they dug it only as wide as necessary. (I've been a the waterside as a US Navy destroyer came through in the black of night. You'd swear there was only 6 feet on either side. Good piloting.

C-FABH · Post by **C-FABH** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 6:58 pm

Outside hangar 4 this afternoon...
looks like we don't even have toilets anymore

TorontoGuy · Post by **TorontoGuy** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 7:05 pm

On the other side of the coin, the Toronto Port Authority's got an excellent slideshow opening to its island airport website. Makes the place look brilliant. Which it was in the 1980s and hopefully will be again. They've sure got their marketing looking good with this intro:

http://www.torontoport.com/Airport.asp