Nav Canadas new radar system kaput
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Nav Canadas new radar system kaput
So word is that Winnipeg ACCs all singing all dancing radar system CATS had a major malfunction on Thursday and it has been switched off with the ACC going back to their old system.Apparently it hasnt worked properly since they turned it on back in June.
Nav Canada has been keeping this very quiet.
Nav Canada has been keeping this very quiet.
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Re: Nav Canadas new radar system kaput
What? You mean a complex new system that was in it's testing phase wasn't working 100% perfect as soon as they turned it on?Bigskycanada wrote:... Apparently it hasnt worked properly since they turned it on back in June.
Nav Canada has been keeping this very quiet.
And yah, I guess NOTAMs issued saying the new system is being tested and to expect some delays is keeping it quiet. . . I mean, come on, who reads those things anyways!
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Do you have any knowledge of the system? Have you worked with this piece of s@$! system for the last month? Or are you automatically going to dismiss Big Sky's comments out of hand?MURRAY wrote:Its a good thing ARTS III worked flawlessly for the FAA immediately upon implementation. Got any smartass comments for that Big Sky? Any constructive input whatsoever?
Or, any knowledge of the system for that matter?
If an ATC student can only do the job 90% of the time, the student doesn't check out. I only wish CAATS was even close to 90%. Unless, of course, you are talking system resource usage. System resource usage was more like 95% plus consistently. Try running any computer system for very long with those type of numbers.
Last edited by zzjayca on Mon Jul 17, 2006 3:31 am, edited 3 times in total.
Don't worry about the spelling honey, CAATS slags itself no matter what you call it. Try asking a controller who actually controls aircraft using this piece of s$%! system.lilfssister wrote:It's spelled "CAATS". If you're going to slag something, you could at least spell it correctly. (And before you chat addicts laff yr butts off, I know, I know...)
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Sorry, sugarlump, I could have sworn this thread was about Navcan supposedly trying to hide the failure of a CAATS ORD, not whether the people using it liked the system or not.zzjayca wrote:Don't worry about the spelling honey, CAATS slags itself no matter what you call it. Try asking a controller who actually controls aircraft using this piece of s$%! system.lilfssister wrote:It's spelled "CAATS". If you're going to slag something, you could at least spell it correctly. (And before you chat addicts laff yr butts off, I know, I know...)

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Interesting logic...other countries have failures so that makes it understandable??? I would think if anything that should make everyone more cautious - its not like its an unknown risk.
Lets see any major city install a traffic light control system that occasionally glitches and makes all the lights green - just for a few seconds each day, or occasionally needs to take a little time out to catch up. That would actually be fine (might even really happen - who knows) until someone got killed AND the real reason why was "uncovered", then it would be front page news and heads would roll.
Lets see any major city install a traffic light control system that occasionally glitches and makes all the lights green - just for a few seconds each day, or occasionally needs to take a little time out to catch up. That would actually be fine (might even really happen - who knows) until someone got killed AND the real reason why was "uncovered", then it would be front page news and heads would roll.
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FACT The "major" system malfunction was a processor problem that had been identified weeks before and supposedly been fixed.
FACT over 900 "glitches" with the system had been identified by controllers that requierd rectification.Many of these issues were dismissed as "known behaviour" and controllers would have to work around them.
FACT there is talk of fixing the processor fault and turning the system back on without a guarantee of the other identified issues being fixed.
FACT controller workload increased significantly by the system
FACT over 900 "glitches" with the system had been identified by controllers that requierd rectification.Many of these issues were dismissed as "known behaviour" and controllers would have to work around them.
FACT there is talk of fixing the processor fault and turning the system back on without a guarantee of the other identified issues being fixed.
FACT controller workload increased significantly by the system
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While the reality may be that CAATS is more labour intensive, latest rumour has Nav Canada going full bore ahead with this in Toronto, and the perception from very high up is that the system when fully implemented will be very labour saving.
Labour saving to the point of cutting back on hiring now, and just hiring to maintain the status quo.
Just a rumour mind you.
Labour saving to the point of cutting back on hiring now, and just hiring to maintain the status quo.
Just a rumour mind you.
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QX and QM do not handle the same type of traffic as YWG. A fraction of the low-level stuff, no use of flight itineraries, no altitudes until the handoff (???), etc. They were using about 20% of CAATS' functionality, so nobody realized what a piece of crap the rest of the system was.av8rpei wrote:I may have missed someone posting this
But both QX and QM have CAATS up and operational for quite some time now at least in its current state.
YWG must not have wanted to work through the issues I suppose?
We spent 40 days "working through the issues" in YWG, and just about every moment was a pain in the ass, right up until the point where the system crashed and most screens went red, so watch your tone "trainee".
Yes, and QM took over 2 YEARS to implement it, and pulled it out a few times as well when it crashed.av8rpei wrote:I may have missed someone posting this
But both QX and QM have CAATS up and operational for quite some time now at least in its current state.
YWG must not have wanted to work through the issues I suppose?
Are you feckin serious???av8rpei wrote:YWG must not have wanted to work through the issues I suppose?

As one of the SMEs on the project, I can tell you the staff at YWG ACC all deserve huge pats on the back for the effort that went in to the ORD. Ask your SMEs that were out here to help (Hey Cliffy!
