Hi All...the other day descending into YYZ the controller gave us a clearance our discretion from FL330 down to FL280. Usually there is a buffer of 1,000' (separation) maintained when being handed off to the next controlling sector. This usually means a clearance from FL330 would be given to FL290 until the next controller takes the hand-off. The same with climbing, usually given a clearance to climb to FL280 and then the hand-off, with further climbing clearances from the next controller.
Why is YYZ different? He said the floor of his airspace was FL280 (high sector) Anybody?
Thanks!
RVSM Airspace
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TheSteamingPile
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Re: RVSM Airspace
YYZ is the busiest airspace in Canada with almost double the movements of the next busiest FIR (when Nav Canada last published the numbers by FIR anyway). Certain areas are therefore divided vertically more than others to facilitate overflights vs arriving traffic. Hope that explains the situation a bit better.
Re: RVSM Airspace
The RVSM factor is a red herring here. The vertical split for Toronto is most commonly 230/240 then 270/280 (or other) depending on the sector.
There are military areas over the Great Lakes that have changed their altitudes over the years. This would have had influence on sector divisions. Workload and normal traffic profiles are another that have changed over time. Practically speaking there is no real difference between 280/290 split or 270/280 or 260/270 for the sectors you flew through on the Boxum arrival so the sector divisions don't necessarily change when the original factors change.
There are military areas over the Great Lakes that have changed their altitudes over the years. This would have had influence on sector divisions. Workload and normal traffic profiles are another that have changed over time. Practically speaking there is no real difference between 280/290 split or 270/280 or 260/270 for the sectors you flew through on the Boxum arrival so the sector divisions don't necessarily change when the original factors change.
Re: RVSM Airspace
Also we can't hand off aircraft to another sector with conflicting traffic. If I've got a guy on a climb to 280 (which is usually my last usable FL) who wants to climb into the high sector at FL210 - where the hand-off would normally be initiated - with traffic at 260-280 then I will hit the high controller on the hotline and coordinate a higher altitude (usually 320 or 330) that I can clear the aircraft to while still keeping communications with me to ensure separation, and then perform the hand off once he is clean. The same thing can be done from high to low.
