YYZ issues

This forum has been developed to discuss aviation related topics.

Moderators: sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako, lilfssister, North Shore, I WAS Birddog

Post Reply
DrSpaceman
Rank 3
Rank 3
Posts: 102
Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2014 8:03 am

YYZ issues

Post by DrSpaceman »

What the hell is going on in YYZ lately? Haven’t had a flight leave on time in months, and with minimum weather they have complete ground stops over 5+ hours.

Do they know the airport is located in Canada?
---------- ADS -----------
 
idratherbeflying
Rank 1
Rank 1
Posts: 26
Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2005 7:49 pm

Re: YYZ issues

Post by idratherbeflying »

Perhaps you have to look at where you are flying and the time of day?

The temperatures have been colder this year, and for longer periods, than years past. This is causing issues with the ramp staff and fuelling providers. They have required warm up breaks during colder temperatures.

If you are flying out in morning or afternoon rush hour, chances are that Nav Canada may be saturated and that may be causing the delay.

If you are flying out later in the day, a delay taken on the first few departures of the day usually compounds due to the way aircraft are scheduled for flights for maximum efficiency.

If you are flying out first thing in the morning and it has been snowing all night, expect to wait in line for the central de-ice facility.

If your destination is experiencing weather or rush hour saturation, or is just busy most of the time, the delay is likely due to flow time through US controlled airspace.

Yes, the airport is in Canada, but there have been a few events of a lot of snowfall in a short amount of time and the plows have a hard time keeping up.

Maybe, instead of questioning it, since it seems you have made your destination most, if not all of the time, you should be thanking the plow crew, ramp crew, de-ice crew, flight crew, maintenance staff, operations staff and gate agents who have experienced all of these delays on a daily basis? Sometimes 3-4 times a day for those crews working the regional flights! The weather this year has certainly been more challenging than years in recent memory! Snow showers may only last an hour or two, but the taxiways can be a mess for a day.
---------- ADS -----------
 
Air.Field
Rank 3
Rank 3
Posts: 158
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2017 5:52 am

Re: YYZ issues

Post by Air.Field »

Yesterday was -7 hardly cold for any Canadian outside of Toronto. I waited an hour at the gate after the last pax before seeing any ground crew re appear, it's seems they are always short staffed, same with Nav Canada. Another problem with YYZ is it's not properly laid out and is an inefficient design. My dream, rip up Pearson, build condo towers and townhomes in it's place, which lowers cost of living somewhat, and pave over a large junk of lake Ontario a la HKG to build a proper designed Pearson 2.0 to piss off the NIMBY's. Realistically there's land west of the airport better situated, but everyone hates NIMBY's
---------- ADS -----------
 
Heliian
Rank (9)
Rank (9)
Posts: 1976
Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2009 2:14 pm

Re: YYZ issues

Post by Heliian »

It's only one of the busiest airports in North America, it was a busy Christmas season, what do you expect?

As for the above post, that's just ridiculous, why not just build Pickering.
---------- ADS -----------
 
Inverted2
Rank 11
Rank 11
Posts: 3692
Joined: Tue Mar 23, 2004 7:46 am
Location: Turdistan

Re: YYZ issues

Post by Inverted2 »

Heard ground crews at various companies are quitting in droves lately. Why make $14 slogging it out in the freezing cold when you can find a job working inside for the same?
---------- ADS -----------
 
Let’s Go Brandon
pelmet
Top Poster
Top Poster
Posts: 7138
Joined: Tue Jun 14, 2005 2:48 pm

Re: YYZ issues

Post by pelmet »

idratherbeflying wrote: Tue Jan 16, 2018 7:37 am The temperatures have been colder this year, and for longer periods, than years past. This is causing issues with the ramp staff and fuelling providers. They have required warm up breaks during colder temperatures.
Bunch of whining wimps. I worked the ramp for two winters where it was noticeably colder. Cold days were just another work day. Dress for the occasion.
---------- ADS -----------
 
cap41
Rank 4
Rank 4
Posts: 273
Joined: Thu Oct 04, 2012 7:36 pm
Location: Oshawa (CYOO)

Re: YYZ issues

Post by cap41 »

Its not a matter of being wimps. Why work outside for minimal pay when you can gain the same amount of money working inside. Its not about toughness. You get what you pay for. Plain and simple. Thats the same for any industry.
---------- ADS -----------
 
pelmet
Top Poster
Top Poster
Posts: 7138
Joined: Tue Jun 14, 2005 2:48 pm

Re: YYZ issues

Post by pelmet »

cap41 wrote: Tue Jan 16, 2018 4:38 pm Its not a matter of being wimps. Why work outside for minimal pay when you can gain the same amount of money working inside. Its not about toughness. You get what you pay for. Plain and simple. Thats the same for any industry.
It is being a bunch of whining wimps. There are two separate issues here. One is pay and whether people will work at a given job based on what it is. The same can be said for construction or sewer workers. Quitting is fine if you don't like it just like any job and the company may do well to pay more or pay more on cold days as incentive. That is the reality of a business and the job market for potential employees.

As for the people that are actually being paid for the job and at work that day on the job, if you are not dressed for the job, then bring the proper clothing and stop whining. I just posted on another thread about exactly such a thing, being prepared. There is time on every shift to get warm and if you dress properly, you won't need to that often. YYZ is not as cold as many other places like YEG, YWG, YUL, etc. I worked the ramp in one of the colder locations and there were no significant delays due to the cold.

See here about being prepared for cold weather jobs where it is literally -35 with 30 knot winds sometimes, not YYZ weather......

www.avcanada.ca/forums2/viewtopic.php?f ... 6#p1025776
---------- ADS -----------
 
linecrew
Rank (9)
Rank (9)
Posts: 1887
Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2004 6:53 am
Location: On final so get off the damn runway!

Re: YYZ issues

Post by linecrew »

pelmet wrote: Wed Jan 17, 2018 3:17 am I worked the ramp in one of the colder locations and there were no significant delays due to the cold.
I agree with what you are saying, but I have questions about this quote. Was your incentive behind the ramp job to get on as a pilot with that company? Was not getting fired for poor performance on the ramp and thus curtailing any chance of flying for them your motivator?

I don't mean to discredit your message but having worked with numerous different ramp companies that were not lead-in positions to a flying job, I can tell you that I've seen firsthand how it's hard to keep some individuals motivated. It is not highly skilled labour, so, often the wage is predictably not very lucrative (unless maybe unionized jobs) so there's that. The aviation geeks tend to stick around because of their passion for the planes. However for the people for whom it's just a job simply to make ends meet, in my experience, once the worst part of winter hits their performance tended to wain and quite often they would end up seeking employment elsewhere, occasionally not by choice.
---------- ADS -----------
 
pelmet
Top Poster
Top Poster
Posts: 7138
Joined: Tue Jun 14, 2005 2:48 pm

Re: YYZ issues

Post by pelmet »

linecrew wrote: Wed Jan 17, 2018 9:27 am
pelmet wrote: Wed Jan 17, 2018 3:17 am I worked the ramp in one of the colder locations and there were no significant delays due to the cold.
I agree with what you are saying, but I have questions about this quote. Was your incentive behind the ramp job to get on as a pilot with that company? Was not getting fired for poor performance on the ramp and thus curtailing any chance of flying for them your motivator?

I don't mean to discredit your message but having worked with numerous different ramp companies that were not lead-in positions to a flying job, I can tell you that I've seen firsthand how it's hard to keep some individuals motivated. It is not highly skilled labour, so, often the wage is predictably not very lucrative (unless maybe unionized jobs) so there's that. The aviation geeks tend to stick around because of their passion for the planes. However for the people for whom it's just a job simply to make ends meet, in my experience, once the worst part of winter hits their performance tended to wain and quite often they would end up seeking employment elsewhere, occasionally not by choice.
The company I worked for did not have aircraft. They were a company that specialized in the ground handling of aircraft at an international airport ranging from Jetreams to 747's. We serviced many airlines and types. I did this job while I was building my hours to get on with an airline in the future. Duties included loading baggage and cargo, dumping the lavs and refueling the potable water(separate trucks but same guy doing it), catering and de-icing along with the marshalling and pushback. Sometimes it was very hot and other times it was very cold. There were definitely times when it was not enjoyable but overall, It could be a very cool job.
---------- ADS -----------
 
Zaibatsu
Rank 7
Rank 7
Posts: 602
Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2016 8:37 am

Re: YYZ issues

Post by Zaibatsu »

It’s a whole different world... working at a tiny airport in the north where it’s solidly below zero, to a very busy one where the temperature is swinging wildly above and below zero.

I’ll take -40 with snow drier than a popcorn fart and hours to dig out and warm up over 30 min turns in freezing rain, sleet, or wet snow on a crowded ramp any day.
---------- ADS -----------
 
Post Reply

Return to “General Comments”