When to contact Tower as per VNC

[Spinwmts]

Sorry if this is a pretty newbie question; I was talking with my instructor the other day and he asked me if I had to contact Saskatoon ATC if I was following the below track. I said no only if I wished to enter the class D CZ. He said that was incorrect, I had to contact ATC prior to entering the terminal area of Saskatoon. From the VNC, I do not see any requirement to contact ATC. Is there anyway to determine this requirement from the VNC? Winnipeg terminal area contact requirements is defined very clearly on the VNC as well as the TAC but not so much for the Saskatoon.

[Pilotdaddy]

Are you cruising between 700 and 2900? If so, you're in the class E transition, no?

[doplemosh]

From what i can see in every chart i have, you wouldn't need permission to enter the class E Airspace.

However i would recommend talking to Tower or Centre in order to have traffic separation from the aircraft transitioning to and from the training areas denoted to the south, and from any IFR traffic on approach.

[Spinwmts]

Actually I would be at 5500. It's just that I don't see any specific indication on the VNC to contact Saskatoon. If you go down to Regina its the same exact airspace but there is no requirement to contact Regina unless you are planning on entering the control CZ. I agree it would be wise either way to get traffic separation.

[ahramin]

It's class E, no requirement for a clearance or for radio contact VFR. Best practice would be to request flight following but that's up to the specific controller, if they say no then you just proceed no contact anyway.

[digits_]

To clarify: you were flight planning a VFR flight, right?

[Spinwmts]

Yep, this was just for flight planning for the CPL flight test Nav portion. Well I'm glad to see I'm not going crazy as it is clearly class E. My instructor seemed pretty adamant that you had to talk to someone though. He's a great instructor and is the kinda guy who considers best practice a standing rule so maybe that's what he was getting at.

[CpnCrunch]

Yep, this was just for flight planning for the CPL flight test Nav portion. Well I'm glad to see I'm not going crazy as it is clearly class E. My instructor seemed pretty adamant that you had to talk to someone though. He's a great instructor and is the kinda guy who considers best practice a standing rule so maybe that's what he was getting at.

Ask him to show you where it says you need to contact ATC, or if it's just a recommendation to get flight following. Like others have said, I don't see any requirement.

[Spinwmts]

Ask him to show you where it says you need to contact ATC, or if it's just a recommendation to get flight following. Like others have said, I don't see any requirement.

Yeah I'll definitely do that. Thanks!

[Pilotdaddy]

Right... Class E doesn't need radio comms. I was thinking it's a controlled airspace hence radio comms. I know that ATC provides traffic separation for IFR aircraft, but without comms, is it safe to say that VFR traffic in class E isn't controlled?

[Pilotdaddy]

Side topic, where's a good boundary when it's recommended to contact ATC when merely just passing through and not landing on a class D? Passing through 1000ft above the control zone, will a call be recommended? What about 2000ft? What about passing through to the side say 10NM outside of the class D radius?

[TurkeyFarmYQX]

I usually will contact tower within 2000ft over their zone and within 10 miles of the tower.

[doplemosh]

Side topic, where's a good boundary when it's recommended to contact ATC when merely just passing through and not landing on a class D? Passing through 1000ft above the control zone, will a call be recommended? What about 2000ft? What about passing through to the side say 10NM outside of the class D radius?

If you already have flight following, dont bother calling the tower. You already have tfc advisories, and Ctr and Twr know what each other are doing (for the most part).

If you are just on 126.7 and passing by, i'd consider monitoring twr fq within 10nm, as this is where most initial fixes s are for the RNAV approaches into most airports. As for contacting them if you're just passing by, no hard rules, but if they sound overloaded - stay out of their way, they know youre there. If nothing is happening on fq, i'd give them a courtesy call and position report.

I've had mixed experiences calling class C and D towers when just passing by. Some have been helpful and thanked me for tuning in, and others have told me to f*ck off because i'm not in their airspace. So now i follow my guide above.

[Spinwmts]

I've had mixed experiences calling class C and D towers when just passing by. Some have been helpful and thanked me for tuning in, and others have told me to f*ck off because i'm not in their airspace. So now i follow my guide above.

Yeah I've had similar experiences . I would be more likely to call them up if I were over flying their CZ. I tend to only call up when its required now. When I was flying in the states flight following was encouraged which allowed you to transit through pretty hectic airspace. Once I got cleared right over Dulles Airport (Class B) as a student pilot. That was pretty sweet!

[Pilotdaddy]

Thanks Dople.

Spin, are you implying that radar services are not encouraged here in Canada? And how did you make it all the way there as a student pilot? Guessing you did your training there?

[Spinwmts]

Yeah its definitely been my experience that flight following (at least in the Prairies) is not encouraged. I've heard some folks out east say it is used it a little more (Toronto area etc). I started flying and got my PPL down there then came up here after meeting a girl. But in the states if you were training, it was SOP to tune to flight following after departure and stick with them for all XC flights.

[digits_]

That's because in big parts of the prairie provinces, there *is* no low level radar...

[photofly]

But in the states if you were training, it was SOP to tune to flight following after departure and stick with them for all XC flights.

The US has no equivalent to 126.7 or regional Common Traffic Advisory Frequencies.

Even around Toronto - as soon as you're 45 minutes north of the GTA you're off the radar at the height of a typical student cross country, and no flight following is available. Turning the radio off and just flying with your eyes open can be an unalloyed pleasure.

[A346Dude]

Yep, this was just for flight planning for the CPL flight test Nav portion. Well I'm glad to see I'm not going crazy as it is clearly class E. My instructor seemed pretty adamant that you had to talk to someone though. He's a great instructor and is the kinda guy who considers best practice a standing rule so maybe that's what he was getting at.

There's a difference between "good practices" and the law, and there should always be a clear differentiation between the two. Either your instructor doesn't know how to read the chart, doesn't know what Class E is, or is blurring the lines between things when they really should not be blurred. A less knowledgeable student would take the wrong lesson out of this exchange, and wouldn't understand the rules going forward.

[robshelle]

Flight instructor and Class C ATC here, my 2 bits.
It is solidly Class E, no contact is required. However, at your selected cruising altitude you would be flying through an approach that may be active, hence the Mode C requirement. I would teach my flight students that a courtesy call to the tower would be in order, it will get you an altimeter setting and ask for winds as well.