New switchback at YXL

Doc · Post by **Doc** » Fri Nov 30, 2007 11:27 pm

Okay, one question. Who was the moronic dip stick who designed the new Alpha taxiway? Lets get a pool going on when the first poor sap with no reverse, will go skidding off that turkey some dark night!
Nothing like a downhill hairpin, I always say!

El Comat · Post by **El Comat** » Sat Dec 01, 2007 10:33 am

I thought the same thing the first time I went down Alpha on the day it opened. The corner needs to be sloped like a NASCAR track! Then, instead of calling down and clear, we'll call through "turn 4"

.

EC

thecaptain · Post by **thecaptain** » Sat Dec 01, 2007 11:43 am

El Comat wrote:I thought the same thing the first time I went down Alpha on the day it opened. The corner needs to be sloped like a NASCAR track! Then, instead of calling down and clear, we'll call through "turn 4" .

EC

That's just hilarious. LOL.

Flying Low · Post by **Flying Low** » Sat Dec 01, 2007 1:16 pm

Just remember to use the parking brake to get the rear end to step out a little and then power your way through a la WRC!

Chuck Yeagermister · Post by **Chuck Yeagermister** » Sat Dec 01, 2007 8:46 pm

Awesome thread, was wondering when this was gonna come up. Apparently the old Alpha was to steep. how was this made better, now theres a hair pin turn and a huge cliff on one side. They should have the hairpin street sign right there for laughs.

water wings · Post by **water wings** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 7:00 am

i can't wait for the next freezing rain / melted snow day.. WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE - splunk!!
it's been snowing for 3 weeks up here (sorry GTA, we don't care about your little snow storm - welcome to canada) and most of the taxi ways and runways pretty much suck in NWO & Northern Manitoba as no one can keep up with the maintenance, but that design was piss poor and is asking for trouble.
Is there even a gradient to the inside of the turn? i couldn't feel / see one.

El Comat · Post by **El Comat** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 9:35 am

water wings wrote:Is there even a gradient to the inside of the turn? i couldn't feel / see one.

I don't think there is, but don't quote me on that.

BTD · Post by **BTD** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 9:50 am

Agreed. Could see this coming when they started grading for the new taxiway. Its only a matter of time.

185_guy · Post by **185_guy** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 10:05 pm

Just wait till spring, when all the snow melts, and washes away the bank holding up the taxiway.... to bad there's no grass on it!!

What a waste of money. Thanks Transport Canada.

sprucemonkey · Post by **sprucemonkey** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 12:50 am

cpl_atc wrote:
185_guy wrote: What a waste of money. Thanks Transport Canada.
"In 1974, the Municipality of Sioux Lookout bought the airport from the Federal Department of Transportation and has maintained the facility as a licensed public airport."

http://www.siouxlookoutairport.ca/aviationhistory.html

Poor service I must say. Is there ever going to be a place for us to hang out and watch some TV or grab a snooze besides the plane? Get some fuel within the same hour its ordered. Or a load with pax under supervision due to the deteriorating wx?

185_guy · Post by **185_guy** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 1:10 pm

cpl_atc,
I know the town owns the airport, but i cant see them coming up with that plan by themselves........

Liquid Charlie · Post by **Liquid Charlie** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 11:21 pm

Well if you go to airports and hang out unless you are in a major centre with with an FBO you are SOL and have to live with it -- mmmm -- maybe your employer should spring for a day room -- you should be turning your vent in that direction --

You might not think it but the Town has done reasonable job of improving the airport. I have lived in Sioux since 74 and if the town had not taken the airport over it was going to be shut down. The runway was extended from 2800 ft to 4200 ft - the old taxi way was straight down the hill -- I know cuz I took a ride down it when the brakes failed on a dc-3 -- ground looped to a stop in the abandoned runway area on the other side of the runway -- there was no terminal building in those days and the only hanger was Slate Falls Airways where the MOH is. FSS was an old shack about where the parking lot is today -- still a couple of the old FSS bunch in town -- Ron Bennett (was the manager) and Al Molstead --

Hookers had an old shack where we operated out of and about 78 Austins moved in and put up a trailer for their departure lounge -- Harvey built his first hanger little before and all airlines departed their skeds out of their own buildings --

Sioux has now extended the runway again (in fact we were scheduled to bring the NDP in during one of the recent elections with a 727 -- got scratched cuz the weather crapped out) -- It's like most other places the growth was never anticipated and now it's cramped and the real crime is that the way funds are alloted there is never sufficient monies to do jobs "properly" and you end up with "extreme taxiways" or terminal buildings that are too small.

El Comat · Post by **El Comat** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 6:57 am

Is "Doom and Gloom Al" still working the radio in YXL? I haven't heard him for a while. Everytime we'd call up, I swore we woke him from a deep sleep and scared the crap outta him....lol...always sounded like that. He sure was good though!

EC

Liquid Charlie · Post by **Liquid Charlie** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 7:25 am

No -- he retired several years ago - yup too funny Al had a very distinctive style on the radio --

the ndb for 34 didn't exist i those days it was a circling approach only -- Todays approach is what out home brew was back then with CBC radio as the FAF -- now the good thing was FSS could not see the runway those days unless they went out side -- they never cared much about the weather minimums in those days - the only guy I ever saw get violated was Max Shapiro(voyageur) -- who landed a Bch 18 on skis at the airport in a 1/4 mile vis - he requested a special - they refused cuz it was below limits - he had no where else to go because there was no ice so he landed anyway -- I was waiting to leave -- it was pretty funny -- the FSS guy didn't quite no what to do -- ah the good old days --

Dredgery · Post by **Dredgery** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 7:26 am

Al transferred to Sault St. Marie back in February. He said he wanted an easier job until retirement.

Liquid Charlie · Post by **Liquid Charlie** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 7:37 am

are we talking about the same guy -- the Al I am talking about has lived in Sioux forever and his wife sells houses there Molstad Realty --

Dredgery · Post by **Dredgery** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 7:43 am

Maybe not, I thought we were talking about Al P. And I thought Doom & Gloom was his nickname. Al M has been gone for at least seven years.

El Comat · Post by **El Comat** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 11:30 am

I was referring to Al P I guess. He is missed...I used to listen to his ATIS twice just for the fun of it! Sounds like YAM has the all-star cast now with Al, Dennis and Michel manning the tower (plus others I'm sure). I've got a lot of respect for the tower guys in YQT and YAM that can juggle 5 cessnas/zlins in the circuit, plus squeeze in all the IFR stuff. While I'm at it, might as well give props to the Sioux radio crew, you guys/gals are awesome.

EC

flyinhigh · Post by **flyinhigh** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 4:05 pm

When I was flying in there back in January Al P was still working. Although his style is alittle unorthodox still gets the job done.

Now back to the taxi way. Again was in there in January, have they changed what taxi way alpha was than to something new?
Just seems weird that Doc is on here complaining about it after flying in there for sooo many years

El Comat · Post by **El Comat** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 4:41 pm

Ya Alpha is totally different now. The ramp has been expanded west, and the entrance to Alpha is just to the left (if you're facing west) of the entrance to Bravo. It heads west for a bit (kind of parallel to Bravo) then does a very tight turn southward to parallel the runway. You enter the runway at the same point as the old Alpha.

EC

flyinhigh · Post by **flyinhigh** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 9:28 am

El Comat wrote:Ya Alpha is totally different now. The ramp has been expanded west, and the entrance to Alpha is just to the left (if you're facing west) of the entrance to Bravo. It heads west for a bit (kind of parallel to Bravo) then does a very tight turn southward to parallel the runway. You enter the runway at the same point as the old Alpha.

EC

WHAAAAA, yeah that sounds like the makes of YXL officials at there finest.

Good luck to you that are flyin in there this winter.