NW Ontario Airports, RANT.

[ski_bum]

Well everyone here goes...

WHY in NW Ontario do they build brand new terminals with no pay phones? No phones in sight? Why is there never an MTO guy around, and then if they are they give you attitude about using their phone?? In this day and age, how hard is it to install a pay phone for people to use? Pilots need phones, checking weather shouldn't be a hassle or luxery, closing flight plans shouldn't be a panic... All I can say is this is rediculous!!! MB has pay phones at every place, why can't Ontario??

I am going to go on another rant too, Door Codes. Just a thought, why not make them standard to pilots, or even better yet, publish them in the CFS. That would make things so much easier.

Deep Breath...

Ahhhh.

[Liquid Charlie]

tell your company not to be so cheap and get a sat phone if the fone call is for flight following -- and why isn't ontario into a CARs program -- I had problems closing flight plans in the high arctic -- I'll tell you after a couple of fone searches and calls from atc looking for us the company had a sat phone as soon as they had their eyes opened -- sometimes a hammer is needed to make them pay attention.

[bob sacamano]

You shoulda flew in last month or before, NAC used to bring their own phone. The agent will be seen walking up to the shack, ehem, terminal, and plug in that pretty white phone.

[Doc]

I guess you've never seen what happens to a pay phone in NW Ontario? It gets destroyed. Like everything else "they" didn't have to pay for.

[small penguin]

One has to wonder why the thread starter doesnt have a cell phone. You know those nifty things that have made pay phones a thing of the past!

As for airport door codes, they are there as security. So that only authorized personnel may enter. Such as airport employees, or pilots with business at the airport. Some jackoff could EASILY buy or steal a CFS and get door codes for all major airports in the country!

[just curious]

One has to wonder why the thread starter doesnt have a cell phone. You know those nifty things that have made pay phones a thing of the past!

Oh, Pengy!

I have to admire your optimisim about Telus Mobility, or Bell, or Rogers. But... clearly, you have a distorted idea of the makeup of northwestern Ontario. Possibly most of Canada north of the Trans Canada. Maybe not. But villages of 500- 1000 people separated by 50 miles from their neighbors, with no land connection between them, are unlikely to see cell service anytime soon.

[small penguin]

satellite phone then, whatever.

[CP]

Penguin wrote

One has to wonder why the thread starter doesnt have a cell phone. You know those nifty things that have made pay phones a thing of the past!

We Know where you never fly!

[small penguin]

I know all you .... special people... also assume Im some bus driver too

[Starsky]

satellite phone then, whatever.

My sat phone only works on sunny days and even then you have to invest at least 15min to get it to connect. The calls usually get dropped half way through.

[Red Line]

As for airport door codes, they are there as security. So that only authorized personnel may enter. Such as airport employees, or pilots with business at the airport. Some jackoff could EASILY buy or steal a CFS and get door codes for all major airports in the country!

These aren't major airports, and I'd hardly call them terminals. Just little shacks with a counter and if you're lucky a working shitter. No security concerns, nothing to seal, as someone already mentioned when the sked is gone, the agent unplugs the phone and takes it with them! I'd hazard a guess that more locals know the doors codes than pilots anyway!

[Liquid Charlie]

There's the solution then -- moccasin telegraph -- so why does one need a phone there anyway -- never did figure that one out.

[CLguy]

Penguin wrote:

I know all you .... special people... also assume Im some bus driver too

Well, what we do know for sure is that you have never piloted an airplane in Northwestern Ontario or anywhere near it!

[BuckNiner]

One has to wonder why the thread starter doesnt have a cell phone. You know those nifty things that have made pay phones a thing of the past!

Ahhhhhh hahh haha hahahahahah!!!!! Small Penguin!!! Ahahahahahaha!!!! I take it you're from southern ontario? Oh the things you'd learn up here!!! That has to be the most blatant display of ignorance I've seen here on Avcanada.

[small penguin]

Perhaps. I didnt care to pay attention to the entire thread. I still find it stupid complaining about a pay phone. Its fucking 2008! Im sure 126.7Mhz works fine up there as it does everywhere else I've flown. Im sure your operator can afford a decent satellite phone.

Yea, I havent flown to bum @#$! nowhere. Havent had a need to.

[lilfssister]

http://www.navcanada.ca/ContentDefiniti ... ure_en.pdf

126.7 is no longer the RCO "everywhere".

[200hr Wonder]

Perhaps. I didnt care to pay attention to the entire thread. I still find it stupid complaining about a pay phone. Its fucking 2008! Im sure 126.7Mhz works fine up there as it does everywhere else I've flown. Im sure your operator can afford a decent satellite phone.

Yea, I havent flown to bum @$#! nowhere. Havent had a need to.

Now you are just getting defensive small penguin, can I suggest you give up before you dig an even BIGGER hole?

[2milefinal]

...this just keeps getting better

[Chuck Ellsworth]

Small Penguin let me help you out here, you are getting verbally sodomized by pilots here.

My people do not communicate like the whities, we use smoke to send our messages.

Especially in the summer season when we set fire to the forest to send a smoke message south that we need more money.

Works every time.

[snoopy]

"Im sure 126.7Mhz works fine up there as it does everywhere else I've flown."

Of course, you may remember from flight school - how ever long ago that was... VHF reception distance is 1.2 x square root of your altitude. So, you're on the ground in NW (Canada), and the nearest FSS or ground radio station is at minimum 200-500 miles away... you do the math.

[small penguin]

Of course I learned that in ground school

*shrugs* again, maybe cause Im GA you bus drivers do it different, if Im on a flight plan, I close on 126.7 BEFORE landing. If I want the weather, the folks at 126.7 give that to me as well.

You guys laugh at me for that, I laugh at you for that.

The commercial aviation community of AvCanada! Always bitching and complaining about something (cause you know, they have so much time on their hands when theres a thread complaining about lack of sleep )

[snoopy]

Penguin, well I suppose we can forgive you if you're GA... Now you know something about the north - and not just Ontario either!

In all seriousness though, something to consider - if you close your flight plan BEFORE you land, nobody will know to look for you if you have a mishap on landing. I know, it will probably never happen to you, but then again... There is a lot that can go wrong in the short time/distance between altitude and short final - and the Flight Plan is your Ace in the Hole.

Just some food for thought.

Cheers,
Snoopy

[lilfssister]

You beat me to it snoopy

[small penguin]

snoopy, whenever I file... and if its not a towered airport that closes for me, I wait until I have visual contact with the airport at about 5-8nm, I'll usually make a call on ATF frequency and announce my arrival, then switch to 126.7 and tell them I have airport in sight and request flight plan closed. I make sure they know Im still flying. IF anything happens, well, odds are I can walk out of it and find civilization nearby. Most airports I fly to (On, Que, NS, NB, PEI, NL) are decently close to some form of civilization. The portable VHF, cellphone help too. If I happen to crash and die, then theres no rush for SAR to find a corps.

I should also point out my "at altitude" flying is generally about 2500ft. I've never really bothered going much higher, I like the view from "down there"

[200hr Wonder]

snoopy, whenever I file... and if its not a towered airport that closes for me, I wait until I have visual contact with the airport at about 5-8nm, I'll usually make a call on ATF frequency and announce my arrival, then switch to 126.7 and tell them I have airport in sight and request flight plan closed. I make sure they know Im still flying. IF anything happens, well, odds are I can walk out of it and find civilization nearby. Most airports I fly to (On, Que, NS, NB, PEI, NL) are decently close to some form of civilization. The portable VHF, cellphone help too. If I happen to crash and die, then theres no rush for SAR to find a corps.

I should also point out my "at altitude" flying is generally about 2500ft. I've never really bothered going much higher, I like the view from "down there"

Hey small penguin, most accidents occur during landing IE in the circuit or closer. Still think it is a good idea to close in the air?