Buzzed by an RJ/Challenger in YVR?

[Topspin]

I live about 1 NM northeast of YVR. You can imagine my surprise thursday at noon when I stepped out my door, heard a roar, looked up and saw an RJ or Challenger heading North at around what I'm guessing to be well below 1000 AGL.

They were using 26R Arr, 26L Dep, and the aircraft was heading roughly due north from about 1 mile short of the 26R threshold. Shortly after it turned west bound but appeared to be in level flight.

The weather was nice, this strikes me as a bizarre path for a go around, plus it was definitely not climbing. I would put it probably at about 600 feet, but that constitutes a WAG as my aspect was from directly below. There is no CADOR. I'm wondering what it could possibly have been? Perhaps a government owned doing olympic security tests?

[PT6-114A]

nav canada checking the ILS??

[Ralliart]

Definitely sounds like a NavCanada flight inspection:

[Topspin]

Intersting, thanks.

Flight path was perpendicular to the localizer though? That would be a heck of a course change at altitude that low.

[sideslip]

sounds like nav canada, I've seen them inspect 26R with a hard right turn northbound at minimums.

[Pratt X 3]

Here you go:
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/NVC1 ... /CYVR/CYVR

[Topspin]

Here you go:
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/NVC1 ... /CYVR/CYVR

Wow, that's something.

Thanks.

[taylor498]

Found this on YVR's website.

I remember seeing a notice for flight checks early april, but the notice is down now.

[linecrew]

It had to be one of the 2 RJs as the Challengers have been retired.

[nookie201]

Wonder why they can't do that in a PC12 or something in that price range, it may reduce my daily charge ?, which IMO is a rip.

-G

[AuxBatOn]

Wonder why they can't do that in a PC12 or something in that price range, it may reduce my daily charge ?, which IMO is a rip.

-G

1- I think they have extra kit in the back
2- How long/How much money would it take for a PC-12 to go from YOW to YVR?

[MUSKEG]

They used to use a CL601 but moved over to the RJ. The back has mega equipment in it for sensing anomilies. Plus I think it travels with a crew of about 5, so a PC12 wouldn't even come close to requirments. If we want integrity in the nav system then this is a good place to spend it.

[linecrew]

Also heard that the RJ's were offered at a price cheaper than anything else suitable for the job including replacement Challengers.

[5400AirportRdSouth]

It was FIO, scarin the locals.....

I've always wondered why the need to do the low passes in a clean configuration. If somethings happens at 100 feet....??

Even the crew mentioned that they get no end of panicked radio calls from other aircraft...YOUR GEAR IS UP!!

I'm sure there is a valid reason for this, as it seems way too cowboy to be " just cuz ". anyone know?

[costermonger]

It was FIO, scarin the locals.....

I've always wondered why the need to do the low passes in a clean configuration. If somethings happens at 100 feet....??

Even the crew mentioned that they get no end of panicked radio calls from other aircraft...YOUR GEAR IS UP!!

I'm sure there is a valid reason for this, as it seems way too cowboy to be " just cuz ". anyone know?

On that note, over the last couple years I've seen lots of Excels come into YKF for some sort of fairly extensive avionics work, and during the test flights they'd regularly conduct an approach followed up by a clean pass down the full length of the runway at what looked like about 200" AGL. No idea what they were installing in those planes, so I haven't a clue as to the "why" for these low passes. These Excels had N registry markings but they were also covered in Chinese script.

Can anybody offer any insight?

[ktcanuck]

a couple of possibilities: 1. staying clean eliminates pitch changes, might make the calibration easier and must make it easier to fly the profile; 2. A clean aircraft has a cleaner electromagnetic profile for receive antennas.

[linecrew]

If you look at the pic I posted the flaps are not fully retrcated...proably flap 15 or 20. They likely need to keep the speed up to get all their runs completed in as short amount of time as possible. Time is money and it would also impact traffic at the location they are working at, no?

[Blakey]

I live about 1 NM northeast of YVR. You can imagine my surprise thursday at noon when I stepped out my door, heard a roar, looked up and saw an RJ or Challenger heading North at around what I'm guessing to be well below 1000 AGL.
I would put it probably at about 600 feet, but that constitutes a WAG as my aspect was from directly below. There is no CADOR. I'm wondering what it could possibly have been? Perhaps a government owned doing olympic security tests?

600'AGL is "buzzed"? A CADOR for flying 600'AGL one mile from an airport? You'd best stay out there in lotus land; if you move to Trenton, you'll be thinking it's 9-11 all over again!

[CitationSov]

we hangar the a/c when it is needed.

I think the reason for using the RJ is the amount of equipment they have in the rear. It is quite a sight to see.

Also yes they run the a/c with a crew of 5-6.

Plus it is the Government.... why not go over kill in the type of a/c......

[Elliot Moose]

The RJ's were purchased used. If memory serves they were ex Fly I aircraft and they got good birds for an excellent price. Lots were for sale for $9mil or less. Those things were in the barn for between 6months and a year getting retrofitted with all the sensing gear, etc. Small aircraft won't carry all the crap they need for the job and as mentioned above, they have to cover a lot of ground, so a two day ferry across the country isn't practical. The RJ is very good on gas and of course the Nav Canada fees aren't really an issue for those folks. Oh and for a given altitude it is quieter than lots of prop planes and almost any other jet, so despite the low passes, it doesn't rattle the windows nearly so bad as the alternatives when conducting the above.

Keeping the gear up and doing tight low patterns saves on gas and gear cycles (every time you move it, it costs you money). If one isn't going to land anyway, then why drag the gear around?

[xsbank]

They must have changed the gear horn mute logic.

Thanks for the good post, Elliott.

[Topspin]

600'AGL is "buzzed"? A CADOR for flying 600'AGL one mile from an airport? You'd best stay out there in lotus land; if you move to Trenton, you'll be thinking it's 9-11 all over again!

Hey mate, we've got a couple 15 story buildings in the neighborhood. That's a little close for me, I'd have a buzz in my shorts flying that. And like I said, it was a WAG.

[linecrew]

Plus it is the Government.... why not go over kill in the type of a/c......

LOL! I love how people still think that this is true.

The CRJ's were purchsed for cheaper than if they had gone with Learjets...and no, Nav Can is not government. TC is but they aren't.

The users/customers paid for these planes through service fees.

[MUSKEG]

Even a king air has gear cycle time constraints to allow for cooling of the gear motor. 5400 do you really think that putting the gear down will help in the event of what? Engine failure, climb away, bird strike, climb away (unless of course 2 get it) but at the speed they travel doing those tests an aggressive climb just on energy. They have thought this through. Leaving the gear down for this is a hindrance period. When we trained on the Be 02 we would leave the gear down for multiple circuits. Why are people so scared of anything out of the ordinary? It seems that some think if they can't do it then it must be dangerous for everybody.

[x15]

With a super critical wing they are probably doing approachs in the 180-200 knot range in comparison to 140's with the gear and flap 45.

I see them at Buttonville testing the localizer every six months or so.

Even if they put the gear down and slowed down to 140ish with flap 45 they would have to follow the profile right down to the piano keys to have a chance of stopping on a runway length >4000'. If they lost an engine at minimums the result would be a single engine low energy go around a tricky bit of business.

Leaving the flaps and gear up combined with excess kinetic energy seems safer given their mission.