While other airports may have air traffic
The original tower opened in 1940. Fun Facts
The first tower at Winnipeg airport was a 16-square-foot unit set on 35-foot steel legs.
The tower is responsible for all aircraft operating within a seven-nautical-mile radius at 3,000 feet and under, as well as those within a 13-nautical-mile radius flying between 2,000 and 3,000 feet.
Winnipeg Richardson International Airport had 125,000 arrivals and departures last year.
July is usually the busiest month for aircraft movements.
On an average weekday there are 450 flights, 225 land- ings and 225 takeoffs. Weekdays are 50 per cent busier than weekends.
The tower gets a rush hour, just like Winnipeg’s streets. The average busiest hour is between three and four in the afternoon with over 30 airplane movements (on average one every two minutes).
NAV CANADA conducts all of its own training in Winni- peg. Suitable candidates spend several months in class- rooms and simulators before commencing on-the-job training with an instructor. The entire process takes 14 to 18 months. Even experienced controllers must undergo four to five months of additional training to work at Winni- peg tower.
Air traffic controllers are responsible for maintaining their licence and medical clearance, which follows the same health criteria as that of pilots.
Airlines fly under IFR (instrument flight rules) and are given a squawk code which identifies them on the radar screens. As an additional layer of safety airlines fly with transponders that receive and submit information. Part of that system is the TCAS, the traffic collision avoidance system, available on all major airlines. TCAS will notify pilots if they are in danger of coming too close to another aircraft. Air traffic controllers work to ensure that never happens.
Not all areas of Canadian airspace are under radar cover- age; however NAV CANADA is part of an international joint venture called Aireon which will be launching a form of surveillance on satellites, and will provide air traffic control surveillance across the planet by 2017.
68 • Winter 2014
volumes that exceed those of Winnipeg, the diversity of air- craft flown here can add complexity to the job of providing air traffic control.
Chad Wassing working ground (right) and Kerry Berger working the tower position.
seamlessly executed. Like conducting a symphony air traffic control requires a degree of sophistication and seriousness of purpose. Winnipeg Richardson International Airport is a complex
airport and providing air traffic control services here requires attention to the different types of aircraft that use our air- port. Te presence of a military base on the aerodrome makes operations here unique. Passenger airlines, cargo planes, military aircraft, pilots in training, small commuter jets all vie for use of the runways. Tis makes Winnipeg different from other larger airports where traffic consists mainly of passenger airlines and the types of aircraft flown are more consistent. While other airports may have air traffic volumes that exceed those of Winnipeg, the diversity of aircraft flown here can add complexity to the job of providing air traffic control. But for many of those in the Winnipeg Tower this diversity is what makes the job interesting, watching alpha jets fly patterns or do touch and goes between flights adds some spice to the day. Confusing? Not really, because everyone has a precise role
to play as part of the whole. Departing aircrafts on a flight plan will first speak with the clearance delivery person, who will pass them to ground. Ground will guide the plane safely to the threshold of the runway. Tower will then take over, clearing the takeoff and remaining in contact until the plane has exited their airspace. Te flight is then handed off to an area controller colleague, who will change as the flight pro- gresses over different airspace. Once the flight nears its des- tination, the area controller will hand it off to the new tower controller and when the plane is safely on the ground, ground control will direct it to its gate. Whew! Tat’s a lot of control- lers ensuring your flight leaves and arrives safely! A special thanks to Terry Ferguson, Jerry Hildebrand, Jim
Boyd, Jim Campbell, Tyler Froese, Ian Reid, Ryan Tardi and Isaak Skuce for sharing their world with Te Hub. It was en- lightening.
The Hub
Photo courtesy of Nav Canada.
Photo courtesy of Nav Canada.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96