flightaware and Canada

[aviatoreb]

I have a question.  Does flightaware show progress for flights that overfly Canada?  Four part question:

 

-For flights that simply overfly but from and to a USA airport?

-For flights that start in USA and end in Canada?

-For flights that start in Canada and end in USA?

-For flights that start in Canada and terminate in Canada?

Why? Because I am planning some Canada flying late this week and I want to tell people who I will visit if they can anticipate my arrival based on watching flightaware.

[Joe Zuffoletto]

Well, after entering a few city pairs and surfing past flights it looks like their Canadian coverage is as good as their US coverage.

[Ned Gravel]

Yes. To all four questions. Sent from my iPad

[FBCK]

I believe you have to be IFR or controlled VFR to be on though.

[aviatoreb]

Hi all - thank you!

 

And I do plan to go IFR as I always do anyway on long cross countries.  I have New Brunswick later this week - my oldest son (16) and I are going to a fancy hunting/fishing lodge for some quality time together - and next month to Nova Scotia for a meeting of the Canadian Mathematical Society where I have a talk.

 

Isn't it a rule anyway that you are supposed to be on controlled VFR when going more than 25mi in Canada?

[Steve Dawson]

To the best of my knowledge controlled VFR isn't a rule. You do have to notify a responsble person (ie: wife or friend) where you're going.  

I've flown many times just letting the local controller where I'm going however it's probably wise to let someone know where, when and your ETA of course

[BorealOne]

Flight plans or 'flight itineraries' are mandatory >25 nm from point of departure. Controlled VFR is not, unless in Class B, overflying the Canada-US border or an ADIZ. Flight following is widely available and recommended in the southern part of the country. 

[FBCK]

No rule with regard to controlled VFR, but in most of Canada if you fly over 12500 you are in controlled airspace andif your VFR, that will be controlled then.  I will be going to Nova Scotia later this summer, is it a Halifax trip?

[yvesg]

I flew on a VFR flight plan this week-end and it does not show on flightaware.com

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/CFQKM

Yves

[rdav]

I'm a bit confused by the reference to controlled VFR. What do you mean by this? VFR flight in ANY controlled airspace? VFR that is always under air traffic control? VFR within radar coverage with an assigned transponder code?

All of my flights are VFR within Canada. The majority begin in a class C or D control zone, transit through class G or E airspace, and typically will end at a class C or D control zone. I'm always on a VFR flight plan. Does that mean that my flight may be on Flightaware and I don't even know it?

[BorealOne]

Good explanation of CVFR here:

 

http://bathursted.ccnb.nb.ca/vatcan/fir/moncton/WeeklyTopics/Archives/20040531/CurrentTopic.html

 

Flightaware usually only picks you up when you are operating under IFR, but CVFR (usually >12500) originating or terminating in Class B flights are sometimes picked up as you are, from a radar and separation perspective, treated as IFR, even though you are required to maintain VFR.

[aviatoreb]

Hi all - well I can report that flightaware did work for my flight to New Brunswick - hello from New Brunswick!

 

But another question occurs to me -

 

I prefiled my eapis for my return on Monday, for an 11am flight start to return to Burlington to check in at customs at 1pm.  And I know that I still need to phone ahead to Burlington's customs office before the flight to remind them I am coming.

 

Now suppose Monday comes and I wish to return earlier, like arrive Burlington at 11am, or maybe I want to return later, like 3pm.  Can I still fly these alterations on the same eapis filing as long as I properly phone to Burlington with my expected final actual arrival time?  Or do I need to cancel my current eapis and refile?  I do not remember reading anything about this in the eapis training materials.

[Steve Dawson]

If you saved your eapis manifest you can re-enter the updated information and then you will have to re-file it as well as phone CBP.

[kortopates]

I prefiled my eapis for my return on Monday, for an 11am flight start to return to Burlington to check in at customs at 1pm.  And I know that I still need to phone ahead to Burlington's customs office before the flight to remind them I am coming.

 

Now suppose Monday comes and I wish to return earlier, like arrive Burlington at 11am, or maybe I want to return later, like 3pm.  Can I still fly these alterations on the same eapis filing as long as I properly phone to Burlington with my expected final actual arrival time?  Or do I need to cancel my current eapis and refile?  I do not remember reading anything about this in the eapis training materials.

 

Yes, you can still fly on the same eAPIS manifest providing, the flight is the same day and to the same airport. If not, we must re-file unless the change is due to some kind of emergency or weather diversion situation. But when returning as planned to the eAPIS filed return airport on the same day, yet with a different time: you’ll still need to give an updated ETA to Customs within 30 minutes of arrival. Phone is one option, but generally checking in with FSS on the radio before getting to the border while still at least 30 minutes out before your ETA is the easiest way. FSS will notify customs of your updated ETA for you. You have to contact FSS before the border anyway for a border crossing squawk and activate your border x-ing flight plan (assuming VFR) so might as well contact them earlier to take care of your 30 min ETA update at the same time.

[Mooneyjet]

Flight aware works the same as in the USA, however if you ask for Vfr flight following it won't show up like in the USA.

[aviatoreb]

Well - home safe and sound since yesterday.  Flightaware works.

 

A bit of commotion on the way back.  With two stories in one.

 

I was delayed two hours coming back but called ahead to Burlington and they said I could use the sam eapis filing since I had called. But then when ready to leave, on the taramac in NB, things were just going slower so I called ahead to Burlington a second time to say I might be another 30 min late and they said I can't do that.  Said I was already late and I can't come.  I was confused - I can't come back to the USA I thought?!  He wasn't offering me any alternatives and I repeated the question because I was confused.  So he said a C117 was coming back with a plane full of military folks and they would be completely occupied for hours with them and I would either need to be before or after the military jet.  So I thought for a second if I should do a new eapis for somewhere else, but I decided to hustle.  I had made a flight plan for a modest fuel miser mode and decided this is one of those times to push it.  SO off I went lickety split.  ...but winds aloft were more than predicted.  I was making 180+ over the ground despite 205 through the air.  I got there still 15 min late and I was sure they would hold me sitting in the airplane for several hours while they were away with the military.  Luckily the C117 was also late -  maybe the same headwinds.  But something tells me they were not coming from fishing in New Brunswick.  After 5 min of leaving me sitting they came out with dogs, then geiger then a new guy came after awhile with questions and I was released.

 

And the C117 arrived 5 min after that.  I was amazed to see this massive airplane land on the long BTV runway but use only what appeared to be like 1000ft!  That thing sure can reverse thruster.

 

My plan was to quick relaunch but I had a flat!  On front nose wheel.  See picture.  It flatted in just the few minutes since I was parked since there was no issue with roll out or even with taxi'ing.  Now what would cause it to flat just like that?  If I knew better I would say the border patrol officers slashed my tires!

 

Luckily at that spot I was just 400 yards from a major maintenance facility, so it was not much of a delay to repair.  They put my front wheel on a tow truck that looked like a gurney for airplanes....and dragged me in.  They found that the tube was cracked and oldish and it was "just its time" - maybe sitting on the hot taramac was the last straw for it.

 

Wow - what a great weekend with my son we had.

[aviatoreb]

Hi All, Rather than opening a new thread - I have a new question which I am posting to my old Canada flying thread.

 

So the last trip to Canada last month was a big success, to Moncton New Brunswick for Atlantic Salmon fishing.

 

Now next week I have a conference business trip to Nova Scotia.  I will fly into Debert using my canpass privileges.  Debert is a nontowered airport.

 

 

I have a rural IFR in Canada question.  So I know how to file an IFR flight plan in Canada and I have opened it in the air there, but how do I open an IFR flight plan on the ground in case of IFR conditions there.  I am guessing it is the same as in the USA where I call some phone number on the ground to open the flightplan before I depart, and receive my way points, squak (but I get the squak when I file in Canada I see, that's nice), departure frequencies, and void time and so forth.  Where do I find that phone number so I know where to call.

For that matter, what phone number to I call to close a flight plan on the ground in case I need to fly in IFR and carry that flight plan to the ground.  When I did that in Moncton the airport FBO was manned and they did it with me - and I forgot to ask for the phone number for next time.  In fact I bet Debert is also manned and they could help me with both of these phone number questions but just in case, any hints now would be great.

 

Thanks,
Erik

[yvesg]

Erik, the area control center phone number for Debert (Moncton) is 1-866-480-8200 or 506-867-7177. To file your flight plan (and get briefing) it is 1-866-GOMETEO or 1-866-WXBRIEF. All this info is from the Canada Flight Supplement, large grey book that costs $20 every 2 months.

Yves

[BorealOne]

Or you can just use fltplan.com...

[aviatoreb]

Thank you both.  But I was not asking how to file a flight plan.  I was asking how to open a flight plan on the ground in case I am departing from an untowered airport into IMC to low to pick it up in the air.  In the USA I do that with a phone number I have on speed dial.  Was that the phone number you were giving me Yves?

[Ned Gravel]

Aviatoreb:

 

For uncontrolled airports, we don't normally open on the ground and I do not believe there are dedicated phone numbers for that purpose.  Normally, it is an automatic open at a specified time.  Then you are in the system.  I have heard of one instance or two where you get to open on the ground, but I do not know where that was.

 

If you filed IFR, you can open with the closest tower/terminal/centre frequency specified for your instrument departure

 

If you are departing from an airport with control facilities, some will require you to speak to clearance delivery even if VFR.  Once airborne, the tower opens the plan.

 

Hope this helps.

 

The numbers Yves gave you are for filing, not opening, the flight plan.  

[yvesg]

Erik, I called Moncton center (just before I wrote you this) and they gave me another number for you to call to get your clearance, on the ground from Debert. It is:

506-867-7281

Yves

[aviatoreb]

Oh wow - thank you Yves, that is perfect!

 

And edgagravel, thank you too!

[Ned Gravel]

Yves:

 

Thanks for that one.  I was wrong, obviously for that part of Canada.  Do you know if we have a similar one in the NCR?

[yvesg]

Erik, I have not tried this number myself. Just in case I would call them ahead to confirm that this is good.

Ned, it all depends if the airport in question lies or not in controlled airspace. I pulled out my LO8 and Debert is in controlled airspace.

I just found on Internet some relevant info. about this if you are interested. This would explain why we have another number.

http://bathursted.ccnb.nb.ca/vatcan/fir/moncton/WeeklyTopics/Archives/20040321/CurrentTopic.html

Yves

C-FQKM