It looks to be a nice trip over some interesting terrain, with just
enough curveballs thrown in to give me some food for thought while planning.
RTH was interested to see if I could spot the potential issues. These included
cable launched hang gliders over Brougham, a VOR en route (need to watch out
for traffic practicing instrument approaches) and potential meat-bombs over Baldwin.
I also learned a really really important lesson about charts. I was
looking at the different classes of airspace we would be transiting and got confused. I’m very familiar with the class C airspace around
CYTZ. I know that I need permission from ATC to enter, rather than class D
airspace (like I encountered around CYOO) in which I just need to inform them
that I’m entering. A subtle but very important distinction. I was using these two types of airspace with
which I’m familiar to try and figure out what we would need to do around
Buttonville. And this is where it started to mess with my head, to me it looked
like all three zones were the same, and yet I knew this wasn’t the case. RTH
let me stew for a few minutes and then took pity on me.
Apparently the VTA chart I have on my kneeboard (probably one I
stole from RTH) is out of date, by about a year. The last major revision that
was made to it was changing the airspace around CYTZ from class D to class C.
An important lesson learnt here, if I wasn’t familiar with the control zone
around CYTZ I’d have messed up big time if I was using my out of date charts.
Apparently getting you to buy new ones periodically isn’t just a money making
scheme ( I have yet to be convinced by the three monthly CFS updates though!)
I look forward to reporting on the flight itself, watch this space
(weather permitting!)
Its worse than that. The cycle for the CFS is 8 weeks, not 3 months.
ReplyDeleteJeez! Well I guess we have plenty of trees to cut down
ReplyDeleteInteresting your comment about Class D airspace. The airport I fly from is in Class D. All instances of Class D airspace in NZ are centered around control towered airports, so a clearance is required to enter. That doesn't stop the 30 or so cases of airspace infringement a year that get filed.
ReplyDeleteAs far as my prectical understanding goes , the subtle difference between class D and C (usually due to airport size) . is that when entering the class D zone around a tower is I just have to say " hi here I am" when I eneter (preferably before) whereas around the class C I have to say " Hi I'm so and so please let me in!"
ReplyDeletemost of the smaller airports round here are class D . My home field is class D (its an international airport)
I get a bit nervous everytime I leave the zone to go to the practice area , as they technically don't have to let me back in.
I've had it once where we couldn't establish initial contact with tower and had to orbit while they eventually got back to us.
the airspace around here is a mess. Above the class D around my field is the terminal control area for Toronto international (the busiest airport in the country!)so even when in the class D stuff , I have to make sure I don't bust YYZ's airspace!
There is also a Mandatory frequency around the practice area in the class E airspace. A lot of people seem to forget this and blunder on through making no position calls whatsoever. Fun when you are doing upper airwork!