In this day and age, we are all well familiar with the wonderful array of aviation services that can be found online. All manner of information, from aviation weather to aeronautical regulations is at our fingertips as long as we have internet access. While many of those services are well loved and well used, there are a few other resources floating around the world wide web that pilots are generally not that well aware of. Today we'll look at some of the lesser known gems available on the Nav Canada web site -- the people who bring you ATC, air traffic services, aviation charts and weather resources.
1. Aviation Weather Services Guide
Even an experienced user of the Aviation Weather Services Website will find tidbits of useful information in this comprehensive but not overwhelming Nav Canada guide. And if you're a student pilot, this is a great introduction to accessing and interpreting Canadian aviation weather products, as well as gaining an understanding of the Nav Canada flight information centers network
2. Local Weather Manuals
These are invaluable supplements to your met studies! Each manual begins with a chapter on general meteorology, and then proceed to delve into specifics of regional weather patterns in different parts of Canada. A great resource for gaining a deeper understanding of the climate in your home region, as well as an overview of weather trends in different parts of the country you might fly to some day, right down to prevailing weather analysis for specific airports!
3. Canadian NOTAM Procedures Manual
Let's face it, NOTAMs do not always get the attention they deserve. In a training environment, there is so much information to cram into a student's head that NOTAMs, while getting a mention, are usually not explained in very much detail. Canadian NOTAM Procedures Manual will help you close any gaps you have in your understanding of the NOTAM system in Canada. Something to read if you can't go flying!
4. Designated Airspace Handbook
You may have heard this title mentioned in your ground school, but have you ever looked at the actual document? This is THE guide to airspace in Canada -- where it is, what it is, who is in charge of a particular area/segment. It answers questions like "Whom do I call to obtain permission to fly through a restricted area?" and "How big is the control zone around Halifax International?" It also can be used to clarify exactly which class of airspace you would encounter at a particular geographic point (near busier airports, things get so crowded both laterally and vertically that sometimes it can be tricky to figure out the airspace structure from a chart like a VNC or a VTA). The Designated Airspace Textbook in text format, not graphical, so best used in conjunction with a chart.
5. Collaborative Flight Planning System
Did you know you could file a flight plan online? The CFPS allows to create an account with templates for various flights, so if you always fly a certain aircraft along a particular route, for example, you could fill in those details, save the template, and only add a couple of variables like number of passengers and departure and arrival times. Another advantage of filing online is the availability of fields not present on a standard flight plan form. For example, if you carry a tracking device with you, that updates the aircraft's position at selected time intervals and posts them online, you can provide a URL for the tracking website, so Nav Canada has the record of your actual routing in real time even in a non-radar environment!
Even an experienced user of the Aviation Weather Services Website will find tidbits of useful information in this comprehensive but not overwhelming Nav Canada guide. And if you're a student pilot, this is a great introduction to accessing and interpreting Canadian aviation weather products, as well as gaining an understanding of the Nav Canada flight information centers network
2. Local Weather Manuals
These are invaluable supplements to your met studies! Each manual begins with a chapter on general meteorology, and then proceed to delve into specifics of regional weather patterns in different parts of Canada. A great resource for gaining a deeper understanding of the climate in your home region, as well as an overview of weather trends in different parts of the country you might fly to some day, right down to prevailing weather analysis for specific airports!
3. Canadian NOTAM Procedures Manual
Let's face it, NOTAMs do not always get the attention they deserve. In a training environment, there is so much information to cram into a student's head that NOTAMs, while getting a mention, are usually not explained in very much detail. Canadian NOTAM Procedures Manual will help you close any gaps you have in your understanding of the NOTAM system in Canada. Something to read if you can't go flying!
4. Designated Airspace Handbook
You may have heard this title mentioned in your ground school, but have you ever looked at the actual document? This is THE guide to airspace in Canada -- where it is, what it is, who is in charge of a particular area/segment. It answers questions like "Whom do I call to obtain permission to fly through a restricted area?" and "How big is the control zone around Halifax International?" It also can be used to clarify exactly which class of airspace you would encounter at a particular geographic point (near busier airports, things get so crowded both laterally and vertically that sometimes it can be tricky to figure out the airspace structure from a chart like a VNC or a VTA). The Designated Airspace Textbook in text format, not graphical, so best used in conjunction with a chart.
5. Collaborative Flight Planning System
Did you know you could file a flight plan online? The CFPS allows to create an account with templates for various flights, so if you always fly a certain aircraft along a particular route, for example, you could fill in those details, save the template, and only add a couple of variables like number of passengers and departure and arrival times. Another advantage of filing online is the availability of fields not present on a standard flight plan form. For example, if you carry a tracking device with you, that updates the aircraft's position at selected time intervals and posts them online, you can provide a URL for the tracking website, so Nav Canada has the record of your actual routing in real time even in a non-radar environment!