by James Kerwin, Unit Operations Specialist, Langley Tower, NAV CANADA
NAV CANADA distinguishes between “the big four” instrument flight rules (IFR) control towers, which are Toronto (YYZ), Vancouver (YVR), Calgary (YYC) and Montreal (YUL), and “the rest” of the visual flight rules (VFR) towers. Many people do not realize that these smaller towers offer tours of their facilities, which is an invaluable way for pilots to gain a new perspective on operations at their home airports. Seeing the operation from both sides of the mic benefits local and general understanding of the airspace and airport. That understanding is vital for the safety of the aviation system.
Flight safety is key, and in our business, communication is king
Flight schools should encourage their students to try a tour of the local tower early in their flight training and to bring their instructors along. Seeing the tower operation in person gives the student pilots the ability to meet the typically friendly airport controllers and to see the operations from the tower's perspective. We are people and not just a voice on the radio. A little familiarity can reduce the anxiety of student pilots when they are doing their first few radio transmissions. Less anxiety leaves more brain power available to focus on important things, like flying the aircraft. Additionally, controllers gain from meeting pilots. It is beneficial when they hear the pilot’s experiences, especially the controllers who have never flown an aircraft. It is harder for controllers to understand the pilot’s perspective if they have never flown themselves. They learn the impact their clearances and instructions can have. On the other hand, some air traffic controllers are also pilots, and it is easy for them to forget what it is like in the cockpit versus in the tower. With that said, giving pilots and controllers an opportunity to discuss procedures and to ask each other questions reduces confusion and enhances understanding, which ultimately increases flight safety.
Control zones
Airspace immediately surrounding or adjacent to a control zone can be a grey area for pilots. It feels like “no man’s land.” However, the important thing is that pilots contact the tower in a timely manner when they are looking to enter the control zone. This gives the controller time to talk to the pilot and figure out where the pilot is and what their intentions are. This, in turn, allows the controller to make a plan that includes the pilot.
Some airspace in Canada is very condensed, and there are a lot of different frequencies being used in a very small geographical area. For example, there are six Class C (control zones) within 25 nautical miles of the Greater Vancouver Area, and even more Class F (advisory areas), and each of these has different frequencies.
Figure 1: example of the eastern side of the Fraser Valley
See the image (Figure 1) for an example of the eastern side of the Fraser Valley. Keep in mind that the west side of the valley not shown contains the Vancouver, Boundary Bay and Vancouver Harbour towers.
The airspace between the control zones can often be just as busy as the control zones themselves. These tend to be the areas where flight schools’ visits to the tower shine, as their instructors will be able to pass along the local expertise at an early stage. For general aviation (GA) pilots who learned to fly in a different region, the challenge is greater. GA pilots will have to study the VFR terminal areas (VTAs) and VFR navigation charts (VNCs) closely and hopefully supplement their knowledge with their visit to their “home tower.”
Airport controllers will show what they see out the window and on the situational display (radar screen). They also tell pilots some of the best practices to help navigate through congested airspace. In the Greater Vancouver Area, if a pilot calls two or three nautical miles away, they might be in the wrong control zone, in a Class F practice area or on a different frequency than all the other pilots in their vicinity. The call up location is a fine line because if they call too late, they might accidentally enter a control zone or be in a direct conflict with traffic leaving that control zone. If they call too early, a pilot may miss important traffic information in the immediate vicinity. It is always preferrable for pilots to call early if they are in doubt and to let the controller know that they are unfamiliar with the area. If they have done their due diligence studying the local charts, they will be fine, but they should never hesitate to ask for additional assistance and guidance. Most importantly, if they are unsure of where they are, they should let the controller know.
Phraseology guides
NAV CANADA has published a VFR phraseology guide that is available as a PDF, which can be found on their Website. The guide is meant for general purposes and doesn’t include all the useful tidbits you would get from stepping foot into the tower cab. Some of the tips you will get on a tower visit include but are not limited to:
- The difference between “say again” and “I don’t understand”: There is a difference between not hearing what the controller said and not understanding what the controller said.
- If a pilot is lost or unsure, they should let the controller know. If the controller knows that they are unfamiliar, they will have different clearances and instructions to help them gain situational awareness.
- Pilots are NAV CANADA’s customers; we have their best interests in mind and work to give them what they want, but it’s a delicate balance with what everyone else wants, too. Controllers prioritize requests based on two general principles: 1) first come first served, and 2) least average delay to the system.
- Pilots should keep the local control tower phone numbers saved in their phone in the event they experience a NORDO situation. A tower can give a clearance to enter the control zone and land over the phone. This is usually simpler and safer than flying a full NORDO approach procedure.
- If we pass traffic information to two aircraft and one pilot reports the other in sight, it becomes that pilot’s responsibility to maintain separation from the other aircraft. Of course, if the situation isn’t clear, don’t guess; tell the controller and get clarification.
Not an aviator? There is something for you too!
Lastly, tower tours are not just for aviators or aviation enthusiasts. We welcome everyone to see what we are all about. Not many people get to see what air traffic controllers do and how they interact with aircraft. The experience can be very memorable, especially for kids and teens. NAV CANADA is hiring, and the more people that are exposed to what we do, the better it is for us now and for the future.
Unfortunately, not all towers can accommodate tours due to available staffing, training in the tower cab, or the facility location may preclude tours entirely. Each tower has a different operation and flow of traffic. However, there may be other towers and flight service stations in the area that can accommodate a tour.
To set up a tower tour, email NAV CANADA’s customer service at service@navcanada.ca to arrange a date and time for the tour. Hope to see you soon!