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Old 04-13-2011, 10:43 PM   #61
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Dunno why all the hate for YYC.
Yup, and I've even seen glowing reports out of Frankfurt which I find dreadfully boring to spend more than 2 hours in. Frankfurt is a large, large hub and it's designed to be efficient but not necessarily pleasant.

I'd much rather be stranded for a day in YYC than FRA. Of course a day in FRA means you could jump on the train and head into town for more entertainment than you could shake a stick at...
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Old 04-15-2011, 09:15 AM   #62
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Yup, and I've even seen glowing reports out of Frankfurt which I find dreadfully boring to spend more than 2 hours in. Frankfurt is a large, large hub and it's designed to be efficient but not necessarily pleasant.

I'd much rather be stranded for a day in YYC than FRA. Of course a day in FRA means you could jump on the train and head into town for more entertainment than you could shake a stick at...
See to an Avgeek like me FRA is heaven. I could sit by a window and watch the planes there all day (so many heavies!). They also have a great spotting area on the east side of the field right underneath the runways (it's always packed with spotters and the sound of lots of cameras clicking as planes roar overhead).

However I could see trying to spend a night there becoming very uncomfortable.

I've slept overnight in EZE (Buenos Aires) and DEL (the old terminal). EZE was ok, but we ended up sleeping on a wide window ledge on the second floor. DEL was a dump and I didn't sleep, just kept drinking chai all night long!

I was just through YYZ terminal 3 a couple of weeks ago. YYC had MANY more options pre-security for food and relaxing than T3. We even went over to the new T1 and for its size you would think there would be more before security, but there really isn't much at all.

YYC punches pretty good for its weight, and with the new terminal I'm sure it will get even better.
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Old 04-16-2011, 02:39 PM   #63
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Ya I don't really get the hate for YYC either, maybe not the best organization wise but anybody who complains about YYC has clearly never been to YWG.

To me YYZ is a very large somewhat efficient facility. But there is absolutely nothing to do there. It is like a large empty space. For a major hub where pax are there for 4-5 hours with international connections, you would think they would give them something to do.

YUL is meh, better than YYZ. I'd say on par with YYC

CDG in Paris is a dump, lots of shady characters roaming around, and the organization is ######ed.

I have been to every Terminal at Heathrow and I would say that is an impressive airport. Terminal 5 (BA only) is a beautiful facility. Despite its massive size, I think it is one of the least complicated airports I have been to. There are plenty of shops and restaraunts. The only complaint I have is there are way too many high end shops. How many people buy expensive jewelery, designer handbags and clothing and perfume at an airport?

Rome is not too bad either, fairly simple. It is kind of a mix of dumpy CDG and Heatrow, but again way too many high end shops.

Terminal wise I would say YYC is pretty good. The upgrades are needed on the movement area side. The flow control in and out of there is ridiculous. A parallel runway will do wonders. A ridiculously long runway is a must at that altitude. Especially if they want to handle larger aircraft with ease. I remember when the A340 used to come into YYC. On a hot day that sucker would use every inch of runway. (A little more airplane related but that's another discussion)

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Old 04-16-2011, 04:04 PM   #64
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Don't like YYC? Spend a couple hours in YMM.
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Old 04-16-2011, 05:15 PM   #65
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The upgrades are needed on the movement area side. The flow control in and out of there is ridiculous. A parallel runway will do wonders. A ridiculously long runway is a must at that altitude. Especially if they want to handle larger aircraft with ease. I remember when the A340 used to come into YYC. On a hot day that sucker would use every inch of runway. (A little more airplane related but that's another discussion)
Lufthanasa still flies the A343 here, and in the summer it is fun watching it depart around mid-day and eat up every last bit of runway when it departs. Damn thing has hair dryers for engines!
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Old 04-16-2011, 07:32 PM   #66
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Geez, forget heavies, I remember trying to go on a hot day in an old 737-200 with -9 engines and we'd be using up over 9000' of runway (for you aviation junkies that understand that). I always compared the feeling to taking a chevette down a steep hill trying to bury the needle---everything shaking and rattling.

As much as I hate the airport authorities (and Toronto is the worst), YYC is a very good terminal overall compared to most that I spend time at all over North America.
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Old 04-16-2011, 07:37 PM   #67
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Ya I don't really get the hate for YYC either, maybe not the best organization wise but anybody who complains about YYC has clearly never been to YWG.
YWG feels like something out of the Soviet Union.
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Old 04-16-2011, 07:57 PM   #68
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Geez, forget heavies, I remember trying to go on a hot day in an old 737-200 with -9 engines and we'd be using up over 9000' of runway (for you aviation junkies that understand that). I always compared the feeling to taking a chevette down a steep hill trying to bury the needle---everything shaking and rattling.
I miss the good old days of noisy loud passenger planes, at least we still see the 732, 727, and DC-10 here at YYC. Not too mention when the Brits bring in the VC-10, such a shame they'll be retired in a couple of years. Nothing can beat the sound.

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YWG feels like something out of the Soviet Union.
True, but their new terminal looks to be an outstanding building. Can't wait to try it out in October.
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Old 04-16-2011, 10:33 PM   #69
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Geez, forget heavies, I remember trying to go on a hot day in an old 737-200 with -9 engines and we'd be using up over 9000' of runway (for you aviation junkies that understand that). I always compared the feeling to taking a chevette down a steep hill trying to bury the needle---everything shaking and rattling.

As much as I hate the airport authorities (and Toronto is the worst), YYC is a very good terminal overall compared to most that I spend time at all over North America.

Sorry to get slightly off topic, but hey Ryan....a couple questions if you don't mind.

How do route assignments work with you pilots anyway? Are you assigned specific routes for certain lengths of time? How far in advance do you know where you're flying? How many flight hours are you allowed in a 24 hour period....example if you're doing an afternoon flight from YYC to , you're flying it back home in the evening? What about the shorter flights of an hour or two here and there?

Questions I always think of while flying, but never think of/bother asking the pilot when leaving the plane.
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Old 04-17-2011, 05:36 AM   #70
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Sorry to get slightly off topic, but hey Ryan....a couple questions if you don't mind.

How do route assignments work with you pilots anyway? Are you assigned specific routes for certain lengths of time? How far in advance do you know where you're flying? How many flight hours are you allowed in a 24 hour period....example if you're doing an afternoon flight from YYC to , you're flying it back home in the evening? What about the shorter flights of an hour or two here and there?

Questions I always think of while flying, but never think of/bother asking the pilot when leaving the plane.
No problem. Routes are generally pretty random. We bid for days off, then get a variety of 'pairings' (work shifts from 1-5 days) that make up our work. I'll go months without doing a certain route, and then might do it several times in a month. So no, not the same route at all. That is a common question though.

We know our sked on the 20th of the month prior---so in a few days I'll find out my May sked.

Normal max hours worked in 1 day is 14 hours, though there are lots of if's and but's....but 14 hours is the most common limit. A lot of flying down south is there and back, as long as it fits into that 14 hour duty day. If it can't be comfortably done in 14 hours then the crew would overnight. For example Hawaii, Montego bay, even Cancun is tight from out west.

Overall, generally lots of variety. Maybe day 1 yyc-yvr-yyc-yeg-yyz, then day 2 yyz-las-yyz, day 3 yyz-yhz-yyt, then back home day 4. That is a random 4 day pairing made up, but is indicative of something we might do.
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Old 04-17-2011, 08:12 AM   #71
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Based on those examples I'm assuming you are a WS pilot, correct? That and the mention of getting the old 732's off the ground on high density altitude days.
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Old 04-17-2011, 08:40 AM   #72
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The only complaint I have is there are way too many high end shops. How many people buy expensive jewelery, designer handbags and clothing and perfume at an airport?
In my experience that's not just Heathrow.... it's probably especially bad coming out of London, but pretty much every major international airport has these ridiculously high end shops.

It always amuses me coming back from a trip somewhere in the world with the wife and seeing a handbag in the airport shop that's quadruple the cost of our entire trip.
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Old 04-17-2011, 09:09 AM   #73
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YZU is pretty awesome. There's a pop machine.

Is it more prestigious/better pay to be a pilot for a big airline like AC or Lufthansa, or the small private outfits? Do you start out at a Sunwest then move up to the big planes?
YXU has that sweet jumbo rotating door
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Old 04-17-2011, 09:41 AM   #74
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YWG feels like something out of the Soviet Union.
If anyone's feeling nostalgic and want's to visit YWG.. better hurry because the new terminal is taking shape quickly.

http://www.waa.ca/designconcepts
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Old 04-17-2011, 09:52 AM   #75
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No problem. Routes are generally pretty random. We bid for days off, then get a variety of 'pairings' (work shifts from 1-5 days) that make up our work. I'll go months without doing a certain route, and then might do it several times in a month. So no, not the same route at all. That is a common question though.

We know our sked on the 20th of the month prior---so in a few days I'll find out my May sked.

Normal max hours worked in 1 day is 14 hours, though there are lots of if's and but's....but 14 hours is the most common limit. A lot of flying down south is there and back, as long as it fits into that 14 hour duty day. If it can't be comfortably done in 14 hours then the crew would overnight.For example Hawaii, Montego bay, even Cancun is tight from out west.

Overall, generally lots of variety. Maybe day 1 yyc-yvr-yyc-yeg-yyz, then day 2 yyz-las-yyz, day 3 yyz-yhz-yyt, then back home day 4. That is a random 4 day pairing made up, but is indicative of something we might do.

Even if for only a few hours, being stuck like that must really suck!

My daughter is only 12, but she has a real unusual (for gender and age) interest in airplanes, flying, geography, etc. Her favorite TV show is Mayday, I kid not. I'd love for her to maintain that as she gets older. Still pretty young I know, but any tips you can think of to help nurture that along the way? I don't know what the minimum age is to get private license, but I thought that would make an excellent sweet sixteen present.
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Old 04-17-2011, 09:54 AM   #76
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If anyone's feeling nostalgic and want's to visit YWG.. better hurry because the new terminal is taking shape quickly.

http://www.waa.ca/designconcepts

Don't bother, unless CRT display screens are your idea of nostalgia...

Yes the new terminal does look quite nice and should be a nice facility once it is up and running, however is has been plagued by issues for the last while. It was originally supposed to open in Oct of 2010, and I don't know what they are projecting now, I have lost count of how many times they have pushed back the opening date.

One interesting tidbit in the new terminal headaches is the way it is positioned. The ground controller can't see the gate area from the tower, so they are blind to aircraft requesting push back and aircraft that are pulling up to the gate.

I don't know much about the tower side of things but I would think they will need to develop new procedures or have a dedicated ground radar to deal with that.
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Old 04-17-2011, 10:02 AM   #77
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My daughter is only 12, but she has a real unusual (for gender and age) interest in airplanes, flying, geography, etc. Her favorite TV show is Mayday, I kid not. I'd love for her to maintain that as she gets older. Still pretty young I know, but any tips you can think of to help nurture that along the way? I don't know what the minimum age is to get private license, but I thought that would make an excellent sweet sixteen present.
Unless it has changed I believe you can get your Private license at 16, but you can start training before that. You can solo once you are 14.

I had one student that was 17 and had his private license, he was building his hours up for his commercial (200 hours and must be 18).

My daughter is only 22 months, but I've already got her looking up and pointing at airplanes and saying "airplane, airplane!" as they go by. There will be spotting trips to the airport this summer for sure!
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Old 04-17-2011, 10:03 AM   #78
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Even if for only a few hours, being stuck like that must really suck!

My daughter is only 12, but she has a real unusual (for gender and age) interest in airplanes, flying, geography, etc. Her favorite TV show is Mayday, I kid not. I'd love for her to maintain that as she gets older. Still pretty young I know, but any tips you can think of to help nurture that along the way? I don't know what the minimum age is to get private license, but I thought that would make an excellent sweet sixteen present.
TOP GUN. It's a requirement these days. The first question they ask in interviews is "Have you seen TOP GUN?" And then to make sure you aren't lying they ask you to recite a quote from the movie, the more obscure the better. So no "Too close for missles, switching to guns." More like "That's a hell of a gamble with a 30 million dollar plane lieutenant."


It has been awhile since I got my license, but I think the Private license age starts at 16? But if memory serves you can get a recreational permit at 14.

But just to nurture it, grab some snacks and go watch airplanes at the airport. When I was in college and more airplane nerdy I would study at the terminal and watch airplanes come and go for motivation and inspiration. But that backfired and I didn't get much studying done.

I don't know if the Flying Clubs out at Springbank still offer "Discovery Flights" but that would be a good and relatively inexpensive idea as well.

Also, I don't know if it is a country wide thing, but in Manitoba there is a club\group\organization called "Women in Aviation." I would look into that as well. They organize events and fundraisers and other club type things.

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Old 04-17-2011, 10:04 AM   #79
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Even if for only a few hours, being stuck like that must really suck!

My daughter is only 12, but she has a real unusual (for gender and age) interest in airplanes, flying, geography, etc. Her favorite TV show is Mayday, I kid not. I'd love for her to maintain that as she gets older. Still pretty young I know, but any tips you can think of to help nurture that along the way? I don't know what the minimum age is to get private license, but I thought that would make an excellent sweet sixteen present.
Growing up pilot was my number one career choice. Alas that didn't pan out, however I'd still love to work in the aviation industry in some way shape or form if the opportunity ever arose.

I seem to recall 16 being the magic age where you can get a pilot's licence.

As for Mayday it's one of my favourite shows as well, friends say they won't watch it before they fly. I tell them why not? You know that whatever the problem was it was fixed and won't happen.
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Old 04-17-2011, 10:12 AM   #80
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TOP GUN, it's a requirement these days. The first question they ask in interviews is "Have you seen TOP GUN?" And then to make sure you aren't lying they ask you to recite a quote from the movie, the more obscure the better. So no "Too close for missles, switching to guns." More like "That's a hell of a gamble with a 30 million dollar plane lieutenant."


It has been awhile since I got my license, but I think the Private license age starts at 16? But if memory serves you can get a recreational permit at 14.

But just to nurture it, grab some snack and go watch airplanes at the airport. When I was in college and more airplane nerdy I would study at the terminal and watch airplanes come and go for motivation and inspiration. But that backfired and I didn't get much studying done.

I don't know if the Flying Clubs out at Springbank still offer "Discovery Flights" but that would a good and relatively inexpensive idea as well.
Oh yeah, we've been doing that for years. In fact that might have been where the interest started, as I've been a bit of a plane spotter nerd for some time also. Many Peter's burgers, milkshakes and Ice Caps have been consumed over off McKnight. It's a pretty crappy viewing area though. Hopefully the new terminal/runway will provide better spotting areas.
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