Airband

'On the morning of the accident, the pilot conducted a routine series of pre-flight checks before proceeding to the active runway for a standard departure. Shortly after liftoff, the pilot confirmed a positive rate of climb and selected the landing gear up. Immediately after gear selection, the pilot heard a loud noise and the engine failed. The aircraft rapidly started decelerating and descending back to the runway. The pilot selected the landing gear back down and elected to land the aircraft straight ahead, however the landing gear did not have sufficient time to fully cycle back to the locked-down position. The aircraft touched down with only approximately 500 feet of runway remaining. The unlocked landing gear collapsed under the weight of the aircraft, and the aircraft skidded off the departure‑end. After approximately 1000 feet of travel, the aircraft impacted the airport perimeter fence at low speed and came to rest. The pilot secured the engine and immediately egressed the aircraft. The aircraft sustained very serious damage but the pilot sustained no injuries. The engine failure was due to an improperly assembled oil filter. The investigation is now analyzing the human factors that may have contributed to this occurrence.' CT-114 Tutor - 02 Aug, 2022 - Fort St John B.C.

NARRATIVE 4.1. SEQUENCE OF EVENTS The MAC executed an out-and-out flight from KCRP (Corpus Christi, TX) to KNFW (NAS JRB Fort Worth) for their first scheduled sortie of the day. Both flights were instrument training sortiess for MNFS. The weather out of KCRP and into KNFW was VMC, and would remain VMC throughout the day. BASH was not briefed, but was reported as "MODERATE" at KCRPand "LOW" at KNFW. signed for MA; Takeoff out of KCRP and the flight enroute to KNFW was uneventful. MF flew the HI-TACAN instrument approach for runway 18 at KNFW, followed by a low TACAN approach for runway 18 at KNFW. MA was in a landing configuration (gear down, flaps set to half, and speed brakes out), at 140 KIAS during the approach. 3.7 NM from the field and 780' AGL, MA flew through a flock of roughly 3-4 birds. After impacting the starboard intake, the engine ingested one bird. Immediately after bird ingestion, MA experienced a compressor stall, with an engine overtemp condition occurring approximately 3 seconds after impact. MIP announced over ICS "Prepare to eject" to MNFS. MA pitched down and impacted the ground into multiple backyards of a residential neighborhood. Seat/man separation occurred immediately, with both ejection seats landing in adjacent streets of the residential neighborhood. MIP was unharmed, MNFS's parachute landed in nearby power lines, resulting in injuries. Witnesses of the ejection were able to recover MNFS from his gear, MNFS was transported via helicopter due to the extent of his injuries. No injuries resulted from MA's impact or subsequent fire. Additionally, post-inspection of the aircraft revealed bird remains, including blood on the starboard intake, in the engine.

WestJet offers to help Calgary couple bring Ukrainians to Canada, but only for this month WestJet says charity can't use 'buddy passes' but offered 50% off flights until Sept. 30 Tue Sep 20, 2022 - CBC News by Lucie Edwardson Michael Garnett and Rebecca Rider spent nearly two months in Poland and Ukraine working on the ground with refugees before launching their buddy pass program and starting their charity, Help From Canada WestJet is offering a Calgary couple's charity some temporary support after initially shutting them down late last week. Michael Garnett and wife Rebecca Rider — a pilot for the airline — have been using donated employee "buddy passes" to get hundreds of Ukrainian refugees to Canada over the course of the past four months. Buddy passes are standby tickets an airline gives to employees as a perk to share with family and friends. The passes are free but users still have to pay the taxes. On Thursday, the Calgary-based airline asked them to stop using employee buddy passes in that way, saying they have other established programs to support charitable causes and refugees. 50% off until the end of September But Monday, after CBC News published a story about it, WestJet offered the couple's charity 50 per cent off codes until Sept. 30. Garnett says that while it's something, it's a very short-term compromise. "They're offering us tickets at about three to four times the price we were paying for nine days, so we're not incredibly happy with that offer. It's something, it's a starting point, but that's not going to bring a lot of people here," he said. "We've looked around and scoured the internet for the best prices to get people over in the most efficient way, and we know that that's through our buddy pass program." Others offer assistance Garnett says there have been positives in the past week as well for their charity, called Help From Canada. Monetary donations have come in, and he has also heard from a Montreal-based airline, Air Transat, who he says offered to work with the charity on discounted flights for Ukrainian refugees. "They've reached out and been incredibly helpful," he said. "They've been working with an organization called 4Ukraine.ca, and they've been doing a fantastic job … and they're going to do everything they can for us to get discount codes for the short term, but also to build a partnership with us in the long term." In a statement, WestJet said that following an application made on Sept. 18 through its Airport Community Giving Program, the airline's community investment team provided the charity with details the following day on how it could work together, which included an offer to provide promo codes. "This process has not changed and it's an important clarification that the offer of discount codes was not facilitated in any kind of exceptional manner, it was based on a long-standing formalized process already in place," said spokeswoman Morgan Bell. "Support has been available since May 2022, and WestJet originally provided this charity [or its] affiliates with support through an internal request in May 2022 with identical flight discount codes." In an earlier statement provided to CBC on Sunday, the airline said buddy passes are to be used "solely for personal leisure travel." "They are not a guaranteed mechanism for travel as they are offered on a standby basis only and can result in situations where users are not able to complete their travel journey," said spokeswoman Morgan Bell. 'We can give them reassurance' Garnett said Help From Canada has always been aware these passes are for standby travel only, and have still succeeded at bringing nearly 200 Ukrainians to Canada. "This is the conversation we've been trying to have with WestJet since last Thursday. They said they had some concerns and instead of talking through those concerns with us, they just said shut it down," he said. "Of course we have a convincing plan. We've been doing this for about four months now and we have host families in Dublin, in Paris, in Barcelona and in Rome. We have a group of nuns that take in people when they don't get on their first flight. "So in my mind, if they had concerns about these things, all they had to do was ask. We can give them reassurance."

Canada to make ArriveCan optional, drop COVID-19 vaccine requirement at the border by Sept. 30 Mask requirement for people on trains and planes will remain in place Tue Sep 20, 2022 - The Globe and Mail by Eric Adams, Robert Fife The federal government plans to drop the COVID-19 vaccine requirement for people who enter Canada by the end of September, the same day it ends random testing of arrivals and makes optional the ArriveCan app, The Globe and Mail has learned. The changes, for arrivals at land, air and sea ports of entry, are planned for Sept. 30, but have yet to be finalized by cabinet, according to four sources The Globe is not naming because they are not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. The mask requirement for people on trains and planes will remain in place, at the direction of Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, according to two of the sources. The aviation and travel industries have been pushing the government to relax the rules that cover international travel, saying they discourage visitors and are out of step with many other countries as the pandemic eases. The United States requires all entrants to be vaccinated, and it is not known if the requirement will be lifted at the same time as Canada’s. The ArriveCan app is used for arriving passengers to submit their customs declarations, vaccine status, and travel plans. It has been criticized as cumbersome, and a contributor to the lineups and logjams that have been a feature of many Canadian airports over the past summer. Nadine Ramadan, a manager in Transport Minister Omar Alghabra’s office, declined to comment and referred questions to Marco Mendicino, Minister of Public Safety. His office did not immediately respond to an e-mail. John Gradek, a former Air Canada executive who teaches aviation leadership at McGill University, said he has heard from discussions with industry members who have told him passengers will still have the option of submitting their travel plans, customs declarations and their information using the app, or stand in a line to do so. On June 20, the government suspended vaccine requirements for domestic and outbound travelers, federal government employees and federally regulated industry workers. The government cited declining COVID-19 cases and the fact that 32 million people, or 90 per cent of eligible Canadians, had been inoculated.

Air Canada ordered to pay passengers $2,000 for flight cancellation caused by crew shortage Crew shortages are generally within an airline's control, Canada's transport regulator says Thu Sep 15, 2022 - CBC News by Sophia Harris A recent ruling by Canada's transport regulator in favour of two Air Canada passengers whose flight was delayed is the latest development in the ongoing battle over whether airlines must compensate passengers for flight disruptions caused by crew shortages. In a decision published on Aug. 25, the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) ordered Air Canada to compensate passenger Lisa Crawford and her son $1,000 each following a flight cancellation that delayed their August 2021 trip from their home city of Fort St. John, B.C., to Halifax by almost 16 hours. According to the CTA, Air Canada initially told Crawford the flight cancellation was caused by a crew shortage linked to COVID-19, and was safety-related — so she wasn't eligible for compensation. The airline's response prompted Crawford to take her case to the CTA, a quasi-judicial tribunal. "Staffing and other aspects of operations are the employer's responsibility to manage," said Crawford in an email to CBC News. The CTA agreed, stating in its decision that Air Canada failed to provide evidence "establishing that the crew shortage was unavoidable despite proper planning," so Crawford and her son must be compensated. Under Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), airlines only have to pay compensation — up to $1,000 per passenger — if a flight cancellation or delay is within the airline's control and not required for safety reasons. "I was thrilled with the CTA's finding," said Crawford, though she and others question if the case will carry much weight. "Given the ongoing disagreement on how the regulations are to be interpreted and/or applied, I believe the real outcome for my case and likely many others, remains to be seen," said Crawford. Court battles raise questions According to the CTA, it has received 13,743 air passenger complaints since May 1, of which 87 per cent are related to flight disruptions. The CTA's ruling in the WestJet case, issued on July 8, was supposed to help clear the air on some of those compensation disputes. In that case, WestJet initially denied passenger Owen Lareau of Ottawa compensation for a cancelled flight, stating it "was impacted due to flight crew member availability and required for safety purposes." In its decision, the CTA clarified that staffing issues typically warrant compensation because, in general, they are an airline's responsibility and can't be categorized as a safety matter. The agency also ordered WestJet to pay Lareau $1,000. "Training and staffing are within airline control and therefore crew shortages are within airline control, unless there's compelling evidence" to the contrary, said CTA spokesperson Tom Oommen in an interview. "It's a high threshold." But in a motion filed in the Federal Court of Appeal on Aug. 10, WestJet argued that, according to the APPR, the CTA can't presume crew shortages warrant compensation and then put the onus on airlines to disprove it. Consumer advocate and lawyer, John Lawford said WestJet is offering a narrow reading of the rules, and that the CTA ruling in July set out to clarify them. "[The airline is] saying, 'That's nice, the actual wording of the regulations is all we will follow and we're going to court.' " WestJet, the CTA and passenger Lareau have each declined to comment on the case. "They're going to continue down this path until they're told otherwise," said Gradek, a lecturer and program co-ordinator for the aviation management program at McGill University. "They'll keep trying to get away without paying, because it is a very serious expense." 'Minister should be spanking these guys' CBC News asked Air Canada if, like WestJet, it planned to appeal the CTA's ruling that it must pay Crawford and her son compensation. Spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick replied that the airline was unable to comment as it's still reviewing the ruling. But Air Canada is already taking part in a legal battle that calls into question Canada's compensation regulations. The airline is one of more than a dozen applicants, including the International Air Transport Association, which filed a motion in 2019 to appeal the APPR. In that case, which is still before the Federal Court of Appeal, the applicants argue the regulations are "invalid" for international flights because they differ from the Montreal Convention, a treaty adopted by many countries — including Canada — which establishes airline liability for flight disruptions. "I suspect before Christmas, we will find out from the Federal Court of Appeal if the entire APPR regime gets tossed or not," said Lawford, executive director of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre. Some travellers say they’re being denied compensation for cancelled Air Canada flights as the airline claims the flight disruptions were 'due to crew constraints' and beyond their control. Lawford said federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra should assist passengers with compensation claims by sending a stern message to airlines that they must abide by the compensation rules set out by the CTA. "The Minister should be spanking these guys, these airlines, and saying, 'How dare you, how dare you screw up my regulations,'" said Lawford. Since August, Alghabra has repeatedly issued public warnings to airlines that they must follow the rules. "Passengers have rights and they need to be respected," he said in a statement just last week. "We will continue to protect the interests of passengers when travel doesn't go according to plan." But, so far, the warnings haven't curtailed the flood of air passenger complaints pouring in to the CTA; it currently faces a backlog of more than 23,000 grievances.

WestJet unveils new inclusive uniforms for front-line staff Tue Sep 07, 2022 - The Calgary Herald Josh Aldrich WestJetters will have a new inclusive look as the Calgary-based airline navigates a changing work world. The Calgary-based airline launched a genderless collection for front-line members on Wednesday in a fashion show at the Calgary Airport. The Lakes and Rocky Mountain collections allow staff to select the uniform that is most comfortable for them. “It’s just a small step that we are taking to be inclusive with our entire workforce,” said Leah McDonald, WestJet director of training and uniforms. “We want to create a space where people feel really comfortable to be authentic and be themselves. That’s where people are able to show our guests their best side and their best service. We want them to show up as them, so that they can help our guests have a great time on WestJet.” The airline received 50,000 pieces of feedback from staff on the new design. The uniforms were designed by international designer Juli Grbac and include redesigned name tags with a new space for pronouns to promote greater inclusivity. For Jodi Datamuya, who identifies by the pronouns they and them, the new uniform allows them to express themselves the way they want, and the flexibility to be comfortable in what they are doing. “We have a lot of people who are part of the spectrum, and I think it’s very important for them to be able to present themselves as they are by wearing the uniform that they want to wear,” said Datamuya, who has been transitioning over the past two years. This follows in a change to WestJet’s tattoo policy last year, allowing staff to display tattoos while in uniform. This was a significant change for Lindsay, a WestJet flight attendant for 20 years who declined to provide her last name. As a Cree woman, she had put off getting traditional face markings for 15 years due to the policy. Now, she has seven dots and six dashes down her chin representing members of her family. “I did not want to get my markings until I could wear them fully, because I didn’t get them to hide them and be ashamed,” she said. “I got them to wear them proud and show my children what it’s like to be really proud Indigenous.” The uniform shifts back to teal and blue from the black-based uniforms staff wore previously, in a nod to the airline’s 26-year history. WestJet will be the first airline in Canada to carry the Standard 100 OEKO-TEX certification to ensure the uniforms have been tested for harmful substances and possible skin irritants. They have been produced by Unisync, a North American company specializing in uniform production.

Airline sector crisis: Thousands of pilots lost their jobs during the pandemic, and their ranks haven’t been replenished Tue Sep 06, 2022 - The Globe and Mail by Nicolas Van Praet In the labour-force wreckage wreaked by the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada’s commercial airline pilots stand out as an anomaly. No other group of white-collar workers with their level of training, skill and pay levels was let go in other sectors of the economy over the past two years as the country was reshaped by infection and uncertainty. Not in banking, not in education and not in government. Pilots making six-figure salaries and operating some of the world’s most sophisticated flying machines joined coffee baristas, hotel cleaners and hairdressers in the ranks of the unemployed – all workers in industries hardest hit by the health crisis. Thousands of pilots lost their jobs. They are the casualties of an airline sector that stopped almost overnight and a government that experts say lacked the leadership and foresight to properly plot its restart. The fallout of that failure is clear. And it stretches from the baggage carousel to the cockpit. Demand for air travel is back with unexpected force this year, but the supply of pilots isn’t there to match for a number of reasons. Many are still coming back up to speed in training after months away. Others have left Canada or the industry entirely for more predictable jobs. Airlines are scrambling daily to find the pilots to fly planes, sometimes just hours before scheduled takeoff. Delays on the ground at airports and changes to federal rules governing pilot flight hours have compounded the problem. “It’s like if we had a snowstorm every day for the past four months,” said Louis-Éric Mongrain, a pilot with Air Transat who comments regularly on the industry in the media. Airline crew schedulers, the men and women whose job it is to find pilots and flight attendants to staff a flight, are “going nuts” dealing with irregular operations, he said. For weeks this summer, public attention has focused on the visible consequences of an industry incapable of processing the fallout of reopening after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted: waiting halls bursting with luggage at Pearson and Trudeau airports, and travellers lamenting hours spent in line at customs and border control. In sum: robust demand trying to move through a much-diminished system of understaffed airports and airlines. But for the professionals in the blazers and epaulettes, a related storyline is playing out behind the scenes – one that exposes the shortcomings of Canada’s approach to aviation. Simply put, there aren’t enough pilots at the moment, and those who are working are sometimes pushing the maximum of allowable hours. Meanwhile, the pipeline of new recruits isn’t as robust as in years past, and that’s hitting carriers big and small. Without a more deliberate effort to improve oversight and management of the country’s airline industry, many experts warn we’re doomed to repeat the same mistakes again. The life of one Montreal-based pilot illustrates the situation. His mobile phone rings steadily, sometimes in the early-morning hours, with requests from his airline asking if he wants to helm an upcoming flight that’s not on his regular schedule. It’s overtime work and, after two years of downtime, it is welcome even if it’s challenging, he says. “It’s constant phone calls. I mean, there’s just a real need for anyone who’s a pilot or a flight attendant,” the aviation veteran said. The Globe and Mail agreed not to name him, or his employer, in order to allow him to speak freely and avoid any potential repercussions because he is not authorized to speak to the media. “I’m taking enough of it that it’s good. But I’m not going overboard with it because I was getting tired too,” the pilot said of the non-scheduled hours. “The last thing you want to do is fly tired. It’s not a career that allows for fatigue. … This summer I think that’s the biggest thing is that all the air crews have to be really careful about how much they fly.” At Sunwing Airlines, a carrier specializing in holiday travel, the crew shortage was so acute in July that it caused delays as long as a day, according to one pilot who spoke to The Globe on condition of anonymity. Things got so bad the airline had to hire an external charter operator just to pick up the slack and carry its passengers, the pilot said. He described it as “a complete operational meltdown.” “Crew schedulers, they just want to put out the fire that’s in front of them,” the pilot said. “And if it makes another fire two days down the road, that will be dealt with then.” Sunwing did not respond when asked for comment. The Globe is not naming the pilot because he is not authorized to speak to the media. Perhaps the biggest reason why airlines are finding themselves short of pilots is that after being furloughed during the pandemic, most of them had to reboot their qualifications in recent months after the industry restart this spring. That training happens in both the simulator and in-flight with another pilot, and the process can take several weeks. Air Transat, for example, let go of most of its pilots as its operations came to a halt during the first waves of COVID-19 and it went into emergency cash-preservation mode. Some of them took other jobs to make ends meet. Others left the country to work for other airlines. As soon as ticket sales started picking up again, airlines started calling back staff. There were a couple of false starts, notably last fall when the COVID Omicron variant hit. But when demand returned in full force earlier this year, airlines rushed to take advantage of it, adding as many flights as they dared given their capabilities. Air travel, however, is not something that can be rebooted from a near-standstill overnight, says Captain Tim Perry, a WestJet Airlines pilot and president of the Canadian arm of the Air Line Pilots Association. Mr. Perry and other union leaders had urged the federal government to create a national recovery plan during the pandemic to carry airlines and airports through the crisis and ensure they were ready to return to the skies as soon as pandemic restrictions were lifted. The plan didn’t materialize. Other national governments hatched industrywide plans and provided billions in financial aid for the sector, but Canada took a piecemeal approach negotiated largely one-on-one with each airline. And while the United States and other countries told carriers to keep their most critical staff on the payroll, including pilots, in preparation for a recovery, Canada did not. Pilots were “basically abandoned,” said Mehran Ebrahimi, an aerospace specialist at the Université du Québec à Montréal. There was no help for them to maintain their qualifications every six months as they’re required to do, at an estimated cost of $10,000 a person, Mr. Ebrahimi said. So, many left the industry altogether. The academic blames the Canadian government for a lack of leadership, adding Ottawa consistently underestimates the strategic value of the industry and its role in the economy. “Whether it be on passports, on airports, on airlines, on pilots, we’ve always acted as if the pandemic would be eternal,” he said. “And we’re seeing the results of that approach now.” When airlines started to ramp up their crew training to meet renewed demand, that process happened far too late, Mr. Perry said. “We’re still feeling the effects of that.” Airline training departments have maxed out their capacity in recent weeks, he said. The result: not enough scheduled pilots on the roster, not enough reserve pilots on standby, and crew scheduling focused on “plugging holes at the last minute,” Mr. Perry said. Montreal-based CAE Inc., one of the world’s biggest civil aviation instruction companies, said there is a “high number of pilots” back in its simulators and training centres these days. “As the industry continues to recover, we expect more demand,” a company spokeswoman said. The labour situation is improving as time goes on, Mr. Perry said. At the moment, pilot supply is not a major contributing factor toward many of the problems at Canada’s major airports, he said. Air Canada said in July it is flying with almost as many pilots as it had in 2019, but operating just 80 per cent of its 2019 schedule. The airline said it has also doubled the number of pilots on reserve at any given time for wide-body planes, while increasing by 75 per cent the reserve pilots for narrow-body aircraft. “The operating environment globally is under pressure” from well-documented issues such as security and customs lines, and limitations on the number of flights imposed by air traffic control, Air Canada said in an e-mail response to questions. “The importance and duration of disruptions on the network was such that crew shortages could not always be adequately mitigated as planned.” Transat spokeswoman Andréan Gagné said the airline remains “in control of the situation” despite the difficulties. WestJet spokeswoman Denise Kenny said while the carrier is not immune to the challenges currently facing the industry, it has worked to balance flight offerings with sufficient staffing levels. All WestJet flight personnel have been recalled, she said. New federal flight and duty time regulations for pilots that came into effect in December, 2020, have also delivered a curveball for airline scheduling departments. In short, the rules now limit flight crew work to a maximum of 112 hours over 28 consecutive days, 300 hours over 90 days and 1,000 hours over 365 days. The maximum flight duty period has also been reduced slightly and now takes into account the time of day work starts. Mr. Ebrahimi estimates there is currently a shortage of 1,500 pilots in Canada, a situation with origins stretching back years to the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. In the immediate aftermath of that atrocity, demand for pilots diminished internationally and fewer people chose it as a career. That was followed by a period of strong growth, fuelled by the arrival of low-cost carriers and the rise of aviation in China. Staffing is still not in balance today, Mr. Ebrahimi said. He said the government should consider financing the training of pilots – something schools such as the Cégep de Chicoutimi have called for – to remedy the situation. Airlines are hunting to find pilots wherever they can, often with knock-on effects on smaller carriers. Yani Gagnon, the owner of Pascan Aviation, a Quebec regional airline whose biggest plane, the Saab 340B, seats 33 passengers, told Radio-Canada in April his company was forced to cancel some of its flights and reshuffle its schedule this summer because nearly a third of its 60 pilots had been poached by major carriers since the start of the year. “It’s a very serious problem. Small carriers like Pascan Aviation are being targeted by the big ones – whether that be Air Canada, Transat, WestJet, Sunwing. They’re drawing on our pool of pilots,” Mr. Gagnon told the public broadcaster. “No pilots, no airplanes” is the bottom line, he said.

Police investigation puts fighter pilot call sign meetings under microscope Sat Sep 3, 2022 - The Canadian Press by Lee Berthiaume OTTAWA — A police investigation into comments made at a social gathering of fighter pilots in June has cast a spotlight on a well-known but little-understood military tradition that some worry is another example of entrenched cultural problems in Canada’s Armed Forces: the assignment of call signs. Earlier this week, Royal Canadian Air Force commander Lt.-Gen. Eric Kenny announced that he was delaying a ceremony to install a new commander at one of Canada’s two fighter-jet bases, 3 Wing in Bagotville, Que. Kenny attributed the decision to an ongoing military police investigation into statements made during what he described as a “call sign review board” held on June 22 at Canada’s other CF-18 base, 4 Wing in Cold Lake, Alta. Many people would know call signs from the blockbuster "Top Gun" movies, in which Tom Cruise’s character is nicknamed “Maverick.” That call sign is a reference to the character’s refusal to follow orders and play by the military’s rules. Canadian fighter pilots also use call signs. Anyone who has been to an air show in Canada and got a close look at a Snowbird or CF-18 might have seen the pilot’s call sign written with their real name near the cockpit. While call signs aren’t the exclusive domain of pilots, and such nicknames are also often assigned to the weapons officers who also fly on two-man CF-18s, they aren’t widely used in other parts of the Royal Canadian Air Force. The air force says call signs help build a sense of team and identity among fighter pilots and break down barriers between different rank levels. They also benefit communications in the air. Assigning call signs “is meant to foster esprit de corps,” said RCAF spokesman Col. Adam Thomson. “The call sign has a practical purpose and is used for brevity and quick identification while removing some flight leadership barriers that may arise by rank or position.” While call signs can spring up organically like any other nickname, call sign review boards like the one under investigation are a key way that they are assigned. Despite their official-sounding name, such gatherings are social events where pilots tell stories about each other. “Call signs are typically assigned at a unit social gathering in a location like a mess or unit social area,” Thomson said in an email. “Often these stories recount a challenge, instance or success particular to a member. These stories inspire an individual’s call sign. Possible call signs are suggested by peers and are voted on by the group.” Former fighter pilots say such events often involve tossing back drinks while throwing around stories about new aviators – the funnier or more embarrassing the better. “And after one, two or three beers, if there was a funny story or a good one, the call sign would be adopted,” said former air force commander and retired lieutenant-general Yvan Blondin, whose call sign is Bad. Former chief of the defence staff and retired general Tom Lawson, call sign Shadow, put it another way: “It’s a mini-roast is what it is.” Such events are typically held at the end of significant training courses or exercises with senior officers on hand, which Blondin said gives the process a “semi-formal twist.” As for the other details, both former pilots said they can often vary from unit to unit. “When we talk about a process, there's nothing formal, there's nothing in the books, there's nothing in our procedures, that says this is the process as a requirement for call signs,” Blondin said. “It doesn't exist.” The results of such gatherings aren’t always positive. While many call signs refer to mistakes in training or personality quirks, Blondin gave one extreme example of a pilot years ago whose call sign involved a crude description of a sexual encounter. Thomson said the air force recently conducted a review of existing call signs to determine their appropriateness “while directing that future call signs aligned with our commitment to be an inclusive organization.” Yet it’s unclear the degree to which that review touched on the process for assigning call signs, including the conduct of review boards – which appears to lie at the heart of the ongoing military police investigation in Cold Lake. “There’s probably a lot less alcohol than in the ‘70s and ‘80s, which makes it easier for everybody to stay on this side of the line,” Lawson said. “But it appears someone at one of these reviews was made ill at ease by a comment, or a comment was made well across the line.” Lori Buchart, co-chair of It’s Not Just 20K, a support and advocacy group created by victims of military sexual misconduct, said it is important for the Canadian Armed Forces have rituals and traditions to build a sense of identity and boost spirits. “The important thing for the CAF and its members is to root out the ones that cause harm or are questionable, and keep those ones that actually build morale in a healthy way,” she added. Charlotte Duval-Lantoine of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, who recently released a book on military sexual misconduct, said the current situation should start a discussion on how call signs are assigned to Canadian fighter pilots – and how it can be done better. “Call signs and the way they are assigned can reveal a lot about the culture of a unit,” she said. “And like with any culture, it can go too far and take the form of bullying and berating, especially if the person receiving the call sign does not fit in the group as well as others.” At the same time, Duval-Lantoine said the issue highlights some of the difficulties the military faces in eliminating inappropriate conduct given the various traditions that exist among different units and positions within the Armed Forces. While both Lawson and Blondin hope call signs remain a fixture among Canadian fighter pilots, Blondin acknowledged there may be a need to impose some type of structure or control over review boards. “I wouldn't want to get rid of them,” he said. “But I think we need some formalization. In the days we're living in now, some of the stuff is certainly not acceptable the way it is.”

majordad.mp4 "Major Dad Vibes"

Air Force delays installation of base commander amid investigation into pilot meeting Mon Aug 29, 2022 - The Canadian Press by Lee Berthiaume OTTAWA — The Royal Canadian Air Force is delaying plans to install a new commander at one of the country's two CF-18 fighter jet bases due to a military police investigation. A ceremony was planned for Tuesday to install Col. Colin Marks as commander of 3 Wing in Bagotville, Que. But those plans are now on hold as police investigate an alleged incident at Canada's other main CF-18 base, 4 Wing in Cold Lake, Alta., more than two months ago. Air Force commander Lt.-Gen. Eric Kenny announced the delay on Monday, saying investigators are looking into comments allegedly made during a meeting designed to choose call-signs, or nicknames, for fighter pilots. “On June 22, at 4 Wing Cold Lake, a call-sign review board, where call-signs are assigned to members associated with the fighter community, took place in a small group social setting," Kenny said in a statement. "An investigation was launched into statements made during this activity and remains ongoing. The investigation will examine actions of those involved during the call-sign review board." While Kenny did not provide further details, the Defence Department in a followup email said multiple people were at the meeting. Neither Kenny nor the department would provide further details, citing a need to protect the integrity of the investigation. Marks could not immediately be reached for comment. Fighter pilots and weapons officers flying on fighter jets are typically assigned call-signs at unit social gatherings where members share stories and anecdotes about each other, according to the Defence Department. "Possible call signs are suggested by peers and voted on by the group," it added. "Attributing call-signs to members, particularly within the fighter and air weapons controller communities is a tradition meant to foster esprit de corps." The Canadian Armed Forces has continued to deal with the fallout from a rash of inappropriate — and in some cases criminal — behaviour by senior officers. The commanders of two naval frigates were relieved of their commands in June, though officials have said neither was related to allegations of sexual misconduct.

Air France Suspends Pilots After Mid-Air Disagreement Sun Aug 28, 2022 - Simple Flying by Jonathan E. Hendry . Two pilots on one of the world's largest airlines have been suspended following an in-flight altercation. The two Air France pilots faced corrective action after reportedly coming to blows in the cockpit of a flight to Paris. The incident occurred on a flight between Geneva and Paris in June and was resolved quickly. A spokesperson for the airline confirmed to Bloomberg that the flight proceeded as usual and that the pilots are awaiting a decision by management on their inappropriate behavior. A scuffle in the cockpit According to local news, the pilot and the co-pilot of the Airbus A320 had a disagreement that turned into a physical altercation mid-flight. The June incident became physical shortly after takeoff while the plane climbed to its cruising altitude. Although the cause of the altercation could not be confirmed as press time, the two men reportedly took each other by the collars and potentially hit or slapped each other before the noise altered fellow crewmembers. One pilot's version of the events indicated an "inadvertent blow" that led to the escalation of aggression. The other pilot claims that it was a slap. Eventually, one of the pilots allegedly that the other threw a wooden object in his face. Upon hearing the noise in the cockpit, members of the cabin crew stepped in to calmly diffuse the situation just as the tension died down. One member of the cabin even stayed in the flight deck with the pilots for the remainder of the journey to ensure peace and record the situation for later review. The flight landed safely in Geneva with all passengers and crew without further interruptions. The way forward The Skyteam Alliance carrier confirmed the dispute and exchange of inappropriate gestures without further revealing the altercation's specifics. The source of the disagreement was not readily apparent and may be either a personal reason or a professional cause, such as the co-pilot's refusal to follow instructions. Air France established that "the incident ended quickly without affecting either the conduct or the safety of the flight which continued normally" and specified that the airline had removed the pilots involved from active flying pending a managerial decision. The incident was not referred to France's civil aviation safety investigation authority, the Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses (BEA), who confirmed it was not notified of the incident as there were no consequences for the flight. The news of the in-flight altercation follows a report by the BEA published earlier this week, which points to several potential safety violations from the carrier. Most notably, a flight on December 31, 2020, from Brazzaville (Congo) to Paris onboard an Airbus A330. After a fuel tank leak was discovered, the pilots in question failed to follow standard emergency procedures of shutting down the engine to decrease the risk of the leaking fuel catching fire. The aircraft successfully diverted, and all passengers and crew disembarked safely. Air France has responded to the report with a pledge to conduct a safety audit and beef up post-flight analyses, including expanded opportunities for each pilot to access the analysis of their own flights to improve performance and safety measures.

Preliminary NTSB Report The plane, a twin-engine CASA CN-212 Aviocar, was being operated as a skydiving flight, the NTSB Report said. It had already flown two skydiving runs and was on its way to pick up a third group. As Crooks flew the plane on its descent to Raeford West Airport, the plane descended below the tree line and "dropped," according to the report. While attempting to get the plane climbing again, the right main landing gear "impacted the runway surface," causing a hard landing. The pilot-in-command took over controls from Crooks, reached over 400 feet again and directed him to declare an emergency and request a diversion to Raleigh-Durham International Airport for landing, the report said. At this point, Crooks was responsible for communicating with air traffic control while the pilot-in-charge flew the plane. They hit turbulence while approaching the airport and about 20 minutes into the flight, Crooks "became visibly upset" about the hard landing, the report said. The pilot-in-charge said Crooks then opened his side cockpit window and "may have gotten sick," at which point the pilot-in-charge took over radio communications, the report said. Crooks lowered the ramp in the back of the airplane, indicating he "felt like he was going to be sick and needed air," according to the report. "The (pilot-in-charge) stated that the (second-in-charge) then got up from his seat, removed his headset, apologized, and departed the airplane via the aft ramp door," the report said. The pilot said there was a bar that Crooks could have grabbed about 6 feet above the ramp, but he never saw Crooks grab it before exiting the plane. The pilot turned the plane around to search for Crooks and notified air traffic control about Crooks' departure from the plane. The pilot proceeded with an emergency landing at the airport. On post-accident examination, the plane had substantial damage to the landing gear lifts and the airframe structure, the NTSB report said. The plane has been retained for further examination, the report said, and the incident is still under investigation.

Airlines push back against incoming passenger refund requirements Starting Sept. 8, airlines will have to refund or rebook passengers for delays and cancellations even when the issue is something outside of their control, like weather Mon Aug 15, 2022 - National Post by Ryan Tumilty OTTAWA – Canada’s airlines say new rules forcing them to refund or rebook passengers, even when delays and cancellations are outside their control, are unfair, especially as the industry struggles. The Liberal’s bill of rights for air travel came into force in 2019, requiring airlines to rebook or refund passengers when a flight is cancelled or excessively delayed because of circumstances an airline can control, like oversold flights. But starting Sept. 8, airlines will have to refund or rebook passengers for delays and cancellations even when the issue isn’t in their control, for problems like weather. The rules will require them to rebook passengers on a new flight within 48 hours of the original flight or they must offer the passenger a full refund. Jeff Morrison, president and CEO of the National Airlines Council of Canada, said that puts all of the pressure on airlines, at a time when they whole sector is facing challenges. “Airlines will essentially be required to shoulder the entire burden of responsibility for flight disruptions, despite the fact that so many other partners and players are involved in the air travel experience,” he said. Canadians taking to the skies this summer have faced ongoing pandemic restrictions, security delays and issues at customs as they return from abroad. Morrison said it’s not fair, while those problems still persist, that only airlines have to put money on the table. WestJet spokesperson Madison Kruger echoed Morrison’s comments and said government agencies like the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority and the Canada Border Services Agency, as well as airports and other parts of the system, should all be involved. “We are disappointed that airlines continue to be singled out as the only point of ownership and accountability for travel in Canada as this must be a shared responsibility by the entire ecosystem,” she said in an email. “Requiring airlines to be the sole provider of reimbursement for delays outside of the airline’s control creates an unbalanced system that does not reflect the responsibility that we collectively hold to the Canadian traveller.” Morrison said the industry is also worried about ongoing pandemic restrictions, including the mandatory use of the ArriveCAN app. He suggested the new refund obligations should be delayed at least until the pandemic restrictions are no longer in place. “These new regulations are in place at a time when something like 60 countries in the world have completely done away with pandemic restrictions. We still face them so that’s another concern.” Morrison stressed airlines are doing everything they can to avoid delays and cancellations. “We want to see them as a kind of last resort and ensure that everyone gets to where they need to go.” Airlines can dispute possible refunds and even under the current rules passengers have complained that airlines have said issues like crew shortages are beyond their control. Passengers can appeal those denials to the Canadian Transportation Agency, which has recently warned airlines that they must provide clear evidence if they are claiming a crew shortage is beyond their control. The new refund obligations were added to the rules following the COVID-19 pandemic when airlines cancelled hundreds of flights and offered few refunds until the government provided a massive financial aid package. Data the government released on Thursday is showing improvement in the system. During the week of Aug. 1-7, 97 per cent of flights were not cancelled and 85 per cent of flights from the country’s largest airports left on time, up from 75 per cent in the first week of July. During the height of delays, passengers returning from overseas were often held on the tarmac because Toronto Pearson’s customs hall was too full. That happened to 19 aircraft in the last week of July, compared to 373 in the last week of May. Security screening is also improving with 88 per cent of passengers clearing that hurdle within 15 minutes. Transport Minister Omar Alghabra was not available for an interview Friday, but his office released a statement and said airlines need to follow the rules, including the new refund obligations. “Airlines need to follow the rules set out by the CTA because they have an obligation to ensure their operations respect the rights of passengers.”

Snowbirds grounded following accident in Fort St. John Following Fort St. John accident, Snowbirds fleet under pause until fleet is assessed Wed Aug 10, 2022 - CBC News The Royal Canadian Air Force has ordered an "operational pause" for its Snowbird air demonstration squadron jets after a crash earlier this month. A statement from Maj.-Gen. Iain Huddleston, commander of 1 Canadian Air Division, says the CT-114 Tutor jets will not fly until an airworthiness risk assessment can be completed. The decision to ground the planes comes after a crash of one of the jets on Aug. 2 at the airport in Fort St. John, B.C. No one was hurt when the pilot made a hard landing, and the Air Force says the cause of the accident remains under investigation. The Air Force statement says a deliberate, detailed and broad risk analysis will be done with the aim of ensuring the safe resumption of the squadron's flying operations. It says the assessment will include whether the accident and its cause pose any risk to continued flying operations and what measures can be put in place to lower any risks. "Given that the cause of this accident remains to be determined by airworthiness investigative authority, I have ordered an operational pause on the CT-114 Tutor fleet as we continue the investigation and commence a thorough operational airworthiness risk assessment process," Huddleston said in the statement Wednesday. The nearly 60-year-old Tutor jets are scheduled to be used by the Snowbirds until 2030.

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Canadian Snowbird aircraft 'incident' reported at northern B.C. airport RCAF says pilot did not sustain physical injuries, investigation underway Tue Aug 02 , 2022 - CBC News First responders were called to the North Peace Regional Airport in Fort St. John, B.C., on Tuesday afternoon to respond to what officials are describing as an "aviation incident." In a social media post, the Fort St. John International Air Show said the aircraft went down during takeoff. Canadian Armed Forces Public Affairs Officer Major Trevor Reid confirmed Tuesday an incident occurred involving a Snowbird aircraft. He said two Snowbirds were in town for the air show over the weekend. Reid said it's too early to say what caused the incident and an investigation is underway. It's unclear how long the investigation will take, but he said the results would be made public. According to Reid, the pilot did not sustain physical injuries. In a statement, the City of Fort St. John says by the time firefighters arrived, the fire had been extinguished by the airport's fire department. "Despite all of the safety precautions that are taken, incidents do happen and it's heartbreaking in the air show world," the Fort St. John International Air Show said. Officials are asking local residents to avoid the area as emergency crews continue to work.

Air Canada Misses Estimates Amid Second Quarter Airport Chaos Tue Aug 2, 2022 - Bloomberg News By Mathieu Dion Air Canada reported results below estimates in the second quarter, a period in which the global aviation industry could not meet passenger demand. Operating revenue was nearly five times the same quarter as 2021, when Covid-related travel restrictions were still in place, at C$3.98 billion ($3.1 billion), but short of the C$4.02 billion expected by Bloomberg’s consensus estimates. The company also recorded a C$1.60 net loss per share, about double what analysts predicted. “Despite meticulous planning and projecting, participants involved in the air transport system are facing significant pressure in restarting,” said Michael Rousseau, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada. “We acknowledge the inconveniences and disruptions some of our customers have faced, and we deeply regret this. This is not business as usual.” Canada’s largest airline had to cut dozens of daily flights amid labor shortages and wider airport disruptions. For the quarter, Air Canada still managed to increase its available seat miles, a measure of airlines’ capacity, about five times from the same period in 2021. That was in line with projections made in April. Capacity was still 73% of levels in the second quarter of 2019. Air Canada hopes to regain 74% of its 2019 available seat miles capacity this year. In late June, the airline had to cancel about 154, or 8%, of its scheduled flights per day in July and August. Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, Air Canada’s biggest hub, was recently ranked the world’s worst for delays, according to flight tracking service FlightAware. As of last Friday, Air Canada had slightly underperformed its peers since the start of the year with a negative return of -17.66%.

Strike averted after WestJet reaches tentative agreement with Unifor service workers Sun July 24, 2022 - Canadian Press CALGARY - There will be no strike at WestJet this week now that the airline has reached a tentative labour deal with the union representing hundreds of workers at the Calgary and Vancouver airports. Both the airline and Unifor Local 531 announced the deal on Sunday evening, days before nearly 800 baggage and customer service staff could have walked off the job. Unifor announced last week that workers had voted 98 per cent in favour of a strike as early as this Wednesday if a deal could not be reached. Neither side disclosed specific terms of the tentative deal, which is still subject to ratification. The union issued a release saying the agreement “brings long overdue wage increases and improvements to working conditions.” The deal, touted as the first between the two sides, will be presented to union members later this week. Unifor has said wages were a key issue, with current salaries starting at $15.55 an hour and topping out at $23.87 an hour after seven years. Spokesman Scott Doherty said last week the pay scale has not increased for more than five years, making WestJet’s wages among the lowest in the Canadian aviation industry as inflation soars.

Canadian military looking at blocking real-time tracking of flights, including PM’s plane Thu Jul 21, 2022 - The Globe and Mail by Steven Chase The military says it’s exploring ways to add a layer of secrecy to the movement of some Canadian Armed Forces flights, including the planes that carry the Prime Minister and the Governor-General. The Royal Canadian Air Force says no decision has been made on how to proceed, but it’s investigating how it might prevent the real-time tracking of military aircraft. One option would be taking steps to ensure that flight-tracking websites, which sell their services for a fee, are unable to display the movement of some Canadian military planes. Daniel Le Bouthillier, head of media relations for the Department of National Defence, said the air force is working with NAV Canada, Transport Canada and other partners to examine options for increasing security on certain military flights. “This includes potential measures to limit the visibility of RCAF aircraft on publicly accessible aircraft tracking platforms” in some cases, he said. Mr. Le Bouthillier said the cases where the military may want additional security safeguards include “flights to protect North American airspace through NORAD operations or sensitive transport flights.” Some of the biggest VIPs the military transports include the Prime Minister, Governor-General and members of the Royal Family. Flights carrying the Prime Minister use the call sign Canforce 01 (CFC 01) and flights carrying the Governor-General use the call sign Canforce 3701 (CFC 3701). In the United States, the government has taken steps to obscure tracking of Air Force One, the plane that carries the U.S. President. He said real-time tracking of the majority of Canadian military flights does not worry the military. “Having the position and movements of our aircraft visible via tracking platforms is not a concern for the large majority of operational scenarios – for example, when conducting search and rescue operations, transport or transit flights, or routine training where there is no risk to operational security.” If the military does end up obscuring the real-time movements of some flights, the information on this air traffic would still be publicly available later. Passenger manifests could be obtained by access-to-information requests, Mr. Le Bouthillier said. The matter came to light after the Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates civil aviation in the United States, discussed a Canadian request to block call signs in a July 14 e-mail to aviation stakeholders with an interest in the agency’s Limiting Aircraft Data Displayed (LADD) program. This program allows aircraft owners to block or limit the dissemination of flight data. Jack Sweeney, an American college student in Florida, who is perhaps best known for creating the “ElonJet” Twitter account that tracks business magnate Elon Musk’s private jet using air traffic data, published the FAA e-mail on his own Twitter account last week. In the letter, FAA analyst William Blacker tells aviation stakeholders that “NAV Canada is working to improve operational security of some of their sensitive flight data. NAV Canada is pursuing additional options, but has requested several call sign combinations to be added to the LADD Filter file.” It also lists call signs that Canada wanted blocked from real-time flight tracking: 11 call signs with thousands of different permutations depending on the numbers that follow names including CANFORCE, HUNTER, HUSKY, JUNO, MOLSON, ODIN, PATHFINDER, SONIC, VIMY and BUBBLY. For instance, it wants any call signs CANFORCE 1 to CANFORCE 9999 blocked. The Federal Aviation Administration declined to discuss the e-mail when asked by The Globe and Mail, and referred questions to NAV Canada, the not-for-profit corporation that owns and operates Canada’s civil air navigation system. NAV Canada’s manager of media relations Brian Boudreau would only say that the company collaborates “with the FAA, RCAF and Transport Canada to remove certain flight data from flight-tracking websites when the RCAF determines there’s an operational requirement.” Steffan Watkins, an Ottawa-based research consultant who tracks aircraft and ships worldwide, said efforts to block call signs from being disseminated on flight-tracking websites may create barriers for members of the public who are unskilled in monitoring plane movement. But those who track flights as a hobby, or professionally, and rely on an independent network of sensors that track plane transponders, such as ADSBexchange, or SkyScanWorld, will see no change. “These measures seem targeted at the lowest-skilled public to reduce transparency of routine flights,” he said. He said it also won’t affect the ability of adversaries or rivals such as the Russians or Chinese from tracking Canadian military flights in regions near their borders.

"Between December 2021 and January 2022, both Dias and MacDonald promoted rapid tests made by the company to Unifor employers, the report summary says. During that time, MacDonald “acted on Dias’ instructions,” the investigators wrote. “Person B” at the rapid testing company also “exerted pressure” on MacDonald to “make as many introductions as he could” and implied that the union rep would be “taken care of” for his efforts, the investigators found. MacDonald told Person B that he did not want or expect compensation, investigators found. By Christmas, “Person A” had given Dias a bottle of cologne intended for MacDonald, according to the findings. In late January, having decided to back another assistant — Scott Doherty — as the next Unifor president, Dias invited MacDonald to his office. There, Dias offered MacDonald half of a $50,000 pile of cash, telling him that he’d received the money from “Person A” at the rapid test supplier, the summary report and meeting minutes said. MacDonald told Dias they should not accept the money and suggested giving it to a woman’s shelter, according to the investigation. But the union president “pressured” MacDonald to keep the funds, and suggested he could use it to buy Dias’ boat, the investigation summary says. MacDonald took the money, but immediately called a colleague — Unifor’s Ontario regional director Naureen Rizvi. He also sought advice from a staff lawyer with the union, and put the money in a secure place at his father-in-law’s house, the investigation says. Four days after receiving the funds, he verbally notified Payne and handed over the money and cologne bottle, filing an official complaint soon after, according to the probe summary and a statement MacDonald gave to the Star. “Our members will likely forgive a mistake but they won’t forgive a cover up,”

'Completely dropped the ball': Transport Canada's endless delays grounds pilots Certifications that should only take 30 to 40 days are taking a year or longer, say frustrated members of the aviation industry Tue Jul 19, 2022 - National Post by Bryan Passifiume Members of the Canadian aviation industry say growing backlogs at Transport Canada are making it more difficult for new and existing pilots to get their licences, and the federal government has failed to address the issue. “They’ve completely dropped the ball,” said Dario Matrundola, president of Canadian Flyers Aviation College — a flight school based at Buttonville Airport northeast of Toronto. “They don’t answer the phone, they don’t call you back, and you’re lucky if they answer emails.” Transport Canada’s civil aviation department is struggling to issue the paperwork necessary to fly, effectively grounding an unknown number of Canadian and foreign pilots who train here. Of particular concern are unacceptable delays with Transport Canada’s issuance of medical certificates. While applicants normally receive their certificates between 30 and 40 days after submitting their paperwork, some of Matrundola’s students have been left waiting more than a year. “They’re still working, we’re still working — its just Transport Canada and actual government employees who aren’t doing anything,” he said. Whether a captain employed by a major airline or a general aviation pilot who takes to the skies as a hobby, a clean bill of health is a vital part of aviation licensure in most nations. Passing his most recent flight medical a year-and-a-half ago, Matrundola — a certified pilot examiner for Transport Canada — waited over six months to receive his certificate in the mail. “My career and everything was put on hold for six months because they would not issue me a piece of paper that I already had,” he said. “I had to get my lawyer after them to get it.” Requests for comment were sent to Transport Canada’s media relations department by National Post two weeks ago, but as of deadline Monday no response had been received. Matrundola isn’t the only one having trouble getting answers out of Transport Canada. The delays are having a big impact on foreign pilots who train in Canada, said Matrundola — whose flight school trains pilots for airlines including Air Canada, WestJet, Korean Air and China Southern. “There’s a lot of students who were ready to solo six months ago but can’t get their medical certificate, so they continue with some of the training that they can do, but really it’s just costing them extra money,” he said. “And then there’s others that are finished and waiting for their (Canadian Aviation Documents) booklet.” Canadian pilot licences come in the form of a blue booklet whose resemblance to passports are more than skin deep — both are printed by the Canadian Bank Note Company, the private company also responsible for producing Canada’s paper currency. Students are enduring long delays getting their licence booklets, often long after their temporary permits have expired. “If I test a new pilot and they pass the flight test and I send in the paperwork, I give them a temporary licence that’s good for 60 days,” Matrundola said. “Of course, those 60 days will expire — and now this person doesn’t have a licence at all anymore.” Matrundola said aircraft registration is also seeing long backlogs, recalling difficulties in registering and insuring two trainer aircraft his flight school purchased in B.C. over a year ago. After the temporary 90-day certifications expire, newly purchased aircraft are essentially grounded until the permanent paperwork from Transport Canada arrives. Other sources say pilots are also enduring long delays renewing their Restricted Area Identity Card (RAIC) — the so-called “red pass” that permits workers access to restricted areas in Canadian airports. Meanwhile, Matrundola said the real victims are the students who’ve spent an enormous amount of time and money learning to fly — only to be grounded by a bureaucracy that’s clearly crashed and burned. “They can’t write exams, they can’t get renewed, they can’t get their booklets,” he said. “It’s endless.”

Porter Airlines orders 20 more Embraer E195-E2 jets Tue Jul 19, 2022 - Canadian Press TORONTO — Porter Airlines has announced a firm order for 20 Embraer E195-E2 passenger jets with a total list price value of US$1.56 billion. The airline says the purchase follows its deal last year for 30 Embraer E195-E2 jets, with purchase rights for a further 50 aircraft. The deal Tuesday brings Porter's orders with Embraer to a total of 50 firm commitments and 50 purchase rights. First delivery and entry into service is scheduled starting in the second half of this year. Porter CEO Michael Deluce says the aircraft will become core to the airline's fleet. It plans to fly the new jets to business and leisure destinations in Canada, the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean, from Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax and Toronto's Pearson International Airport.

No answers, no explanations for B.C. couple escorted off Montreal plane The couple and 23 others were banned from Air Canada flights for next 24 hours Josh Slatkoff and his wife Tara Sharpe had just been visiting family in Ottawa before they headed to Montreal to catch a connecting flight to London, U.K. Wed Jun 22, 2022 - CBC News A couple from Victoria, B.C. say they've yet to receive an explanation about why they were escorted off a plane from Montreal Trudeau Airport overnight Tuesday. Josh Slatkoff and his wife, Tara Sharpe, were left stranded in Montreal, banned from boarding another Air Canada flight for the next 24 hours after the captain of the plane made the order, he said. They had been on their way to the U.K. for a memorial service, Slatkoff said. "Her grandmother just passed away so we were going there to be with family. Our flight had a connection in Montreal," he said. He says they had been seated and were waiting for the flight to London to get off the ground when a group of police officers boarded around 12:30 a.m. and began escorting two people off the plane. The plane was set to depart Monday night and though there had been delays, people on the flight were being patient, Slatkoff said. Some looked like they were returning from Grand Prix weekend. "The next row in front of us was also removed, and that included a couple that was in their 70s. At that point I was completely shocked. We had no idea what to make of what was happening," Slatkoff said. "Then the Air Canada attendant pointed at our row, and he told us we needed to leave as well." It wasn't until the two reached the airport that an Air Canada agent told them the captain of the plane had asked for some people to be removed because they were drinking and not wearing masks. But Slatkoff says he doesn't recall seeing any rowdy people on the plane, and that includes him and his wife. "We showed our masks, N95s, and I said to her, 'Does this look like the kind of mask someone would wear if they were refusing to wear a mask?'" 'At Air Canada's mercy' Air Canada says it's now investigating the incident. They confirmed a total of 25 people were "deplaned" from the flight. "We understand that there are allegations that, in the course of removing these passengers, certain unrelated individuals were deplaned as well," the airline said in an email statement. "Some of these deplaned customers were rebooked this morning and are on their way to their final destination." But, as of Tuesday morning, Slatkoff said he was still waiting to hear from someone. He stayed at a downtown hotel after getting stranded at the airport at 2:00 a.m. but now might need to plan for another night in the city. His luggage is in London. "We're at Air Canada's mercy at this point," he said. He and his wife were planning on staying in London with family until the end of the month before returning to Victoria. They're still planning on flying over. "You have made a terrible mistake and I really want to see what you're going to do to make this right," Slatkoff said. Airport Patrol at Trudeau airport said it responded to a situation on board an aircraft that evening and escorted passengers off the plane, at the request of the flight captain and crew. The Montreal police service, the SPVM, was also called due to the number of passengers involved but did not have to intervene.

Two Air Canada planes came at risk of colliding while taking off on same runway in Toronto Tue Jun 14, 2022 - CTV News by Sean Davidson Two Air Canada planes missed colliding at Toronto Pearson after the flight crew of a Boeing 777 and air traffic control missed a radio call saying another plane was still on the runway, a report says. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada released a report on Tuesday into the March 2020 incident which the Board described as a "runway incursion and risk of collision" at Toronto Pearson. According to the TSB report, an Air Canada Embraer 190 was taking off from Runway 06L just before 9:50 a.m. The plane, headed for Denver, was carrying 83 passengers and four crew members. As the plane was taking off, an Air Canada Boeing 777 was instructed to line up on the same runway. On board the plane, which was going to Halifax, were 345 passengers and 14 crew members. "As the Embraer 190 was accelerating on its take-off roll, it struck a bird," the TSB said. "The flight crew initiated a rejected takeoff and made a radio call to report that they were rejecting the takeoff." The TSB said that the flight crew of the Boeing 777 and air traffic control missed the rejected take-off call from the Embraer 190 because at the same time the pilot of Boeing 777 was reading back its own take-off clearance on the same frequency. "The controller issued a take-off clearance to the Boeing 777, unaware of the bird strike and the Embraer 190’s rejected takeoff," the report said. "Over the next 25 seconds, the controller turned his attention to the north end of the airport, where two aircraft were on approach for Runway 05 … from his displays, he could see the Boeing 777 and the Embraer 190, but he saw no conflict at that time," the report said. According to the report, the Boeing 777 flight crew reached a maximum speed of 231 km/h before noticing the other plane in front of it and rejected the take-off. At that point, the separation between the two aircraft was 5,000 feet, the TSB said. "The controller confirmed the rejected takeoff with the flight crew, still unaware of the Embraer 190’s presence on the runway, and waited to provide further assistance to the Boeing 777,” the report said. “After searching the expected position of the Embraer 190 (in the air, at the departure end of the runway), the controller saw the Embraer 190 on the runway, and realized that it had also conducted a rejected takeoff." There were no injures or damage to either aircraft during the incident, the TSB said. "The investigation found that the Embraer 190's transponder transmitted that the aircraft was in air after the aircraft accelerated past 50 knots,” the report said. "As a result, although compliant with current standards, an inaccurate in-air status was transmitted while the aircraft remained on the ground during its take-off roll and rejected takeoff." "The use of this data by NAV CANADA’s runway incursion monitoring and conflict alert sub-system (RIMCAS) led to the inaccurate identification of the Embraer 190 and the Boeing 777 as in air while these two aircraft were still on the ground. This resulted in late and inaccurate RIMCAS alerts and delayed the air traffic controller's response to the risk of collision." The TSB said the risk was mitigated when the Boeing 777 flight crew rejected their takeoff.