Pilot DAR, You put your finger right on it, the lack of understanding of the importance of GA to a city like Toronto, thus allowing development right up to the airport fence is the root cause behind this situation, combined with a totally flawed airport privitization policy, which in turn is leading to airports closing or under presure acros Canada.I dont know whats taken place in Canada of late, but twice in the last year I have overnighted in towns with fine airports in which the hotel staff where we stayed didnt even know their town has a fine IFR facility! One cab driver wanted to drive to Toronto from Simcoe as "Thats the only airport around here" given this sort of thing its no wonder Joe Public doesnt understand whats going on with the destruction of our most basic infrastructure. In Ottawa the councilor, within whose riding CYOW is located didnt know that the airport was in fact privitized and directed us to TC if we wanted to have a say in airport development, with the above atitudes is it any wonder that developers can simply move in without a public outcry .As for Downsview, if it were run like KTEB there would be no need for holding or any conflicts, cross the shore at 500 feet or from the North likewise and land! This would of course require Nav Canada to think a little more out of the box than they normally are known for, the Nimbies would also whine no doubt!, even in Europe we often cross over small airports on approach to the big ones, less than 1000ft AGL In the mean time Toronto will simply blunder on,unless the newly elected group are indeed a bit brighter than Miller and his mob.
Last edited by clunckdriver; 28th Oct 2010 at 11:30.