Any Canadian ATCOs here?

[tired]

Hi guys,

Are there any ATCOs here who work in Montreal Centre?

I operated a LHR/LAX flight yesterday and, on first contact with Montreal approaching 65N60W we got a reroute which effectively put us on a parallel track about 40 miles north of our filed track. To achieve this we were given a series of lat/longs to fly to - very professionally and quickly handled by ATC, but it would have been much easier (for us anyway!) if we had just been cleared to offest by 40 miles to the north of track. In the A340 this requires 3 keystrokes - presumably other glass-cockpits can do the same - much easier, and therefore safer, than entering multiple waypoints.

Would your procedures allow something like this to be done?

Also, just as a matter of interest, what radar coverage do you guys have in that part of the world (the northern edge of the SCA, up near Frobisher Bay)? You seem to get us on radar when we exit the the NAT MNPS airspace, then lose us over Hudson Bay and reaquire us about 200 miles north of Winnipeg. Is that correct?

Any replies gratefully received!!

[CAV OK]

Noooo, but I knew one once. He was sh*t hot at roller hockey and always swore in french!!!!
Seriously though, as an Air Trafficker I appreciated your comments. Flight Safety requires symbiosis between ATC & its users and this sort of post goes a small way to enhance that process. Hopefully someone will answer your queries!

[ATC Watcher]

Hi Tired, we thought you did not mind a little work now and then on the A340 to keep you awake ? :)
Now the serious technical response. I am not working in YUL but over here we cannot use FMS inputs for separation. Main reason : lack of performance harmonisation among the 3 FMS manufacturers. To get to a point using offset and more importantly to get back to your original position is using a totally different logic wether you are using Airbus, Boeing or MD FMS . A working group FAA/Eurocontrol was set up years ago with the (then) 3 manufacturers, but each one kept their preferred logic as the best one. ( e.g. Airbus logic short cuts the turns , and is part of their "fuel efficient policy " and will not be removed, etc... )
So Offset is not a guaranteed method of navigation so we do not use it.

[tired]

Damn, you mean I've got to enter all the lat/longs manually forever more? When is one supposed to read one's newspaper with all this annoying trivia getting in the way?

Seriously, thanks for the reply, Watcher, what a pity the manufacturers can't work together as well as Air Traffickers and pilots do!!

[Gary Gray]

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