Transport Canada "sanctions" events
in Canada. Organizers of Aviation Events such as Competitions and Fly-Ins
must apply for a NOTAM and the Permit for, (or an exemption to) the Order
Respecting Special Aviation Events Safety prior to the event. This ensures
that minimum safety standards are met.
ORDER
RESPECTING SPECIAL AVIATION EVENTS SAFETY states:
3. No person shall fly an aircraft
and no owner or operator of an aircraft shall permit an aircraft to be
flown in a special aviation event unless an authorization has been issued
therefore and the aircraft is flown under and in accordance with the conditions
set out in the authorization and in this Order.
4. Application for an authorization
shall be made to the Minister by a sponsor at least 60 days prior to the
date of the special aviation event.
Authorization for, or exemption to
the ORDER RESPECTING SPECIAL AVIATION EVENTS SAFETY is issued by
the Minister, Transportation, Government of Canada.
The Order governs flight proceedings
for
- Air Shows
- Fly-in
- Competitive Flying
- Events to which spectators are
invited and
- Low Level Air Races
A Special Aviation Event Order
is authorized for events for events where spectators are invited: like
the Grouse Mt. Meet or Air shows. For Regulations and Standards for Special
Aviation Events see TP13304
An exemption to this Order is
issued when no spectators or public are invited.
The Order, (or an exemption) is issued
in Ottawa by the Minister of Transport. This means two things to us:
1. The issuance of an Order or Exemption
means all the appropriate paperwork has been approved by Transport Canada.
2. As an organizer, this should
provide you with some measure of protection from legal liability for sponsoring
an event. Sponsors are required to understand that when an event which
is not designed as a spectator event is organized, the exemption to the
order likewise provides protection. The operation will be authorized pursuant
to an exemption to the Order.
Therefore when Transport Canada issues
a permit to the sponsor(s) for an Event, in the event of an occurrence,
authorization for operations will exist. It would be very difficult
to apportion blame or responsibility to the participants, the sponsors
of the event, or the HPAC itself. „æThe Event was authorized and approved
by the minister for Transportation and a NOTAM authorizing our use of that
block of airspace for our purposes was issued.
There is an alternate NOTAM that
can be applied for a few days ahead of the event, but be forewarned „ you
may not get anywhere near the block of airspace you want or need.
NOTICE TO AIRMAN: (NOTAM)
A NOTAM advises general aviation
of concentrated or unusual aviation activity which might affect their operations.
A NOTAM does not change the classification of a block of airspace, so you
still have to make sure all pilots attending have passed their HAGAR exam
prior to any flight in controlled airspace. FSS must be advised of any
flight in Controlled Airspace.
A NOTAM application should include
the specific three dimensional block of Airspace used during the event.
It does not restrict aviators from flying in the Airspace, nor does it
change the nature of their operations.
Transport Canada is a federal department.
Both the Order Respecting Special Aviation Events Safety and event NOTAMs
are approved in Ottawa - so applications should be applied for at least
60 (sixty) days before an event in order to be processed in time.
For documentation regarding Canadian
NOTAM Procedures, see Transport Canada Aviation "Canadian NOTAM Procedures
Manual." (link broken)
A NOTAM will reduce the risk of IFR
or VFR aviation unexpectedly encountering a gaggle of pilots in their flight
path. The NOTAM will provide the HPAC, itÍs Directors, Officers and the
Event Sponsors with a measure of protection from legal liability in the
event of a near miss or mid-air collision.
CYA Altitude Adjustments
If, during a competition, a higher
altitude is desired. Transport Canada's "Air Navigation Services &
Airspace" may be able to provide an increase in your CYA's ceiling on a
temporary basis (by NOTAM.) Contact your regional Civil
Aviation Inspector.
Cross country tasks which exit the
horizontal boundaries of a CYA required that particpants file their NOTAM.
One person (ie the Event Manager) may file on behalf of a group.
CYA and NOTAM
Applications
There are two ways to go about applying
for a CYA or NOTAM, the easy way, and the formal way.
Easy approach. „ Photo copy a VFR
Navigation chart or a good topographical map. Draw a box or circle around
the area you want to fly in. Write down the altitude you expect to fly
to (and can reasonably expect to be actually using „ donÍt get ridiculous).
Set down the dates of the event and the time of day you are applying for
in writing.
The formal application
form is included.
If you do not want to deal directly
with Transport Canada,
Mail the application in to the HPAC
Airspace Committee whose current members are:
Issues relating to Canadian Airspace
can be frustrating to pilots unfamiliar with the process. The HPAC charged
this committee with the responsibility to contact Transport Canada in these
matters. They know the departments and people to contact and avoid. Please
let them do the paperwork to ensure headway we have made in the past is
not negated by a new precedence you may inadvertently set. This will protect
established precedence and will provide the best resolution in these matters.
Your compliance in utilizing the offices and experience of this committee
is requested.
Rulings by Transport Canada prior
to a Hang Gliding Nationals caused some concern.
These required:
- HAGAR ñlicencesî by all pilots
wishing to enter controlled airspace including NOTAM areas;
- An Exemption to the Special Aviation
Order: (even if no spectators are invited);
- Notification of communication
protocol with advisory FIC and FSS staff; and
- The requirement to have ñEmergency
facilities... shall be as agreed between the sponsors and the Department.î
Therefore, as an example, for the
Nationals,
- Pilots were advised of the requirement
to have HAGAR licenses and otherwise to stay out of controlled airspace.
- No spectators were invited, so
an exemption to the Special Aviation Event was issued.
- Air traffic advisory was established
by voice radio and / or telephone contact with Kamloops FIC each day
of the meet.
Aircraft Radio
contact was made on launch each day.
- St. John Ambulance provided equipment
for the event.
- An Industrial
First Aid Attendant was present as Safety Director.
- The Site Preservation
/ Emergency Evacuation Information Form was filled out
for each site, and
was forwarded to the local BCEHS
Dispatch which was also informed of the location of each
days activities.
A/Regional
Superintendent Air Navigation
Standards and Procedures
HPAC / ACVL Application Form
NOTAM and Class ñFî Special
Use Airspace
Attention: Transport Canada
Re: Establishment of proposed Class
I NOTAM and / or Class F (CYA - H) Special Use Airspace Allocation
The _________________________________________
Hang Gliding and / or Paragliding Association / Club
makes this application for:
Site: ________________________________________________________________________________
Geographical Reference Area: _____________________________________________________________
Event: ______________________________________________________________________________
Date: _______________________________________________________________________________
Tasks: ______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
We request a NOTAM be issued for
daylight hours to Altitude _________________________________Í ASL
(or the floor of Class B Airspace)
for the dates above due to concentrated Hang Gliding and / or Paragliding
activity.
The NOTAM is requested for the following
area:
Lat. _______o_______' by Long. ________
o_______ ' map ref. point _____________________________.
Lat. _______o_______' by Long. ________
o_______ ' map ref. point _____________________________.
Lat. _______o_______' by Long. ________
o_______ ' map ref. point _____________________________.
Lat. _______o_______' by Long. ________
o_______ ' map ref. point _____________________________.
Yours sincerely
Signature of applicant |