THE MARITIMES SCANNING SITE
AERONAUTICAL
SCANNING
SPECIFICS FOR CANADA’S
MARITIME PROVINCES
Last updated March 12, 2008
The Maritimes lie in an area that is
particularly rich in aero signals.
Most of the traffic between Europe and the northeast and Midwest USA
flies over the region, and by all accounts this is the busiest long-haul route
in the world. There is an
endless, but not necessarily consistent, stream of airliners, military aircraft,
executive planes and cargo jets passing overhead.
In addition to this high-flying traffic
there is a respectable amount of traffic in and out of the airports of this
region, the busiest being Halifax Stanfield International Airport. This airport was named recently for Robert L
Stanfield, a former premier of Nova Scotia. I live about 20 miles from Halifax
International and under the approach path for Runway 05* (departure for 23) and
have a daily view of low-flying aircraft passing overhead. Also in the Halifax area is a
lightly used military airfield, Shearwater. There is always something happening on
Aero VHF! *normal Canadian
usage is to always use two digits for runway designations. American pilots would refer to this
runway as 5.
I have included on the site a
list of call signs used by various airlines and military units here in the
Maritimes. For example, if you hear
Speedair 214, this list will tell you that this is an aircraft from Provincial
Airlines. The list includes
only traffic normally using the airports in the region, not those simply passing
over at 35,000 feet.
CONTROLLED AIRSPACE IN THE MARITIMES
Other than military zones,
Canadian airspace is managed by Nav Canada, a corporation owned jointly by the
federal government and the aero industry. All area control centres and flight
service stations are owned and operated by Nav Canada as are almost all towers
and terminal control units.
1) Airport and surrounding areas:
Most airports are uncontrolled, but even if so they all
have at least one frequency used for cooperation amongst pilots in determining
their own safety, or for advisory (not control) communications with personnel on
the ground. There are only four airports
in the Maritimes with control towers: Halifax, Moncton, Shearwater (military,
part-time), and Greenwood (military).
Each of these has its accompanying control zone and terminal area, except
for Shearwater, which is inside the Halifax terminal area. The Greenwood military
terminal control unit (TCU) operates 24 hrs daily. Personnel for the Moncton and Halifax
TCU’s are co-located with the Area Control Centre near Moncton. These two TCU’s operate most of the
day but at night, in the quiet hours, they shut down and their areas come under
direct control of Moncton Centre Low Level (see below).
2) Enroute airways control:
LOW LEVEL: The low level airspace in the Maritimes is controlled from the Area Control Centre near Moncton, New Brunswick. Although the low-level frequencies are shown on the list below you may find it more beneficial to see the map that also shows the three terminal areas mentioned above
HIGH LEVEL: The high level airspace (about 20,000
feet and up) is almost completely under the control of Moncton Centre.
The high level map shows the previous situation in which Gander
Centre controlled the eastern part; however the frequencies are unchanged. Small areas of western and northern
New Brunswick are controlled by Boston Center* or Montreal Centre. Frequencies for adjacent parts
of surrounding centres are shown on the maps and in the frequency list
*
American
spelling. In
Canada the official spelling is “centre”.
This list is perhaps the most extensive one you will see for the Maritimes as it includes frequencies for even the smallest airfields in our region. It also includes often-heard frequencies from surrounding areas. The only thing I have knowingly not included is the company frequencies of the overflying long-distance airliners, which in most cases would be using the ARINC VHF air/ground frequencies or the HF LDOC frequencies (which are not part of scanning).
Items marked “ATC” imply Air Traffic Control and include ground control, towers, terminal control, area control and less rigorous controls such as traffic frequencies and flight service stations, many of which are used to pass airport information to aircraft.. “Private Services” indicate frequencies used for traffic to and from private concerns such as airlines, ARINC and general aviation service providers.
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SUMMARY OF ACTIVITY IN THE HALIFAX AREA
This summary excludes high-flying overflights. Aero traffic in the Halifax area is made up mostly of:
1. Airline and cargo flights in and out of Halifax International Airport.
2 Daytime military helicopter training flights in and out of Shearwater.
As far as radio and scanning is concerned here is a description of activity.
I'll start with Shearwater, which is a military base on the east side of Halifax Harbour. It has been considerably downgraded in recent years. Previously it was a separate base, CFB Shearwater, but today it is part of CFB Halifax, with operations at the field under the control of 12 Wing. Today Shearwater only houses the training and maintenance elements of helicopter operations attached to Canada's east coast navy. These units operate the CH-124 Sea King helicopter, as they have for many years. Occasionally other military aircraft use the field for landing practice or to bring personnel in or out.
In 2003 the longer runway (16/34) at Shearwater was closed as a cost-cutting measure, and frankly it had become unnecessary to the military. In September 2006 this runway was included in a large parcel being readied for sale by the Canada Lands Corporation; however there was some question of whether this would actually happen as there may be some resurgence coming at Shearwater, as it has been designated as the embarkation point for the future quick response team. Runway 10/28 is more than sufficient for helicopter operations. Unfortunately the closing of 16/34 led in turn to the removal of the annual Nova Scotia International Air Show which had brought major influxes of military aircraft from around the world. For 2004 this show moved to Halifax International Airport. Shearwater also housed the Shearwater Flight Centre (formerly the Shearwater Flying Club) which provided civilian flight training, much of it under contract to the Nova Scotia Community College. In 2004 this company ceased operations, taking with it all flight training in the Halifax area. The NSCC continues to provide other types of aero industry training, particularly in the maintenance side.
Despite the closure of 16/34 as an actual runway you may yet hear referral to it as helicopters make approaches to it and land on it. Thus you may hear the PAR (Precision Approach Radar) controller on 134.1 MHz guiding a helicopter to a landing on 16 or 34, and in fact you may hear a fixed wing aircraft practicing PAR approaches, but without the actual landing.
In 2006 new facilities were being constructed at Shearwater in preparation for the introduction of new helicopters to replace the venerable Sea Kings. Shearwater will be the training and maintenance base for these helicopters.
On the radio you will not hear much from Shearwater. It has an ATIS on 129.175 that provides the usual information when the part-time tower is open. At other times it has a standard tape advising pilots to use the Mandatory Traffic frequency (126.2). This ATIS frequency is unusual in that it is in the middle of the private company frequency band.
Shearwater Tower is on the standard 126.2 frequency often used at military fields. The tower is operated by military controllers. Ground control is on 121.7 but might not be heard in quiet periods when aircraft use the tower frequency when on the ground. There is also a Ground Controlled Approach (GCA) radar service operated on 134.1, which might only be operable for 16/34. I have not heard it used for 10/28. When the tower is closed (most evenings and weekends) 126.2 is used as the Mandatory Frequency, which nevertheless is sometimes monitored by Base Operations. Until mid 2002 119.0 was used as the MF but besides the confusion in having to go to a different frequency when the tower closed it also had the problem of being too close to the next adjacent use in Fredericton, so you would often hear airliners on this frequency calling Fredericton Radio. Usually the authorities provide a greater distance between frequency locations.
Shearwater Flight Centre operated on 130.6; however this company has suspended operations.
Shearwater is inside the Halifax Terminal Area so that aircraft departing the field and going beyond the 5 NM control zone switch to Halifax TCU frequencies, usually 119.2.
CLICK HERE FOR A CHART OF SHEARWATER AIRPORT.
(Runway 16/34 was
closed in early 2002 in order to save on maintenance costs and it is rumoured
also so that the land can be redeveloped. As of November 2007 the runway
still existed but was closed to fixed wing aircraft. As a matter of interest note the
taxiway, partly closed, that runs parallel to 16/34. In the distant past
this was also a runway. Could it become one again?)
Halifax International Airport is much busier and has many more radio frequencies than Shearwater. Click here for an airport layout map (this map is slightly out of date, as it shows obsolete numbers for the runways). Click here for a beautiful vertical air photo of Halifax airport. Note the T shape, with runway 14/32 being the top of the T and the longer runway 05/23 being the vertical part. In order to orient you, runway 05 is goes from the bottom of the T towards the top of the T, with 23 being the opposite direction. 14 is the top of the T from left to right (bottom to top on this photo orientation), with 32 being the opposite direction. You can see clearly that it is possible to use both parts of the T simultaneously as long as paths of the aircraft do not cross.
The Halifax airport has a much larger number of commercial enterprises, including airlines, rental companies and service organizations. Most of these have their own frequencies, some of them in the air band. I am not covering at this time the various company frequencies, but they are included in my consolidated frequency list.
Halifax airport frequencies
ATIS 121.0 MHz. Automated weather and runway use loop. Identified by a letter such as "Information Bravo". The next update would be "Information Charlie"
Clearance Delivery 123.95 MHz. Often simulcast with ground control.
Ramp advisory 122.125 MHz. Airliners may announce on-ramp movements, but I do not hear this often.
De-icing coordination 129.25 MHz.
Ground Control 121.9 MHz
Tower 118.4 MHz
Immediately following takeoff aircraft switch to departure (one of the designations for terminal control) on 119.2 or, for small VFR aircraft, 118.7. In daytime hours these frequencies are operated by the Halifax Terminal Control Unit, which is actually based in Moncton. During the quieter hours this service is taken over by the Moncton ARTCC ("Moncton Centre").
Once the terminal area has been cleared by virtue of distance from the airport (about 50 nm) or by altitude an IFR aircraft switches to the appropriate low level centre frequency:
135.3 if heading toward Sydney (this transmitter is at Halifax a/p, so
can be heard locally)
135.65 if heading to Charlottetown
124.4 if heading to Moncton
124.3 if heading toward Fredericton or Saint John and staying low
132.2 if heading west and climbing
123.9 if heading toward Yarmouth
132.5 is also heard re aircraft heading over New Brunswick.
You can see these frequencies depicted
on the low level map. Aircraft continuing to climb will eventually go to
high level frequencies. For example those that are heading toward Montreal
or Toronto will go to 132.2, then to Moncton high level frequency 127.125 (the
third decimal is not spoken, i.e. it is called 127.12). Following this, on
entering the US, it will go to 128.05 Boston Center. See the high level
map. I can
sometimes hear aircraft switching later to Montreal Centre as they go back into
Canadian airspace. Of course you will only hear the aircraft side of the
conversation unless you are within 20 or 30 miles of the ground
transmitter.
If you live in the Halifax area you won't hear any Moncton Centre transmissions except on 135.3 Low Level and 133.95 High Level which are remote transmitters at Halifax airport. At night when traffic is slight, Moncton Centre (low level) will simulcast many or all of its frequencies, so that you can hear the ground side of communications from all over the Maritimes through the 135.3 transmitter at Halifax Airport. For example, you may hear an aircraft transmit on 124.3 while it is flying over New Brunswick. In the daytime you would not hear the ground side of the conversation, but at night, if you let the scanner scan, you will hear the aircraft on 124.3 and the controller on 135.3. He or she is of course also transmitting to the aircraft on 124.3 but you get to hear the simulcast on 135.3. Only the ground side is simulcast. This is done so that the controller in quiet hours can handle several areas (sectors) simultaneously and not have to use separate microphones or frequency switches.
Aircraft arriving at Halifax do things in the opposite order with the exception that in busy times there is a special outer arrivals frequency for Halifax Terminal, 128.55 MHz. Aircraft arriving and using IFR and a variety of types of navigation are directed to various approach points. Two of these are actual beacon locations, Split Crow [formerly Golf] (runway 05) and Bluenose [formerly Juliett] (runway 23). Others are imaginary spots around the airport, with the commonly used ones on the approaches to the the four runways. You will often hear the beacons and the approach fixes mentioned on the air, especially in poor weather conditions. Click here for a road map with the two beacons, the VOR and the six major approach fixes clearly marked. Here is another chart showing some of the fix locations.
Please note that Halifax has a 7 nautical mile control zone centered on the field. This is the area within which the tower exercises control. You will hear the terminal control unit pass control off sooner under some circumstances, especially when the approaching pilot can see the field. Departing climbing aircraft are normally handed off to terminal or centre as soon as they are airborne.
The terminal control area for Halifax is a circle with a radius of 35 nautical miles.
Often the three terminal frequencies are simulcast (128.55, 119.2, 118.7) so that you might hear the controller but not the replies. Late at night If you listen to 119.2 when it is operating as a remote for Moncton Centre, you might hear the controller speaking to aircraft in other parts of the Maritimes, as the terminal area communications may be integrated in to the general simulcasting that was mentioned previously.
In your own area of the Maritimes there may be different frequencies but the procedures will be essentially the same, though Halifax is more complex than any of the other airports in the region.
Please note that many of these VHF frequencies in the Halifax area and throughout the Maritimes have UHF equivalents for use by military aircraft. The military UHF aero band is from 225 to 400 MHz and is not included in a lot of scanners. Occasionally you will hear a VHF transmission to a military aircraft from a ground station and not hear a reply, even in a local area. This usually means that the ground station is simulcasting on its VHF and UHF frequencies and the military aircraft is transmitting on the UHF frequency. By the way, military aircraft are just as likely to be heard on the "civilian" VHF frequencies as they are on UHF.
Please note that the UHF band is also used for air to air communications. Most commonly this will be for US in-flight refueling that you may be surprised to know happens over Nova Scotia. Although I have heard these communications I do not have the current frequencies.
If you are interested in knowing more about aero communications or wish to see frequencies elsewhere in Canada I suggest you go to the Canadian Aeronautical Communications Website.
