TRANSPORT CANADA SLEDGEHAMMER

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saboo
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Re: TRANSPORT CANADA SLEDGEHAMMER

Unread post by saboo » Wed Jan 23, 2019 1:21 pm

Notwithstanding the recent remarks by the President of MAAC, he appears to be avoiding the issue. The new rules are not in force, yet. They absolutely do come into force on the 1st of June. So saying everything is alright until then is correct, but it is avoiding the need for preparation.

Transport Canada regulations do come into force in June. The way the regulations are written, it implies that, even with MAAC membership several things may apply.

1) Likley the exam will have to be written and passed. This is absolutely applicable if you fly at your cottage, public park or a non MAAC flying field. This will not likely be exempted even with MAAC membership.

2) The breadth of the material covered is far more than is relevant to Model Aviation. Icing on pitot tubes, cloud types and implications for flying, temperature and pressure effects on flight performance, and maintenance, are just some of the items that are outlined as knowledge requirements. Many do not apply to Model Aviation, but the persons who prepared the regulations, either do not understand that, do not care, or did it in a deliberate manner so as to impede persons legally flying model aircraft.

3) Your aircraft will have to be registered. MAAC may get agreement for reduced fees for multiple aircraft, but they in all likelyhood will have to be registered. MAAC may even have to put in place requirements that aircraft at a MAAC event display the TC license number.

It is imperative that some sort of MAAC sponsored and organized ground schools be started soon. The breadth of material is massive. It needs to be gathered together and put in some form of textbook format.

Transport Canada is recommending on their web site that persons take formal training before writing the exam.

On this page they even have a link to find training schools. Prices range from $300 to $3000 at the few I looked at.

http://www.tc.gc.ca/en/services/aviatio ... afety.html

I am trying to get people to take this action by Transport Canada seriously. Regulators move slowly. These regulations are massively out of proportion to the need, for what and how model aviation takes place. From that I conclude that they are being adament that they want these rules applied. I feel that they will be loathe to allow carve outs that would eliminate testing and registration of aircraft.

So if you have input to MAAC, tell them, it is imperative that they get working on course materials and quickly. It will soon be February. That only leaves 4 months before we may be given the bad news of what limited exemption we may be given.

If you think that is a long ways off, remember it will take better than a month to prepare and distribute course material.

I am thinking of taking the full size license ground school course as it covers almost all the required material.

If anyone has taken and passed the exam, they should speak up and indicate what materials were covered on the exam.
Nothing like the smell of electrons in the morning ;-)

wildblue30
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Re: TRANSPORT CANADA SLEDGEHAMMER

Unread post by wildblue30 » Wed Jan 23, 2019 2:20 pm

I took the ground school course in 1989 at the Greenwood Flying Club. I earned my private license that year and flew actively until 1999. The ground school was very comprehensive and consisted of (to the best of my memory):

- Airmanship
- Aircraft systems
- Meteorology
- Navigation
- Air Regulations

Each of these topics could have been a semester long university course. The hardest were Air Regs and Meteorology. The amount of information was enormous and required months of study to pass the Private written exam. In my own opinion taking the full scale PPL exam would be drastic overkill as there is no need for an RC modeller to know the details of interpreting weather reports, radio navigation, airspace classifications, etc. Even for an instructor. Also the course, course materials and examination fees were easily hundreds of dollars, and the prices have only gone up since then.

Jeff
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saboo
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Re: TRANSPORT CANADA SLEDGEHAMMER

Unread post by saboo » Thu Jan 24, 2019 10:04 am

I received a private reply from MAAC to my previous post. The gist of it was to not be upset with Transport Canada. Here is my reply that was sent privately and is being presented here for members to be aware of.

Good Morning Cato.

Thank you for your comments. I am not upset about the Transport Canada rules. They are a reflection of similar rules around the world.

Unfotunately we have seen a continuous roll out of additional regulations around the world. This and future governments are no exception. I do not trust the competence or sensibilities of Transport Canada executives or rule makers, based on their past actions.

It would be wise and prudent of MAAC to develop formal, documented training materials for members. It should incorporate the content expectations of Transport Canada, if for no other reason than to show TC that MAAC is taking the rules seriously. Further it would show TC that MAAC wants their flying members to be fully aware of the rules and that MAAC flyers are prepared and capable of taking and passing the online exam. It is easier to carve out an exemption if the flying members are all trained and knowledgeable about the rules. Using the TC expectations is a sure way to ensure that the course material is valid and relevant. TC can have no argument with MAAC if the training materials and courses provided by MAAC are closely aligned with the TC rules.

I will continue to caution about relying on a future unspecified carve out or exemption from TC. MAAC may have their finger on the pulse and close contact with TC, but in the past, the public voice of TC has shown complete disregard for what is reality when it comes to Model Aviation.

It is also valid to point out that most exemptions apply when at a MAAC sanctioned flying facility. In most rural parts of the country, people do much of their flying over lakes, in the back pasture, or on public lands. They are not MAAC designated flying fields. As the rules stand and as I suspect any carve out would not cover, flying at those places would not be covered. That is why it is important to have MAAC develop and promote training materials. It is important to have members prepared to be certified to the TC standard.

Another real possibility would be that MAAC prepared materials would be "approved" by TC and sold by MAAC to the general public as training materials. If protection of rights to fly are important to MAAC then it is absolutely necessary that MAAC lead the training. This means preparing training materials and having MAAC members fully trained on the regulations. By being a recognized training provider MAAC could also swell their membership. That gives an even more powerful voice to MAAC when dealing with TC.

I trust that you will bring this proposal to the Board and that they will act on it swiftly.

Best Regards.

Jim Haliburton

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MarkL
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Re: TRANSPORT CANADA SLEDGEHAMMER

Unread post by MarkL » Wed Feb 06, 2019 12:45 pm

FYI - TC is holding info sessions on the new regs in the next few weeks.

Halifax session is Feb 19 at the central library.

Details are here: https://blog.flitelab.com/2019/02/06/ne ... -sessions/

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JohnOSullivan
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Re: TRANSPORT CANADA SLEDGEHAMMER

Unread post by JohnOSullivan » Mon Feb 18, 2019 7:46 pm

MarkL wrote:FYI - TC is holding info sessions on the new regs in the next few weeks.

Halifax session is Feb 19 at the central library.

Details are here: https://blog.flitelab.com/2019/02/06/ne ... -sessions/

Just a reminder of Tuesday's Transport Canada Meeting at the Halifax Library.
John
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MACI (Ireland) IRL#26

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MarkL
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Re: TRANSPORT CANADA SLEDGEHAMMER

Unread post by MarkL » Wed Feb 20, 2019 6:09 am

Wasn’t many people there.

Ivan
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Re: TRANSPORT CANADA SLEDGEHAMMER

Unread post by Ivan » Thu Feb 21, 2019 6:02 pm

hey mark was there any thing that stands out

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MarkL
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Re: TRANSPORT CANADA SLEDGEHAMMER

Unread post by MarkL » Thu Feb 21, 2019 8:17 pm

Not really. Was just overview of new regs.

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JohnOSullivan
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Re: TRANSPORT CANADA SLEDGEHAMMER

Unread post by JohnOSullivan » Fri Feb 22, 2019 12:01 pm

I guess everyone has got tired of trying to talk sense to these panels who know absolutely nothing about model airplanes. Any constructive comments go in one ear and out the other as they have no concept of real model aircraft flying and are only interested in bringing in regulations for mavericks, who don't give a damn about rules anyway.
Incidentally, the latest from the FAA is that they have exempted Control Line and Free Flight Models from their regulations and registration.
John
MAAC #5401 L
MACI (Ireland) IRL#26

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