Air traffic in Toronto (PIA)

[EJB]

Hi.
I found myself listening to the various arrival and departure frequencies for Toronto International Airport (PIA) for short.
I was able to track planes coming into Toronto airspace from the various Low and Hi altitude frequncies for Toronto centre.

I was wondering if I may ask a few questions of those here in the know:

1) There was once a map of the various 'centres' either posted on here on on Steve Jones' yahooo ontario scanner group. It showed the various coverage areas for various low and hi altitute stations. Would anyone on here know of such a map? I do have a list of frequencies from something (I think) called AARM or Airm on here.

2) Often enough planes flying over Toronto go into different centres airspace. Oftne enough I hear the controller for Toronto centre tell the pilot to switch to Cleveland centre, or Messina or Montreal, etc. Would I be able to monitor at least one side of the conversation from my home base in toronto (I am about 12 miles dead east, 100 feet up in the air from PIA and have a larsen and Diamond 77ca antenna).

Would anyone on here from the general area have ARC files for PIA? I'd like to compare them to mine, I have both a 246 & 296.

3) Millitary air: Would my 246 or 296 have this range? If so, would I be able to hear American or Canadian activity?

Any help is greatly appreciated.
I also have a DX370 (I think, it is at home, I'll have to look at it when I get home) with side band? I imagine there is all kinds o' activity on there as well.

Thanks again and sorry to ramble.

Eric

 

[pathalogical]

I like listening to air traffic too ! I live a little closer to YYZ than yourself, about 6 or 8 miles east of PIA. Usually when a pilot indicates "approaching or just inside Noah beacon" or when ATC instructs "170 knots to the marker" which is about where a plane flies over hwy 400 for runway 24 L or R. Final descent is about 4000 ft sometimes 3000 ft, from that altitude a pilot may indicate they have the field in sight.

1) I'm not aware of airspace maps, hopefully others can help with that one, but I believe the air is divided into blocks or sections (maybe the word 'sector' is used). For example, 0-15,000 ft is one sector, 15,000-25,000 is another and so on. DON'T quote me on that but I read something like that somewhere.

2) If you change freqs when a pilot is told to contact Cleveland centre, you will hear the pilot but not Cleveland centre. I don't use any software for my 246.

3) Milair freqs are 225-400 MHz. Outta luck with our 246, check your specs on the 296. This is why I added a Pro 43 to my collection. PIA does have freqs in that range, but I haven't heard a peep from those. I'm kinda anticipating a CF-18 flyover for the Molson Indy Race day (July 9) after the national anthems like they do in the US. Not sure what freqs they'll use. As for Canadian activity...I wish !!! There is lots of US activity in the Maryland sticky thread for Milair, I'd love to hear cool stuff like that. Someone in Simcoe county was asking about Canadian NORAD Blue freqs. There is an air-to-air refueling track just over the Lake Ontario/US border. http://www.milaircomms.com/refuel_tracks.html Lotsa freqs and cool map for printing too. Also http://www.canairradio.com/airrefuel.html That's about as close to Toronto as it gets. Milair around here I think is something you have to scan for 24/7. On the news they once said that if a plane goes astray around Toronto (for terrorism purposes), the closest fighter planes are in Syracuse NY and Baggotville Que. Don't know why they don't keep some 18's over at CFB Trenton. http://www.canairradio.com/mil.html

As for SW radio, I'm planning on venturing into this as well. The person I bought my 43 from is mostly into sw radio and did say he hears a lot of trans oceanic flights. All the military stuff is SSB.

Hope some stuff helps, I don't know everything, this is just my 1 cent worth.

 

[EJB]

Thanks Path for your imput.
I dont remember the sector map if it was discussed here or Steves' Yahoo group but it was def mentioned.

I imagine that you live in North York or York.
Peace
Eric
P.S. No software for your 246? Wow!