As Chris mentioned, the show hold area is a protected block of airspace south of CYTZ that is NOTAMed closed except for airshow participants each day. You'll hear the controller working Show Radar (based at Toronto Centre) vectoring acts into the hold area and giving them hold altitudes and traffic pattern instructions for their hold time prior to them entering show center. I haven't paid enough attention in recent years, but way back when I worked at the CIAS in the technical operations side of ATC, DND (the Canadian Military) would set up a portable TACAN at CYTZ and a specific radial off of the TACAN was published as the inbound track to the high speed show line. CYTZ has no NAVAIDS other than ILS x2 and NDB. Of course there were way more military high performance aircraft in the CIAS back then including many that were 'Uniform'-only, meaning exclusively UHF equipped for comms and NAV, hence the need for a TACAN which is effectively a UHF VORDME. VHF and UHF comms from the ground right to show center and back to the airport were provided through normal ATC facilities and from our portable control tower vehicle located at the west island of Ontario Place at show center.
Here's this year's NOTAM if anyone cares to read the specifics:
170685 CYTZ TORONTO/BILLY BISHOP TORONTO CITY AIRPORT CYTZ PURSUANT TO SECTION 5.1 OF THE AERONAUTICS ACT, AIRSPACE WITHIN RADIUS 5 NM CENTRE 433728N 792544W (CNE GROUNDS, APRX 1.5 NM W AD) AND THE AIRSPACE BOUNDED BY 433502N 793139W-433335N 792123W-433001N 792525W-433150N 793205W- 433502N 793139W (CENTRE APRX 6 NM SW AD) IS RESTRICTED SFC TO 15000 FT MSL. EXC FOR AIRSHOW PARTICIPANTS AND MEDEVAC/RESCUE ACFT NO PERSON SHALL OPR AN ACFT WITHIN THE AREA DESCRIBED UNLESS AUTH BY THE AIRSHOW COORDINATOR AT (###-###-####). SEP 01 1400-1900 SEP 02-04 1500-2000 1709011400 TIL 1709042000
Bob
