YYZ Airport Watch Update
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Increasing Visibility with Vehicle Magnets
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By Ryan Cantin
Photo courtesy of Ryan Cantin - YYZ Airport Watch |
Airport Watch Member: Squawk Ident!... or just use your vehicle magnets.
 Magnets in action at YYZ
Our new magnetic door signs are in use and very effective. Discussions with our security partners (Peel Police & GTAA) identified a concern that our dashboard banners are difficult to see at times depending on placement.  Magnets in action at YYZYYZ Airport Watch has increased visibility and allowed for easier identification by using magnetic signs on our vehicles. The new method of identification has received great feedback from our security partners!
An article about the implementation of our magnets has even been included in the Second Quarter 2010 issue of Toronto Pearson Today. Have a look at page 7 for the article.
YYZ Airport Watch would like to extend our sincere thanks to the GTAA for subsidizing the cost of these magnetic signs in the amount of $500.00! Their cooperation and support with this initiative, as well as many others, has allowed YYZ Airport Watch to continue to enjoy our passion.
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We Continue to Observe, Record & Report
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| By Ryan Cantin |
YYZ Airport Watch continues to observe, record and report around YYZ. Over the past several months, our members have reported a wide array of concerns and observations. These reports are appreciated and valued!
The first report was a follow-up to the feeding of birds on the approach to Runway 23. It would seem that this is still happening and another report was made to address the situation. This remains a serious issue as the feeding of birds draws them to the area, which is directly inline with an active runway. The GTAA have actioned some regular patrols to this area.
Another report was made to raise a concern after a YYZ Airport Watch member witnessed a Turkish Airline flight coming dangerously close to making contact with the exhaust deflection barrier when landing on Runway 23. This concern was forwarded directly to the GTAA for review by the Flight Safety department.
Here's one to file under the "unbelievable" category. A YYZ Airport Watch member contacted the Operations number to report a family flying kites inline with the approach for Runway 23. The Operations Center dispatched someone to address the situation.
Do you notice a common thread between all of these reports? Runway 23.
Due to the nature of this area (food, picnic tables, grassy area, trees, etc...) it is natural that people will congregate here to enjoy some plane-watching along with their Big-Bacon Classic combo. The issue is that the general public probably does not realize or consider the dangers of the simplest of actions when dealing with the approach for an active runway.
Remain vigilant and report concerns to the Operations Center using the contact numbers on your dashboard banners and membership cards. As always, if in doubt, report it!
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Come Rain or Shine
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By Ryan Cantin
Photo courtesy of Joel Beick - YYZ Airport Watch |
As most of you are aware, YYZ Airport Watch does a trash pick-up each year at "FedEx Hill" (Bramalea Rd. south of Derry). This exercise has earned us a great deal of respect and thanks from the GTAA and the community surrounding YYZ. The 2010 FedEx Hill cleanup on April 25th was not without its struggles and member response to the event was not what it has been in the past, most likely primarily due to poor weather.
 Brave Clean-Up Crew.
Left to right: Doug Williams, Randy Sibley, Dave Robertson & Ian Morton
That said, we would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to 5 (yes, only 5) dedicated members who showed up ready to brave the elements and clean up a favorite spotting location. Thank you to members Doug Williams, Randy Sibley, Dave Robertson, Ian Morton, and committee director Joel Beick for your participation and dedication. Your efforts are well recognized by YYZ Airport Watch, as well as our partners who work with us to make this event happen each year (GTAA and Airport Maintenance). Events such as this enhance our reputation with our partners around YYZ, as well as the general public. In the end, your participation will serve to help us continue to enhance the growing relationship with our partners, which ensures continued support for our passion!
We look forward to this event again in 2011, come rain or shine!
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The First Annual Airport Watch Summit
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By Andy Cline
Photo courtesy of Andy Cline - YYZ Airport Watch |
 Saturday July 9th, 2010 marked the first (hopefully annual) Airport Watch summit held by happenstance in Toronto. Andrew Reidel, the Chair of Calgary Airport Watch was vacationing in Southern Ontario and thought it may be a good time to have a get together. We bounced it off AW coordinators across the country, and soon had a good interest developing. We established a date, and had a good number of delegates committed. We decided it would be an informal event focusing on getting to know each other, while still thoroughly discussing our operations and issues.
 Left to Right: Sgt Jacques Brunelle, Andrew Cline, Andrew Reidel, Patrick Cardinal, Brian Dunn, Nelson Phlamendon
Our Fearless leader from Ottawa, Sgt Jacques Brunelle of the RCMP, the Airport Watch National Coordinator, came with Nelson Phlamendon, YOW Airport Watch Chair, and Patrick Cardinal, the Montreal Airport Watch Chair. Andrew Cline, YYZ Airport Watch Administrator, was joined by Finance Dirictor Brian Dunn, Tours Director Derek Horsey and Public Relations Director Rob MacNeil to host the group to a relaxing afternoon of spotting and photography at some of Pearson's finest spots. The day started at 13:00 with everyone meeting at Aviation World for some pre-event shopping. We then proceeded in several vehicles to the end of 06R for some sporadic arrivals and a photo op.  Left to Right: Sgt Jacques Brunelle, Andrew Cline, Andrew Reidel, Patrick Cardinal, Derek Horsey, Nelson PhlamendonQuiet activity dictated we move so we headed to BAX via the GTAA hangar so our guests could see some of our prime viewing spots. We then headed to Runway 5 to capture some of the afternoon exotics arriving. A good number of the YYZAW regulars were out enjoying the weather and had an opportunity to chat with our guests. Hunger got the better of us so we headed for the Keg for a detailed discussion about Alberta beef with Andrew. An excellent meal was enjoyed by all.
 Left to Right: Andrew Reidel, Patrick Cardinal, Andrew Cline, Nelson Phlamendon
We discussed a number of issues. Jacques briefed us on both the national and international Airport Watch pictures. Quebec City is hoping to launch this summer. Houston has now entered the fray and is hoping to form a chapter. I brought everyone up to speed with the new Chicago program as my debrief from May explained. Jacques announced a meeting with Chicago scheduled for the 28th in Chicago with law enforcement officials including himself and the Board of Minneapolis St.Paul scheduled to attend. It will also dovetail one of the first group meetings with the ORDAW membership. We discussed the idea of national or North American-wide Airport Watch website, with material input from all chapters for regular / weekly bulletins, in pdf format. Hosting of this is being discussed. Facebook was discussed as a venue and decided against. The recent media event in Ottawa was discussed in detail by Nelson and the result is the member was dismissed from the group for speaking to the media about a crash. A hardline approach by all chapters has been taken to ensure this type of event never transpires again.  New gear was examined, magnetic nametags from Ottawa, Airport Watch vests from Montreal that are large enough to be worn over winter clothing, thus effectively all season, and an embossed metal handbook from Calgary. All great ideas that can be implemented elsewhere.Montreal discussed their disciplinary procedure that has been implemented subsequently. All membership handbooks and rulebooks will be changed to include this issue in detail. Standardization of constitutions and general rules were discussed with documents being handed out from ORD and YOW to share their ideas. A generic handbook could be created for new chapters to draw on and tailor as they see fit. Registration of group names as non-profit organizations was also discussed. New gear was examined, magnetic nametags from Ottawa, Airport Watch vests from Montreal that are large enough to be worn over winter clothing, thus effectively all season, and an embossed metal handbook from Calgary. All great ideas that can be implemented elsewhere. Patrick briefed us on the terminal upgrades and plans underway at YUL. We discussed the Toronto G8/G20 Summit from the AW perspective. General operations were chatted about as well as forthcoming events.
We dispersed about 20:00.Some of the group returned to the end of 05 to catch Eva Air and some of the late evening exotics landing after dinner. The eastern Ontario delegates stayed at the Carlingview and visited AvWorld again to meet with videographer John Bertram for some fresh clips on Sunday morning before returning home. All told it was an excelleng gathering by all accounts. It was great to reacquaint and put faces to names. Alot of ground was covered and ideas shared. Hopefully this can become a regular event, perhaps involving our official partners.
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ORD (Chicago) Airport Watch Chapter Making Progress
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By Andy Cline
Photo courtesy of Andy Cline - YYZ Airport Watch (aerial photo from bing.com) |
 ORD AW Board
This is just a short debrief on a meeting I attended with the board of the newly formed Chicago ORD Airport Watch on May 4th.
I was in Chicago in November to assist with the new Aviation World location at ORD which opened in October. I had taken prepared Airport Watch introductory material with me with the intention of contacting the airport police about the program. Officer Joel Vargas of Benseniville Police Department, and an aviation enthusiast, came into the store one day and I mentioned the program to him. He runs the Crime Prevention Unit, overseeing the neighbourhood watch program. He was very keen on the idea, and immediately went to his superiors and discussed it with them, with an immediate and enthusiastic go ahead. Joel has subsequently met with Chicago Police, Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, who are all behind the program. He will soon set up meetings with the other small village Police Departments that border ORD and share jurisdiction such as Rosemont and Schiller Park. Since November a list of enthusiasts that were potential candidates for membership that came into the Aviation World was established with the help of Richard Wells and Lora Yowell, our managers. An old friend, expat Canadian Steve Bailey came on board as a director and brought a few others into the fray.
On this visit I met with the newly formed ORDAW board at the Bensenville Town Hall boardroom on May 4. The Board of Directors of ORD / Chicago Airport Watch are: Rich Carlson (President), Steve Bailey (IT), Ian Hardie, Richard Wells (AvWorld / Treasurer & Membership), Peter McQuirk (secretary, graphics) and Joel Vargas, Bensenville Police Department. We discussed many things including going over the O'Hare Airport Expansion plan. The mayor briefed us on the plan and how it will reroute several roads and highways on the south side of the airport. Several neighbourhoods in Bensenville have been expropriated and are in the process of being levelled to allow construction of a new runway. The plans will eventually see six parallel runways and two cross runways built, along with a new terminal on the west side,and an enhanced highway system to feed it.
The ORD board asked how we carry out such things as application process and requirements, member fees, renewals, ID Cards, and website setup in Toronto. Many of our SOPs will likely be adopted there. They are keen to set up a web-based log hour reporting system like ours, and want to explore this with our IT person. The ORDAW president Rich Carlson presented a preliminary draft of their Statement of Principals, which I think we should adopt here. It includes formalization of many things we have never addressed here and should be closely looked at. I have asked that they email me their revised document for us to look at. They also suggested a central Airport Watch media outlet or website to act as a central dispensary of bulletins and coverage of the programs, wherever they may be.
All in all it was a very productive meeting, and it is refreshing to see a bunch of enthusiastic people working hard to get a new Airport Watch chapter going.
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In This Issue...
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YYZ Airport Watch Update
Trip Logs, Tours, Events & Member Submitted Content
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In The News
Toronto Pearson Today
YYZ Airport Watch was again mentioned in the GTAA's quarterly publication "Toronto Pearson Today", but this time we made the cover with Andy & Brian's visit to Dubai to speak at the Airport Security Middle East conference.
Check out page 9 of the Q1 '10 issue to read the article.
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Sgt. Jacques Brunelle - RCMP Commissioner's Commendation
Sgt. Jacques Brunelle, the RCMP liason for the Airport Watch program, received the Commissioner's Commendation, the highest RCMP award in the category of Outstanding Service. The wording on the plaque commends his work for the national/international expansion of Airport Watch programs.
Congratulations, Sgt. Brunelle! Thank you for all your hard work and commitment.
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Toronto Pearson Today
YYZ Airport Watch is becoming a regular inclusion into the GTAA's quarterly publication "Toronto Pearson Today", this time with our new vehicle magnets.
Have a look at page 7 of the Q2 '10 issue to read the article.
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Hearth Place - 5K on the Runway
Hearth Place Cancer Support Centre needs your help and participation in the 5K on the Runway event! The event takes place on Sunday October 24th, 2010 at Oshawa Municipal Airport. Please take some time to have a look at the Hearth Place poster (link included below) and consider participating.
To register, or to request further information on the event, please contact:
Nancy Bolton
905-579-4833
Thanks for your consideration!
Hearth Place 5K on the Runway Poster
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