Monthly Archives: June 2005

Google Maps and Flight Planning

Google has just made an announcement that could have a profound effect on the resources available for flight planning online: they have created a free API (application programming interface) to Google Maps. The flying geeks who read this blog will … Continue reading

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C-FBJO on Google Maps

This is a pure vanity posting, a link to a Google Maps satellite photo of my plane in its usual parking spot at the Ottawa Flying Club (at CYOW): satellite photo I can date the imagery to within a few … Continue reading

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Canadian Airport Data in a Spreadsheet

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m often frustrated at the lack of freely-available data for Canadian airports and airspace (and stung by the irony that most of what is available comes from the U.S.). Over the past couple of years, I’ve … Continue reading

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North (sort-of) without radar

I flew back from Timmins yesterday after a Hope Air flight via Toronto (Timmins is the home of singer Shania Twain, as the signs there constantly remind you). The airspace around Timmins is controlled, but there is little or no … Continue reading

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"Cleared for an approach"

Last week I decided to go for a short round-robin IFR flight between Ottawa and Pembroke. While I was still in cloud and on the airway, cruising at 6,000 ft, Montreal Centre gave me missed approach instructions and then said … Continue reading

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Admin: new category, Canada vs. U.S.

I’m starting a new category in this weblog, canada-us. Postings added to this category will talk about how flying differs between the two countries, including regulations, culture, and so on. Vive la diffĂ©rence!

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Flying databases

The U.S. makes most of its aeronautical data available for free in electronic form; other countries hoard the information and charge money (sometimes, a lot of money) for a peek at it. This distinction used to matter mainly to cartographers … Continue reading

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