The one where WMAP gets to press the magic button, and is marginally disappointed.

RTH and I took advantage of the Canada Day long weekend to head to yet another airfield that neither of us had visited before. Originally the plan was to do a sightseeing trip over Niagara Falls (very Canadian for Canada day!) but the Falls are a very high traffic area with special procedures that you have to follow, because for one thing you temporarily end up in US air space and they are a bit twitchy about rules and stuff .

Anyways, long story short the main feature of the Niagara circuit is that you have to stay above 3500 ASL. With a cloud base hovering around that and lower than optimal visibility due to mist, we decided that the Falls were for another day and agreed on a touch and go at St Catharines (CYSN) instead.

The day before RTH set me the task of flight planning, nothing too formal just look at the chart, look at the CFS and tell me what we need to know. So I did. Every time I do this it makes a little more sense.

Navigation is dead easy. You basically follow the shoreline around (no nipping across the lake in a single engine plane), failing that you follow the main QEW highway. I marked off what I thought were a few noticeable landmarks and started to plan the flight in my head. I started thinking through what frequencies we’d need, when we’d need them and what instructions we might anticipate from the various Air Traffic Services we’d utilize on the way.

The coolest part, from my point of view was that we’d be using “flight following.” Basically you get to use the same people who keep the big jets from bashing into each other as they transit through the Toronto Terminal area. Workload permitting they’ll provide services to VFR traffic. They pass you onto the next person as you fly through the different areas; it really is like being a “proper” pilot!

RTH has used Flight Following before, I have no experience of it, so I quizzed him endlessly about what they say, what you say, what you do etc. It soon became apparent in helping RTH with the radios I would have one very important role in this flight.

Something I’d never done before.

Something new and exciting*

I had to press the “ident” button on the transponder!

Wooh!

For the slightly bemused out there, basically this button makes your radar dot sort of expand on ATC’s screen, so that they know which blip is you. Then they confirm that you are “radar identified” and proceed to ask you what altitude you’d like, while they keep you from hitting anything.

At the appointed time ATC did indeed request that we “squawk ident.” My moment had come, I leaned over and pressed the magic button.

Nothing.

Awww c’mon; I’ve watched enough submarine** movies!

I know what’s meant to happen

Where’s my p i i i i i i i i i i i n g sound?

Nothing?

Really?

I can’t help but be vaguely disappointed by this

I feel I should complain to someone!

 

 

* Yes sad isn’t it!

** I do know the difference between SONAR and RADAR before you ask.