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AIR SAR

Arctic sovereignty patrol exercise includes simulated air crash
A two-week Canadian Forces sovereignty patrol in the high Arctic area of Isachsen, Nunavut, provided the opportunity for a multi-agency exercise.

Isachsen is 1,400 kilometres above the Arctic Circle and is said to have the worst weather in Canada.

The patrol, held between March 31 and April 15, included snowmobile expeditions to several islands in the area and involved 14 Canadian Rangers from the Northwest Territories, Yukon, Nunavut and Saskatchewan; nine Regular Force members from Canadian Forces Northern Area; and two CC-138 Twin Otters and their six crew members from 440 Transport Squadron in Yellowknife.

The Canadian Rangers and 440 Squadron exercised search and rescue skills that could benefit the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centres in Victoria, Trenton and Halifax in the event of an incident in the high Arctic.

The April 8 air crash exercise simulated the 1950s U.S. Air Force DC-3 transport aircraft that crashed at Isachsen.

"This sovereignty patrol is part of regular operations conducted by Canadian Forces Northern Area," said patrol leader Major Stewart Gibson, Commanding Officer of 1 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group. "In addition to the training value, such patrols reinforce our presence in the Canadian high Arctic.

New low visibility landing requirements
In November 2004, Transport Canada issued new regulations for air landings in low visibility conditions. A Transport Canada committee decided to increase the previous minimum visibility range from 1,200 feet to 1,800 feet for landings and to make the requirements universal across Canada.

The proposed amendments build on current requirements and will help enhance safety for crew and travelers by establishing the minimum visibility at which an approach can be conducted using an aircraft's instruments. The guiding principle is that in an aircraft flying in poor visibility and approaching a runway to land, the crew must be able to see the runway environment in time to position the aircraft for a safe landing, prohibiting commercial air operators from beginning an approach when visibility is so poor that a successful approach to a landing is unlikely.
"Canada's air transportation system must cope with extreme weather conditions while maintaining the highest of safety standards," said Transport Minister Jean-C Lapierre in a news release. "These amendments clearly set out the minimum conditions for approaches in low visibility situations and demonstrate our ongoing commitment to safety."

While the new regulations are meant for civilian aircraft and pilots, search and rescue teams will benefit since the increased required visual range should equate to safer landings and fewer crashes, thereby decreasing the requirement for rescue missions.

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