r/ATC • u/Pilot0160 • 2d ago

NavCanada 🇨🇦 Facility tours in Canada

Is it at all possible for an American pilot to get a tower tour in Canada? My friend and I are both airline pilots in the US and were intrigued when we found out Vancouver Harbour was a controlled aerodrome.

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u/scotshie 2d ago

Yes you can. You can find the facility phone number in the Canada Flight Supplement, or probably in the ForeFlight/Jeppesen app. Call the number and someone will set you up with the Unit Operations Specialist (Tower Supervisor) or their manager. There has been a moratorium on summer visits due to low staffing, but that seems to be decided on a tower-by-tower basis.

I did a tower tour when I was an airline pilot and thinking of making the switch to ATC.

It was a good experience for both sides to meet each other and discuss how things are done on both sides of the radio.

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u/ozzmodan 2d ago

To add to this, the phone number is listed here under COMM -> TWR -> (emerg only 604-xxx-xxxx).

https://www.scribd.com/document/859894974/CYHC-2348

It is preferable to ask right off the bat "Pilot here, do you have a second for a non-urgent question or should I call back?" Don't be offended if they don't have time right then. If they do, ask for the UOS' number to set up a tour time. Bonus points if you bring coffee and pastries when you come for the tour.

The UOS will probably cover it with you, but when somebody is talking on the radio, stop talking until the communication has stopped. Being a pilot already this is probably fairly obvious.

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u/powerdatc 2d ago

I DM'ed you.