Zone A - Event details are- MAAC Zone A Turbine Operator’s Certificate Testing Day
MAAC Zone A Turbine Operator’s Certificate Testing Day. Aug 29 primary day with alternate due to weather Aug 30. Located at the Red Deer Prop Busters RC Club field. All participants are required to bring a generous donation to the local food bank. For full details visit the Princeton Jets Facebook page or the Tofield Miniture Aircraft Association Facebook page.
As many of you know in the MAAC Zone A region we have been woefully deficient of Turbine Operator’s Certificate (TOC) holders and examiners as to the ratio of turbine flyers, in the area. With the event we are planning we hope to rectify that.
In an agreement I have struck with Red Deer Prop Busters RC Club, they have graciously have offered their facility for a day of TOC testing. The Prop Busters are a club that has been around for over 25-30 years, which started out leasing their land from a local sod farm operator. Over the years the land has been changed over to more of a crop land operation. So just this year the club has extended their runway on both ends to give them over 600 feet of length and a width of over 80 feet. Devon Glowatski and Steve Morgan (club executive) have really worked hard on the runway and with all the moisture this zone is seeing this year, everything is coming up green.
So, with this opportunity we have a facility, now we need some dates. In trying to work around events that have been long established earlier in the year, it looks like we will be going with a primary day of Saturday August 29th with a rain date of Sunday August 30th 2020. Being that communication will be paramount to let people know of any changes, preregistration will be a requirement.
To preregister for this event, you will need to email me in advance by August 26th that you wish to test for the TOC. I will be making a determination, due to weather by 2:00 pm on the Friday before, for Saturday operations and the same time on Saturday, for Sunday operations (if an earlier assessment can be made to notify people of unsatisfactory weather for flying, I will definitely try to do so). If the weekend is a complete washout, I will try and work things out for another date further into September, if need be.
It will be the responsibility of the pilots who wish to be tested to show up with their 2020 MAAC membership card and the TOC application form (that is located on the MAAC website/ RC Jet Section.) The application form will be filled out at the time of testing with a successful pass of the test. All onsite turbine pilots will be doing a self check list, before flying, that will be signed off by themselves.
In reminding those individual s who wish to tested, it will be up to you to also make yourselves familiar will all documents in the RC Jet Section of the MAAC website, with particular attention to the TOC policy, examiners guide, Jet Committee Safety Guidelines and the TOC questions. Oral testing will be part 1 of the test and the flight test with be part 2. Details of the flight test are located in the TOC policy and examiners guidelines document.
The Prop Busters club are being very generous to us as turbine pilots as most of us are not members of their club. The one thing that they have asked from us is to make donation to their local food bank. I think all of us can appreciate the value that we are getting from their club in this event, and should consider a generous donation. As an example, I think that Safeway makes a nice premade bag for purchase that could be an appropriate donation, but I leave it up to you individuals to decide for yourselves.
For those of you within our zone who are traveling a distance and may need accommodations, again the club has come through with invitation that those wishing to camp, dry camping is available. For those of you that would like full hook ups this field is located 3 km of the town of Sylvan Lake where there might be the availability provincial camp grounds and there could be the possibility of private camp facilities. Arranging for any offsite camping facility will be up to each participant to arrange.
Other people that don’t have camping RV’s and needing accommodation, again the field is located 3 kms from Sylvan Lake which has many motels, hotels and restaurants, which can serve most travelers needs. Also, the location is 15 kms from Red Deer that can offer even greater variety of accommodations. So, you are in an excellent location to be served by these local amenities of this region that are available. Again, all these bookings are the responsibility of each individual who travels to the event.
Due to the situation that the world finds itself in now with the virus, we must operate this whole event under the protocols that are in place at the time from Alberta Health Services. At the time that I am writing this, we are in the phase that the numbers (of an outdoor event of no more than 200 persons) who will show up to this event, should not in anyway get close to that restriction maximum level. The club has also said to me that their outhouse is available for use with hand sanitizer, but they take no responsibility in it being disinfected between usage, so you use this at your own risk. If any individuals cannot maintain the minimum distance of 2m then the protocol of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)would be required. PPE will not be provided by me or the Prop Busters and is at the responsibility of each individual that enters the site. If AHS in future decides to rollback or restrict their protocols that would affect this event, those changes will be made up to an including cancellation.
A question might be asked is- I do not reside in Zone A can I come and be tested? Even though there are some other zones in the country that turbine pilots wish to be tested for the TOC, during the AHS restrictions, we will not be recommending or encouraging interprovincial travel. I am sorry it is just not the year for it. Possibly your own zone examiners maybe able to facilitate a day like this. If examiners are not in your areas please get in touch with me for further options.
The event schedule will be as follows-
a) Event start time is 9:00 am.
b) Pilots meeting will be at 9:15 sharp (at this time all pilots will produce their current MAAC card)
c) Testing will begin at 10:00
d) During the time from 9:00 and on, self checks can start being made as well as once confirmation of MAAC and the signed off check sheets are submitted Orientation flights before testing is highly recommended, so that the pilot can start picking out land marks and other related references for the pilot, to ensure that they will have a successful examination.
e) When a flight test is ready to be conducted, the field will be surrendered to the pilot wishing to be tested and the examiners.
f) If local club members wish to fly during this event, they are welcome to, but they will also be prepared to yield the field when a flight test has started.
g) TOC testing will continue until all tests have completed, unless weather intervenes and then we will break, to see if we can get another window of time that day, to continue.
h) Once testing is complete, the field will be open to general flying with no restrictions.
i) All turbine flights will be conducted under the Turbine safety guidelines and all general MAAC rules and guidelines.
An important thing to mention is if the on-site weather deteriorates into a major event such heavy rain, winds or hail, the club wanted it stated that there is limited shelter space available to house model aircraft. So, what were saying here is, be ready to self contain your aircraft, in your vehicles, trailers, etc. if need be.
The last thing I would like to say is that having a TOC is not required to fly a turbine powered aircraft in Canada. A TOC is only required to fly a turbine aircraft in the USA. You may say to yourself, I don’t’ ever plan to fly a turbine state side, so what do I need a TOC for? This is an understandable question to ask. In obtaining a TOC and possibly going on to acquire an examiner role, you will help the rest in the turbine community, that maybe interested in travelling to the US to fly, with more numerous TOC holders and examiners available. One thing also should be mentioned about skill level. If you have just started into flying turbines, and don’t feel ready for testing that is fine. It is important that the turbine pilot be very familiar with operation of the equipment and operate the aircraft in a safe and controlled manner. Possibly another event like this could be scheduled, but it is hopeful that in the not too distant future, that jet rallies will return, where the predominate place of testing has occurred in the past.
So, if you are interested in testing for the TOC and can make the trip and the date, preregister by sending me an email and don’t forget to include an email address and daytime phone number if necessary, to contact you. Hope to see you on the 29th of August bright and early.
Alan Blore
MAAC
Jet Committee Chairman
ablore@shaw.ca
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