Page 1 of 1

GPS Jamming

Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 9:16 am
by Wayne G. O'Shea
FYI - Don't forget your map! DND is playing with new equipment at the
expense of safety for Ontario Pilots!
Electronic Warfare Effects Flight Safety - Beware in Ontario and Quebec
in June!

While preparing for a trip from Ottawa recently, COPA staff member Adam
Hunt noticed the following NOTAM in the Flight Information Region
section of the NOTAMs:

040305 CZUL MONTREAL FIR
CZUL GPS JAMMING EXERCISES MAY RESULT IN INTERMITTENT LOSS OF GPS
SIGNALS IN VICINITY OF 4539.8N 7736.2W (YXI VOR) FROM 350 RADIAL
CLOCKWISE TO 090 RADIAL. AFFECTED AREA EXTENDS TO 100 NM BELOW
3000 FT MSL, AND UP TO 250 NM ABOVE 3000 FT MSL. GPS APCH NOT
AUTH AT PEMBROKE (CYTA), MANIWAKI (CYMW) AND MONT-LAURIER (CSD4)
DURING EXERCISE PERIODS 1400-1900 DAILY 0406091400/0406111900
AND 1400-1900 DAILY
0406141400 TIL 0406151900

Given the proximity of the jamming to some of the busiest flying areas
in Canada and the potential for the directional jamming to go beyond the
intended direction, COPA President Kevin Psutka contacted key
individuals at the Department of National Defence (DND), Transport
Canada and NAV CANADA and also made our sister organization, AOPA US,
aware of our concerns.

In a strongly worded message to the agencies, COPA emphasized that there
is a flight safety trap being created by this exercise, most notably
that they intend to proceed with the exercise even if the weather is
IFR, when potentially someone will use GPS as the primary means of
navigation. We pointed out the FIR NOTAMs are more obscure and sometimes
difficult to decipher. It is very likely that, despite the length of
time that the NOTAM will have been in effect by the time the jamming
exercise takes place, there will be a significant number of pilots in
Canada using GPS during the period that the jamming will occur who will
not be aware that jamming is occurring...



.From the location information in the NOTAM, it is not clear where the
jamming will be coming from, so DND was contacted for more information.
It will in fact come from Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, north-west of
Ottawa.



As of the date of this article, discussions with the three agencies did
not convince them to change their plans. So, please be aware of the
jamming that will occur on 9, 10, 11, 14 and 15 June from 1400Z to
1900Z. Do not conduct GPS approaches at the three airports and we
strongly recommend alternate means of navigation within 250nm of the
Killaloe VOR (YXI) on those days.







-----------------------------------------------------------------
List archives located at: https://mail.dcsol.com/login
username "rebel" password "builder"
Unsubscribe: rebel-builders-unsubscribe@dcsol.com
List administrator: mike.davis@dcsol.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------