Nav Canada's control tower and building at Ottawa International Airport.
Watch members pose in the cab of the Ottawa airport control tower. L to R: John Davies, Brian Warner, Greg Somers, Bob Kendall, Wayne Giles, Denis Godin.
Air traffic controllers enjoy an expansive view across the Ottawa airport from the cab of their tower. The terminal building is directly opposite, with runway 14-32 approximately midway between.
From L to R: John Davies, Brian Warner, Nelson Plamondon, Bob Kendall, Wayne Giles, Denis Godin

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Saturday March 15 was a grey, rainy and relatively quiet day at the YOW airport with very little photo opportunities for Airport Watch members. However it turned out to be a bright and very interesting day for the dozen or so members who attended a tour of the Nav Canada tower facility.

Following a brief introduction by Manager Greg Somers, the guests were invited to go up the elevator and first have a peek at the employee's lounge. They were then taken up the stairs to the heart of the building at the top floor of the control tower. Although there was very little going on at that time, Watch members were able to observe two of the controllers at work, Mr. Martin Gilbert and Mr. Rick Benoit, who kindly described some of the procedures they use to handle traffic in the air as well as on the ground. They also took the time to explain the various pieces of equipment used to ensure efficient and safe movements of aircraft such as runway lighting, navigational aids (ILS, VOR, etc.) and radar, all the while maintaining communications with the few aircraft active in the area.

Before heading back downstairs, Greg invited those who were brave enough to take a walk on the outdoor observation platform. This is without a doubt the best spotting location for runway 14-32 - no obstructions and a perfect view of the entire runway and main terminal. Unfortunately this vantage point is not available on a regular basis!

It goes without saying that everyone really enjoyed the visit. It allowed the Airport Watch members to put faces (or at least try to) to the voices they hear while listening to the tower and ground frequencies, and to better understand how aircraft movements are handled at Ottawa International.

Thank you to all those involved in organizing this visit, especially the accommodating staff at Nav Canada, for a very special treat!