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Author Topic: Navaids Calibration flights around the world.  (Read 16729 times)

Offline VASAviation

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Navaids Calibration flights around the world.
« on: April 10, 2016, 20:09:56 UTC »
Hello everyone,

I was hanging out on FlightRadar24 when thought of searching some calibration flights. I remembered a British calibrator and looked for it. I saw she had been calibrating in Ireland in the past few days so I thought it could be interesting to hear how they work. The coordination between ATCs and the Calibrator is just awesome and so professional!! Audio attached.

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/g-cobi#916f49d

By the way, I request if any of you know some more "Calibrators" around the world to hear them in airports they operate and we cover :-)

Here's my list and I'm specially looking for some calibrators in the US

-9M-CAL
-C-GNVC
-C-GFIO
-C-GCFK
-G-COBI
-G-COBM
-G-FPLD
-F-GJFA
-D-CFMB
-D-CFMD
-D-CFME
-JA003G
-OK-WYI
-PK-CAC
-SE-LKY
-SE-KDK
-SP-TPA
-SP-TPU
-VH-FIX
-VH-FIY
-VH-FIZ
-VT-FIU
-YR-CAA
-YU-BTC
-RA-02800
-

All those above can be followed on FlightRadar 24. They really do crazy things.
« Last Edit: April 24, 2016, 13:34:10 UTC by VictorAtienza94 »



Offline Sagdiyev

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Re: Navaids Calibration flights around the world.
« Reply #1 on: April 11, 2016, 21:38:54 UTC »
Hi VictorAtienza94,

SP-TPA and SP-TPU and OK-WYI are Polish and Czech Calibrators.
Also there's YR-CAA from Romania and YU-BTC from Serbia.
All are visible on Flightradar24 and sometimes can be heard on some feeds covered by LiveATC.

Offline GeoffSM1

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Re: Navaids Calibration flights around the world.
« Reply #2 on: April 13, 2016, 07:03:13 UTC »
Thanks for the clip Victor.
I did not know about these flights.
From the controllers' reaction/questions it seems they had not been properly briefed. For instance, the first one did not appreciate that for the calibration to be valid the flight could not be deviated to make way for other traffic.
How often do calibration checks take place?





« Last Edit: April 13, 2016, 07:05:48 UTC by GeoffSM1 »

Offline VASAviation

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Re: Navaids Calibration flights around the world.
« Reply #3 on: April 13, 2016, 08:13:45 UTC »
SP-TPA and SP-TPU and OK-WYI are Polish and Czech Calibrators.
Also there's YR-CAA from Romania and YU-BTC from Serbia.
All are visible on Flightradar24 and sometimes can be heard on some feeds covered by LiveATC.

Thanks for this Sagdiyev! I will try to follow one of these and get some clips from LiveATC :-)

Thanks for the clip Victor.
I did not know about these flights.
From the controllers' reaction/questions it seems they had not been properly briefed. For instance, the first one did not appreciate that for the calibration to be valid the flight could not be deviated to make way for other traffic.
How often do calibration checks take place?

You're welcome Geoff!

Calibration flights (And I'm talking about Europe. Don't really know in the US) are planned two days before the DOF. The flight planning is sent to Eurocontrol and has to be validated. As you said, for the calibration to be perfectly issued the aircraft has to do what it has to do. No vectors allowed usually. That's why NOTAMS and ATIS are important when calibration is taking place because some big delays can be caused. I remember the CLB26 in Madrid LEMD and more than 10 aircraft holding because it had to do an ARC crossing the localizer twice and at a certain low altitude (to check radio signals and errors).

I don't really know how often they are done. I do know in Madrid was done because of a runway re-construction that took more than a month. The whole surface was replaced. I know they also calibrate after strong storms specially of hail. Antennas get broken, they are fixed and need to be re-calibrated.

Maybe some here knows how often, regularly without conditions, they take place :wink: :wink:

Offline GeoffSM1

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Re: Navaids Calibration flights around the world.
« Reply #4 on: April 13, 2016, 13:52:44 UTC »
Thanks Victor.

Offline SirIsaac726

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Re: Navaids Calibration flights around the world.
« Reply #5 on: April 13, 2016, 18:33:40 UTC »
Victor, I don't have specific registrations but in the U.S. the FAA's flights for this kinda thing use the callsign "FLC" which is announced as "Flight Check ###". If you go to FlightRadar24.com, and do an advanced search for the airline FLC, you can get a very limited history (not very useful but you can see some of the aircraft types they use).

From the controllers' reaction/questions it seems they had not been properly briefed.

Welcome to the life of an air traffic controller.

Offline VASAviation

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Re: Navaids Calibration flights around the world.
« Reply #6 on: April 13, 2016, 19:45:13 UTC »
Great Isaac, thanks!!!

I'll give it a try. Let's find some more calibrators!!  :-D

Offline VASAviation

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Re: Navaids Calibration flights around the world.
« Reply #7 on: April 13, 2016, 19:56:30 UTC »
Still searching for those US calibrators.

Meanwhile, I found some more from Sweden.

SE-LKY
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/se-lky#96089bd

SE-KDK
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/se-kdk#930cc15

 :-o :-o :-o

Offline VASAviation

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Re: Navaids Calibration flights around the world.
« Reply #8 on: April 13, 2016, 20:58:32 UTC »
Well... thanks a lot to Isaac for the help. We need some more info about the US but here's a bit of what I could find.

FAA uses some different types of aircraft (Beechcraft B300/350 still be the most common) for the navaids checks. As Isaac said, their callsign is FLC (Flight check) ## (where ## is the registration number of the aircraft) Ex, FLC79 for aircraft N79

I have found some B300s with registration N66 to N84 (that's a total of 19 B300s)
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/n70#94e5bed

Canadairs CL60 with registration N85 to N90 (that's a total of 6 CL60s)

I'll keep looking for some more. I'm sure some of those flights and ATC are so interesting. Imagine these operating in big airports... :roll:


Offline geodementia

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Re: Re: Navaids Calibration flights around the world.
« Reply #9 on: April 14, 2016, 08:26:02 UTC »
Victor, I don't have specific registrations but in the U.S. the FAA's flights for this kinda thing use the callsign "FLC" which is announced as "Flight Check ###". If you go to FlightRadar24.com, and do an advanced search for the airline FLC, you can get a very limited history (not very useful but you can see some of the aircraft types they use).

From the controllers' reaction/questions it seems they had not been properly briefed.

Welcome to the life of an air traffic controller.
And down under we have VH-FIX as mentioned, I think FIY is also used? Callsign AUSCAL usually 3 or 4, ADSB prefix ADA.

Offline VASAviation

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Re: Re: Navaids Calibration flights around the world.
« Reply #10 on: April 14, 2016, 12:54:11 UTC »
I think FIY is also used?

Yep, you're right! And FIZ as well.

Those are three Australians I know for now :wink: :wink:

Offline VASAviation

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Re: Navaids Calibration flights around the world.
« Reply #11 on: April 16, 2016, 20:55:18 UTC »
Two more Calibrator B350 found and can be seen on FR24 :-)

RA-02800
F-GJFA

Offline GeoffSM1

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Re: Navaids Calibration flights around the world.
« Reply #12 on: May 07, 2016, 23:04:27 UTC »
Victor, I found this one in the US (Seattle).
Very different to the Irish one!
« Last Edit: May 08, 2016, 02:18:51 UTC by GeoffSM1 »

Offline VASAviation

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Re: Navaids Calibration flights around the world.
« Reply #13 on: May 08, 2016, 07:46:39 UTC »
Hey Geoff,

http://www.liveatc.net/forums/atcaviation-audio-clips/american-airlines-a321-bird-strike-at-seattle/

A little of that is included in the AAL2310 Bird Strike that I uploaded a few days ago.

I must check more often for this Flight Checks in the US. That should be interesting!  :-)

Thanks for working this one for me though :lol:
« Last Edit: May 08, 2016, 07:48:34 UTC by VictorAtienza94 »

Offline GeoffSM1

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Re: Navaids Calibration flights around the world.
« Reply #14 on: May 08, 2016, 14:57:46 UTC »
I managed to miss that clip somehow Victor and so wasn't aware that you had already spotted the Seattle Flight Check.

Offline VASAviation

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Re: Navaids Calibration flights around the world.
« Reply #15 on: May 08, 2016, 16:34:44 UTC »
No problem, at all! :lol: :lol:

I really appreciate it because I told I was gonna work it and for some reason I forgot it so now you did it and it's awesome!

I will search for some others around the globe and if we could have access to their track, it'd be 2x great!  :-D

Offline GeoffSM1

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Re: Navaids Calibration flights around the world.
« Reply #16 on: May 08, 2016, 20:47:04 UTC »
Thanks Victor.