Author Topic: PHL approach to 27R - JALTO  (Read 12399 times)

Offline WNFlyer

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PHL approach to 27R - JALTO
« on: January 09, 2007, 11:42:58 PM »
I listen to PHL approach quite a bit and it seems like the final waypoint to 27R is JALTO.  Looking at the plates, it appears to be in NJ...maybe around Collingswood or so.  My question is:  Is JALTO an actual beacon or tower or is it just an imaginary point designated at a certain location?

Jeff



Offline JetScan1

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Re: PHL approach to 27R - JALTO
« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2007, 12:01:28 AM »
Quote
My question is:  Is JALTO an actual beacon or tower or is it just an imaginary point designated at a certain location?

It's an imaginary point (waypoint), defined/identified in this case as a distance (6.1 nautical miles) on the localizer DME (I-PDP). DJ

Offline JALTO

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Re: PHL approach to 27R - JALTO
« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2007, 11:22:13 AM »
Did someone say something about Jalto???

Don't know if you live in the area or not but if you do head down the White Horse Pike (RT30) to Haddon Township you will see them low and slow all day long...assuming the weather is good.

-Jalto

Offline PHL Approach

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Re: PHL approach to 27R - JALTO
« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2007, 12:29:35 PM »
JALTO is in Haddon Twp/Oaklyn. It's over the front yard of the 5th house on the right side on Eden Ave off of Kendall Blvd.

Offline JetScan1

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Re: PHL approach to 27R - JALTO
« Reply #4 on: January 10, 2007, 12:32:06 PM »
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JALTO is in Haddon Twp/Oaklyn. It's over the front yard of the 5th house on the right side on Eden Ave off of Kendall Blvd.

As it's the Final Approach Fix (FAF) was there ever an NDB or fan marker associated with it back in the old days ? DJ

Offline PHL Approach

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Re: PHL approach to 27R - JALTO
« Reply #5 on: January 10, 2007, 12:56:31 PM »
I think there might have been something over there many years ago. Back in the day it was called SPEEZ after a controller/ supe who retired. There is some plaque for him in the hallway between the breakroom and radar room.

Offline WNFlyer

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Re: PHL approach to 27R - JALTO
« Reply #6 on: January 11, 2007, 12:08:11 AM »
Thanks!  I kinda figured that it was an imaginary waypoint.  I plugged the coordinates into Google Earth and popped up in a residential neighborhood in Oaklyn (Right on  PHL Approach).  I live in PA, but work in Camden, so I mayb have to wander down that way sometime and see how close they get to that spot.

Offline w0x0f

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Re: PHL approach to 27R - JALTO
« Reply #7 on: January 11, 2007, 07:53:14 AM »
I think there might have been something over there many years ago. Back in the day it was called SPEEZ after a controller/ supe who retired. There is some plaque for him in the hallway between the breakroom and radar room.

Actually, back in the day when I worked at PHL Tower the 27R FAF was JOANI.  SPEEZ was named after one of the nicest guys you would ever meet, Greg Spisak who passed away much too young.  Speez was one of the more fortunate controllers who was fired on 8/3/81, but got his job back.  We were on the same crew and he was one of my instructors.  You try to take something from each person that provides OJT for you.  Speez flew by the seat of his pants and you would look at his traffic and say "Whoa, does he have mess there."  Then suddenly they would all line up on the final like a string of pearls and you would say, "How the hell did he do that?"  The best thing was that he'd be telling jokes and laughing the whole time and didn't appear to be working that hard.  He taught me those tricks and how not take it so seriously that you tie your guts up in a knot.

I was gone from PHL for a few years when I heard that he died. He wasn't a supe, he was "just" a controller.  When they cleaned out his locker they found whoopie cushions, chattering teeth, cards, and a pinochle board.  Speez always knew how to have fun.

I forget which fix they named after him, but I thought it was on 9R.  I may be wrong.  They started changing all the waypoints when they overlayed the GPS approches.   

w0x0f   

Offline Ronski

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Re: PHL approach to 27R - JALTO
« Reply #8 on: January 11, 2007, 01:56:24 PM »
Nice story.

I enjoyed reading it, thanks. :-)

Offline PHL Approach

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Re: PHL approach to 27R - JALTO
« Reply #9 on: January 11, 2007, 02:33:58 PM »
After all this time I had no idea you were at PHL at one time. Thanks for the information on that. Atleast he was just a controller and not a supe as I thought. They want to use some names for a new RNAV being made to go over by the DPNT4. There is talk of naming it after one of two guys that died while still employed. I think one name was to be the GORDI1 and I can't remember that other one. One note that's cool about this RNAV is that I saw a JERSY intersection in there. But thanks for sharing that info on Spisak, now I know a little more about that plaque.
« Last Edit: January 11, 2007, 02:41:49 PM by PHL Approach »

Offline davolijj

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Re: PHL approach to 27R - JALTO
« Reply #10 on: January 11, 2007, 02:37:24 PM »
Actually, back in the day when I worked at PHL Tower the 27R FAF was JOANI....

Nice....old guys have the coolest stories.

Offline Acey

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Re: PHL approach to 27R - JALTO
« Reply #11 on: January 11, 2007, 07:51:22 PM »
JALTO is in Haddon Twp/Oaklyn. It's over the front yard of the 5th house on the right side on Eden Ave off of Kendall Blvd.

 8-) Cool that you know exactly who has the waypoint over their house!

Offline w0x0f

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Re: PHL approach to 27R - JALTO
« Reply #12 on: January 11, 2007, 08:41:48 PM »
I think one name was to be the GORDI1

That would be for Jim Gordon.  I have too many stories to tell about Gordo that are not printable in this forum  :evil:.  I can share one that still requires some sanitization.

Several controllers departed PHL after a day shift to attend a performance by the "New Jersey Ballet."  Now being a PA boy, if I'm not going to Atlantic City or one of the other shore destinations, all of New Jersey looks the same to me.  This place was off the Black Horse Pike, I think it was called.  Anyway, after leaving several dollar bills at this establishment, we were headed home.  Everyone but Gordo and me lived in NJ.  Gordo said that I could follow him and he would point out the turn to get to the Whitman bridge and civilization.  He was crossing over a little further to the north.  We drove for several miles and I started to get an uneasy feeling.  I pulled up along side Jim at a traffic light and beeped my horn.  He looked over and his jaw dropped and he slapped himself in the forehead.  Needless to say, I got home a little late that night.  Fortunately Gordo kept better track of his airplanes than his wingman.

Jim was not on my crew, but I did train with him occasionally.  Going back to what I said in the previous post, you should take something away from each instructor.  It seemed like every time I trained with Jim I did terribly.  He taught me how to take a step back from the scope start with the bottom strip in your bay and work your way out of your mess. 

Jim was training me on North Departure and an aircraft came off for MXE, but the alphanumeric tag never acquired while he was still on the 255ยบ heading on the SID.  I was very busy and didn't notice it and climbed the aircraft to 8,000 (that was our ceiling back then which should give you an idea of how long ago this was.)  Gordo did notice...he let it go.  I worked my way out of a few jams and was feeling pretty good about myself when Gordo asked me to count my strips and then count my tags.  That was back when the arrivals came in over DQO and turned east instead of like they do today over TERRI.  It would have been a big problem if there were arrivals descending to 6,000, but there weren't any.  I learned a lesson, which as you can tell, has stayed with me to this day.  All of my trainees have heard this story.

I think I became a better instructor because of this incident.  I realized the value of letting the developmental controller go a little further down the proverbial pipe.  I wouldn't badger them as much as some of the other guys did.  I allowed them to work their way out of the dumper and then presented options when things started to really get bad.


Nice....old guys have the coolest stories.
 

That's right JD.  Old school, baby.  Times were a lot different back then.

w0x0f                 

Offline TBolt

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Re: PHL approach to 27R - JALTO
« Reply #13 on: January 13, 2007, 01:16:43 PM »
Great stories in this thread.  Thanks for sharing.  :)

Offline WNFlyer

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Re: PHL approach to 27R - JALTO
« Reply #14 on: January 13, 2007, 08:39:40 PM »
Wow, who knew a simple question would yield such interesting information.  Thanks for all your posts!

Jeff