The End of an Era
(Republished from the 4 December 1964 issue of The Voxair)
Tuesday, the 1st of December, 1964, marked the end of an era in Air Traffic Control at Winnipeg International Airport.
The handover of Precision Approach Radar (PAR) from the RCAF to the Department of Transport denoted the end of a decade of RCAF Controllers working harmoniously side by side with their D.O.T. counterparts. Winnipeg was the last main D.O.T. Terminal to assume Precision Radar responsibilities from the RCAF, Vancouver having made the change-over in October of this year. The commissioning of the PAR and simultaneous decommissioning of the G.C.A. unit was carried out with no interruption to aircrews utilizing the landing aid.
G.C.A, as we know it, came into prominence after World War 11 and during the Berlin Airlift when it was used to its maximum operational capability, recovering aircraft at an exceptionally high rate. It wasn’t, however, until April 1955, that an M.P.N.-11C, a self-contained G.C.A. unit made its appearance at Winnipeg. It was quickly put into operational service and was sited to provide precision coverage to runway 31, with surveillance approach capability on all other runways. The office was originally located at the base of the Old Tower on the east side of the airport next door to the Winnipeg Flying Club.
In Nov. 1957, the M.P.N.-11C was allotted to Station Trenton and an F.P.M.-33 or Quad radar, was acquired as a replacement. To attain maximum effectiveness from the Quad, a different type of installation was required and in 1959 the radar scope was remoted to the Terminal Control building, where the RCAF Controllers literally “moved in” with the DOT Air Traffic Control Staff. The siting of the transmitter and antenna group in the centre of the airfield provided precision radar coverage on five of the six runways, with surveillance capability only on runway 07. This proved to be an ideal set-up as the G.C.A. Controller could accept the aircraft on a direct handover from the Arrival Radar Controller and the possibility of controlling the wrong aircraft was entirely eliminated.
In October 1963, G.C.A. completed what proved to be their last move: to the Terminal Building with the Air Traffic Control Centre, With the acquision of PAR, the Department of Transport has culminated all their radar facilities in the Control Centre.
In the past ten years, thousands of aircraft have been “talked down” to safe landings at Winnipeg in fair weather and foul, by a continuously changing RCAF crew. By keeping the unit operational during this period, the technical personnel deserve special recognition.
The present Controller staff have been selected for transfer early in the new year to units in Training Command. FS Jim Kerwin, the Chief Controller, to the Air Traffic Control School at Camp Borden, Cpls. Ray Webber and Norv Rose to Station Gimli, and Cpl. Ron Harrington to Station Moose Jaw. Sgt. Lou Plummer will make the trip across the field to the Flight Planning Centre. At the present time the Technicians have not been advised of their new stations.