I can speak as a user of NavCanada's services. I've never had a problem. Last year I had some transponder problems and the controllers were very helpful. At one point I flew to the edge of the Montreal TCA at a quiet moment and asked for a trasnponder check, and the controller was most helpful (my mode C had gone south). Then when we flew the plane to an avionics shop in Quebec where mode C is compulsory, we phone first and got permission to enter; and even were given a special VFR clearance into Quebec due to some lingering fog. Then on the way out, the controller handling the departure e-mailed me to tell me the transponder worked fine (a friend of mine had flown the plane to Quebec for repairs as I was working). How's that for service :-) (of course the controller in question was the former owner of my plane!) In general it's hard to find a more professional bunch in this country. In BOTH official languages. Mike Gammon > > From: Mark Greenwood <mgreenwood@telus.net> > Date: Tue, 25 Feb 2003 18:53:07 -0800 > To: AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU > Subject: Re: Senators fight privatization of air traffic controllers > > Oh Please! > > Many countries, including Canada, have successfully privatized their air > traffic control services. I don't see planes dropping out of the skies. > The controllers are going to be the same professionals they are now > regardless of who they work for. > > Mark > > -----Original Message----- > From: The Airline List [mailto:AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU] On Behalf Of > Roger James > Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2003 6:11 PM > To: AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU > Subject: Senators fight privatization of air traffic controllers > > > Senators fight privatization of air traffic controllers > > WASHINGTON (AP) =97 Twenty-six Democratic senators told President > Bush=20 Tuesday they will oppose any attempt to transfer responsibility > for air=20 traffic control to the private sector. The senators signed a > letter to Bush= =20 that calls air traffic control "a quintessentially > governmental function."= =20 The administration has not proposed > privatizing air controllers, but it has= =20 indicated an interest in > the idea. About 100 controllers in town for a=20 meeting of the National > Air Traffic Controllers Association joined Sen.=20 Frank Lautenberg, > D-N.J., who wrote and circulated the letter. "We're here= =20 to send a > message that the safety of our skies should not be put in the=20 hands > of the lowest bidder," Lautenberg said. He said the idea of=20 > privatizing air traffic controllers "is like turning over the Army to=20 > private hands, and seeing if you can get them to work overtime on the=20 > weekends." All commercial airports have government controllers, > although=20 many small, private airports use private companies to run > their air traffic= =20 control towers. > > Former President Bill Clinton signed an executive order in 2000 calling > air= =20 traffic service "an inherently governmental function." Last > year, Bush=20 amended that order by deleting those four words.The FAA > notified the=20 controllers that their jobs would be reclassified as > "commercial."=20 Controllers said the change means the government could > hire a private=20 company to take over air traffic control.They continue > to press their case= =20 despite assurances from Federal Aviation > Administrator Marion Blakey that=20 her agency will not turn their roles > over the private sector."These (air=20 traffic control) functions are > not subject to competition and will not be=20 contracted out," she wrote > in a December letter to controllers.FAA=20 spokesman Greg Martin said > the agency reconsidered the proper=20 classification for the controllers > under instructions by the White House=20 Office of Management and > Budget. Martin added that the air controllers have= =20 been classified > as a type of commercial activity "so critical ... that they= =20 are not > subject to competition or contracting out." > > The letter from Lautenberg and 25 of his colleagues acknowledges that > the=20 reclassification does not necessarily mean air traffic control > will be=20 turned over to private companies. But the senators say the > move "sets up a= =20 slippery slope that could eventually lead to > privatization." Bush's=20 proposed budget for the current fiscal year > called for improving management= =20 and coordination of air traffic > services. It said that if those goals were= =20 not realized, the > administration would look at "other options, including=20 partial > privatization and franchise operation of components of the air=20 > traffic system." And in November, the White House proposed making it > easier= =20 to turn over as many as 850,000 federal jobs to the private > sector. > > > *************************************************** > The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site/TnTisland.com > Roj (Roger James) > > escape email mailto:ejames@escape.ca > Trinbago site: www.tntisland.com > Carib Brass Ctn site www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ > Steel Expressions www.mts.net/~ejames/se/ > Site of the Week: http://www.dbombo.net/muddyangels/ > TnT Webdirectory: http://search.co.tt > ********************************************************* > > --- > Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.449 / Virus Database: 251 - Release Date: 1/27/2003 > > > --- > Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.449 / Virus Database: 251 - Release Date: 1/27/2003 >