Integrated Air Traffic Management Technology Solutions

Company NAVCANatm
Date 29.10.2013

NAV CANADA is proud to announce that four employees have been presented with awards from the Washington D.C. based Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA). These awards recognize outstanding achievements or outstanding contribution to the air traffic control system.

These individuals were bestowed the following awards (Biographies attached below):

Roddy Mick, Air Traffic Controller, Toronto Area Control Centre (ACC)       
The Andy Pitas Memorial Award                                               
This Medallion Award is presented to an individual or group who provided    
flight assistance in the previous year that resulted in the safe recovery of
an emergency aircraft through the application of exceptional air traffic    
service.                                                                    
                                                                            
Jason Shadbolt, Data Systems Coordinator, Moncton ACC                       
William A. Parenteau Memorial Award                                         
This is a Medallion Award presented to an individual for an outstanding     
achievement or contribution during the previous year which has added to the
quality, safety or efficiency of air traffic control.                       
                                                                            
Wade Adams, Flight Service Specialist Team Supervisor, Gander International Flight Service Station                                                      
The ATCA Air Traffic Control Specialist of the Year Award                   
Award presented to an individual civilian air traffic control specialist who
has during the previous year performed in an exemplary or extraordinary     
manner in support of air traffic control.                                   
                                                                            
Bob Lyle, Technical Operations Coordinator, Toronto ACC                     
The ATCA Airway Transportation Systems Specialist of the Year Award         
Award presented to an individual military or civilian airway facilities     
technician acting in a non-supervisory capacity who has, during the previous
year, performed in an exemplary or extraordinary manner in support of air   
traffic control.

"On behalf of all of us at NAV CANADA, I offer Bob, Jason, Roddy and Wade a hearty congratulations," said John Crichton, NAV CANADA President and CEO. "We are pleased that their dedication and excellence has been duly honoured by the premier international association for air traffic control."

"We are very proud of the achievements of our ATCA Award recipients," said Rudy Kellar, NAV CANADA Executive Vice President, Service Delivery. "To have four award winners from NAV CANADA says a lot about our commitment to safety and service. It is noteworthy that they represent different but equally important areas of service that the Company delivers; air traffic control, flight service, operations and technical operations."

The awards were presented on October 21, 2013 at the ATCA 58th Annual Conference & Exposition's Awards Luncheon in National Harbor, Maryland.

NAV CANADA is the country's private sector civil air navigation services provider. With operations from coast to coast to coast, NAV CANADA provides air traffic control, flight information, weather briefings, aeronautical information services, airport advisory services and electronic aids to navigation.

Biographies:

Roddy Mick, Air Traffic Controller, Toronto ACC
On March 25 2012, Air Traffic Controller Roddy Mick was working at the Toronto ACC when an aircraft on a VFR flight from Toronto to Ottawa had engine problems and declared an emergency. The student pilot advised Roddy that she would be turning back and landing in Oshawa. Having an excellent knowledge of the area, Roddy advised her to head to Peterborough instead, as the airport there was closer. She headed to Peterborough with emergency services at that airport advised of the situation. Roddy then contacted an enroute Air Canada aircraft to initiate assistance. He knew that the pilot needed to focus on flying her aircraft, so thinking outside the box, he asked the Air Canada pilot to activate the ARCAL, which turned on runway lighting at the airport and broadcast for traffic on the MF (mandatory frequency). Roddy kept the pilot on his frequency, providing information to her in a steady and calming voice. She landed at Peterborough airport without incident. Roddy's actions prevented what could have been a tragic outcome. His intuition and clear-thinking illustrated his resourcefulness and an outstanding level of professionalism under highly stressful circumstances.

Jason Shadbolt, Data Systems Coordinator, Moncton ACC

Jason Shadbolt played a critical role in NAV CANADA's success in Dubai, where the Company completed a major technology project involving the deployment of NAVCANstrips – our electronic flight-data system at two of that country's major Control Towers. Jason's calm, patient yet confident approach quickly earned him the trust and respect of our Dubai customers, and proved to be a crucial element in NAV CANADA's success on this highly complex project. While working on the Dubai project, Jason maintained his responsibilities at Moncton, providing excellent customer service in two distant parts of the world. Clearly illustrating Jason's value was that fact that during the critical phases of the project, our Dubai customers insisted that Jason be onsite to support the technology deployment. The Dubai project was a major achievement for NAV CANADA, and much of that success was attributable to Jason's exceptional performance and commitment to customer service. He continues to play an instrumental role in the sales and deployment of our technologies around the world.

Wade Adams, Flight Service Specialist Team Supervisor, Gander IFSS, Gander ACC
Wade Adams is a Team Supervisor with exceptional people skills. He has proven to be an outstanding leader and motivator who instills confidence with his easygoing, approachable and respectful manner. Wade is known for his keen sense of situational awareness on the operations floor, always knowing when and where to assist, and ready to pitch in and do whatever is necessary. Wade is also an excellent ambassador for NAV CANADA, highly regarded by his peers outside of the IFSS. On a daily basis, he deals with supervisors from the other oceanic stations in New York, Iceland, Santa Maria, and Ireland, as well as his counterparts at other centres in our Company.

Bob Lyle, Technical Operations Coordinator, Toronto ACC
It was a mystery that threatened flight safety at two of the country's busiest airports. The problem involved unusual interference on the International Emergency frequency, which was plaguing the Control Tower at Pearson Airport in Toronto, and later at Montreal's Trudeau Airport. At Pearson, there had been more than 20 Electromagnetic Interference reports generated by Tower controllers. Some controllers commented that the databursts distracted them and could block emergency calls. Bob was soon heading a team to identify the source of the problem. His research confirmed a link between the databursts and specific jets with certain avionics suites that are commonly used on North American regional routes. He prepared a comprehensive report, seeking corrective action from equipment suppliers. With Industry Canada's help, his report was sent to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the U.S. Bob's relentless efforts to find the source of the problem and share his critical research with industry partners to mitigate a major operational risk, reflect an outstanding commitment to safety.

Contact

NAV CANADA Technical Systems Centre
280 Hunt Club Road
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
K1V 1C1
  • 1-800-876-4693-4