Appendix I: Glossary of terms

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Air carrier

Aircraft operators, licensed by the Canadian Transportation Agency to transport persons, mail and/or goods by air.

Level I-III air carriers: Canadian air carriers that, in each of the two calendar years immediately preceding the report year, realized annual gross revenues of $1,000,000 or more for the air services for which the air carrier held a licence. Also includes foreign air carriers.

Level IV-VI air carriers: Canadian air carriers that, in each of the two calendar years immediately preceding the report year, realized annual gross revenues of less than $1,000,000 for the air services for which the air carrier held a licence. Since 2000, levels IV and VI are no longer applicable.

Aircraft movement

A take off, a landing, or a simulated approach by an aircraft. ATC Manops amendment 8-8-83. NC-703.

Class of operation

Aircraft movements are classified as either “Itinerant” or “Local”.

Commercial

Flights by aircraft operators licensed by the Canadian Transportation Agency to perform commercial air services.

Commercial operations are divided into two categories: Air carrier and Other commercial.

Domestic itinerant movements

Movements, at a Canadian airport, of aircraft departing to or arriving from another point in Canada.

FSS

Flight service station.

Government – Civil

Aircraft owned by federal, provincial and municipal bodies as well as foreign states, but excluding those owned by crown corporations, boards and commissions. Such aircraft are coded “3” under “Purpose” in the Canadian civil aircraft register.

Government – Military

Aircraft of any branch of the armed forces of any nation.

Gross take-off weight

The maximum weight for which the aircraft is licensed to operate. For operational purposes, all weights are rounded upwards to the next 1,000 kilograms. Thus 3,200 kilograms becomes 4,000 kilograms.

I.F.R. flight

A flight conducted in accordance with Instrument flight rules.

International movements

Movements, at a Canadian airport, of aircraft arriving from or departing to a point outside Canada. International movements are subclassified into “transborder” (to or from a point in the United States including Alaska but excluding Hawaii), and “other international” (to or from points in countries other than Canada and the United States). Since aircraft movements are reported on the basis of place “arrived from” or “departed to”, an arrival at Mirabel airport from London, England would appear under “other international”. If the same aircraft moved on to Toronto, both the departure at Mirabel and the arrival at Toronto would be shown as “domestic”.

Itinerant movements

At airports with control towers and/or flight service stations: for the purpose of completing air traffic records, itinerant movements are considered as movements in which aircraft proceed to or arrive from another location; or where aircraft leave the circuit but return without landing at another airport. At airports without control towers: an aircraft movement in which the aircraft arrives from or departs to a point other than the reporting airport; or a movement by an aircraft that leaves the close proximity of an airport and returns without landing at another airport.

Local movements

At airports with control towers and/or flight service stations: for the purpose of completing air traffic records, local movements are considered as movements in which the aircraft remains in the circuit. At airports without control towers: an aircraft movement in which the aircraft remains in the close proximity of the airport. Local movements are often carried out during training flights (touch-and-go), equipment tests etc.

Other commercial

Flights performed by Commercial aircraft operators not included in the Air carrier categories. Flying schools, agricultural sprayers, water-bombers, aerial photography and survey, etc.

Power plant

The source of propulsion. For example, piston engines, turbo-propellers and jet engines. “Helicopters”, in this report, include both piston and turboshaft-driven engines.

Private aircraft

Aircraft used solely for private purposes, not for hire and compensation, which are classified as “Private” or “Private

Restricted” in the Canadian civil aircraft register or similar registries of other countries. Owners include individuals, groups and business firms.

Runway 88

Through control zone flights, i.e. flights which communicate with the tower while transiting the tower control zone to another destination without landing at the reporting airport.

Data for these runways are not included in the grand total.

Simulated approaches

Movements that are either missed instrument or practice instrument approaches without landing.

TC

Transport Canada

Tower control zone

A controlled airspace within the proximity of an air traffic control tower, usually within a radius of less than 24 kilometres of the tower.

V.F.R. flight

A flight conducted in accordance with Visual flight rules.

Weight group

The classification of weight classes in groups for statistical purposes.