Brent Lockhart

I live in the Greater Vancouver BC area. Where can I go to take training in strictly airplane ground and taxying protocol control? I help every year with the Abbotsford Air Show parking and spectator direction, employing a group of motorcyclists with yellow strobe lights on our bikes. A group of fly-in spectators with their private planes were about to leave at the end of the show and started down the wrong runway. A few of us had to block them until the Ground Traffic Control Official came to help. We are NOT alowed to direct taxying aircraft as we do not have the training certification.

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ANSWER: unfortunately I don't believe there is any training in Canada for this. In order for you to direct ground traffic at an airport/aerodrome you need to be a ground controller. This is a specialised course that Nav Canada conducts (I think) every once in awhile. Try contacting them and they might be able to help you.

Have you tried using a pick up truck with a "FOLLOW ME" sign in the back? This might be more doable than taking a ground controllers course. You could always set up comms with the ground controller and the airplanes to make sure they have the truck visual and that they know to follow you. Just my 2 cents :)