Comment thread "re: New Policies at YKZ" for Buttonville Municipal Airport

Reply to @bcrosby: Interesting. The main apron at CYOW has been uncontrolled as long as I've been flying, because tower can't see well enough to guarantee that you'll be clear of planes pushing back, baggage trains, etc. A typical clearance is back to the north field from the Esso or Shell is "taxi bravo, apron at your discretion, alfa, tango, hold short runway 22" — the "at your discretion" is controller-ese for "you're on your own taxiing around the parked Airbusses, bubba". I think CYYZ has a dedicated apron controller.

Reply to @david: Yeah.. YKZ's aprons have always been uncontrolled. I don't know the reason why, because the tower has a clear view of the area. Before you could just call up "on the main apron" and you'd get taxi instructions. But now, the controllers want you to specify exactly where you are on the apron. Makes sense, this way they spend less time looking for you.