Aviation - What happens during ESCAT testing?

Question

ESCAT, or "war rules" Emergency Security Control of Air Traffic Plan. In Canada, what would happen if they were to test the ESCAT Plan? Would it be a broadcast on On Route frequency? How would they know you were complying with the test?

Answer 1

Check out the link.  It's the full ESCAT regulations...

  http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/2006/10/fr10...

Answer 2

The diversion of an aircraft for medical, mechanical, or other types of emergencies is not unusual, it happens regularly. We have long-standing procedures, and controllers are trained to deal with those types of diversions. Certainly, the events of September 11 were unprecedented in the number of aircraft that had to be diverted, but the same procedures applied for ensuring safe separation between aircraft and determining where the aircraft wanted to go, based on the fuel and the equipment on board the aircraft. Controllers are trained to handle those types of emergencies or unexpected situations.

What we would do now if we saw an aircraft that lost communications, or we lost radar contact with it, or we saw it off course, is try to communicate with that aircraft immediately to find out what’s going on. If we were not able to establish that, we would immediately contact the military. In fact, we do have military liaison coordinators in a number of our facilities today as a result of the heightened awareness and for security.

We share radar data with the military. They have access to much of our radar information. They're normally not concerned with the commercial aircraft.