Flying into Canada without landing

[jimbo]

Say if a guy plans a flight from Port Huron, MI over Canada to Rochester, NY (Niagara Falls area) what things should he be prepared for? Should I file a VFR flight plan or just ask for flight following? but then what? What radio contacts should I be prepared to make once over Canada. Does CA charge a fee? I suppose if I have to make an emergency landing in CA then it would get dicey unless I just do the planning beforehand for the contingency.

Advice, comments?

Jim
Howell, MI
RV9a

[airguy]

Originally Posted by jimbo

Say if a guy plans a flight from Port Huron, MI over Canada to Rochester, NY (Niagara Falls area) what things should he be prepared for? Should I file a VFR flight plan or just ask for flight following? but then what? What radio contacts should I be prepared to make once over Canada. Does CA charge a fee? I suppose if I have to make an emergency landing in CA then it would get dicey unless I just do the planning beforehand for the contingency.

Advice, comments?

Jim
Howell, MI
RV9a

Or similar - flying from Washington state into Alaska... same scenario.

[rv8bldr]

Just file a VFR flight plan and away you go. There won't be any charge from Nav Canada. Same deal for us Canadians flying over the US to another Canadian destination. When I file a VFR flight plan from Ottawa to Halifax, I'm assigned a transponder code and automatically get flight following. Each controller will just hand you off to the next one. I wind up talking to:

- Ottawa Terminal
- Montreal Center
- Boston Center
- Moncton Center
- Halifax Terminal

It is all choreographed for you, just change freqs when told, tell them you are there, and that's it. Dead simple.

However, if you need to land, you better have your passport with you and land at a facility with Customs on site if at all possible. Also, you might have to sit around a couple days as I think you will have to file an eAPIS thing to get back into the US, although I could be wrong there on the timing and whether it is required for Americans returning to the US...

[Dean Pichon]

I've flown that route many times going to and from Oshkosh. As previously offered, always file a VFR flight plan. I've never had to make an uplanned landing in Canada, but I have heard it can be messy. Sometimes I have used flight following. New York or Michigan will seamlessly hand you off to the appropriate Canadian controllers. Very easy.

[Vlad]

Originally Posted by jimbo

Say if a guy plans a flight from Port Huron, MI over Canada to Rochester, NY (Niagara Falls area) what things should he be prepared for? Should I file a VFR flight plan or just ask for flight following? but then what? What radio contacts should I be prepared to make once over Canada. Does CA charge a fee? I suppose if I have to make an emergency landing in CA then it would get dicey unless I just do the planning beforehand for the contingency.

Advice, comments?

Jim
Howell, MI
RV9a

Jim I cut that corner multiple times. Filed, followed or neither. It's a normal VFR flight just stay out of humming airspaces. Better go higher. The only difference is, if you talk to a Canadian ATC on any occasion, even on the phone to NavCanada, expect a bill for seventeen Canadian bux within a quarter. Not a big sum but that's how the system works.

[F1R]

When you file, best to tell them it is an international flight plan, otherwise if nature calls and you need to land for this or other unforseen reasons, it will have less complications.

[FLTENG]

And leave your guns at home.
While flying over Canada and you have to make an emergency landing on Canada, you could find yourself in a world of hurt if you have weapons on board

[F1R]

Originally Posted by FLTENG

And leave your guns at home.
While flying over Canada and you have to make an emergency landing on Canada, you could find yourself in a world of hurt if you have weapons on board

Less pain however than becoming part of the food chain as a food source for bears.

[rv8bldr]

Originally Posted by Vlad

Jim I cut that corner multiple times. Filed, followed or neither. It's a normal VFR flight just stay out of humming airspaces. Better go higher. The only difference is, if you talk to a Canadian ATC on any occasion, even on the phone to NavCanada, expect a bill for seventeen Canadian bux within a quarter. Not a big sum but that's how the system works.

Hey Vlad

So I guess Nav Canada charges US aircraft for overflights when you talk to ATC? I didn't know that. I stand corrected...

[Captain_John]

Originally Posted by F1R

Less pain however than becoming part of the food chain as a food source for bears.

I totally agree with that, however getting back into the United States with that weapon is the hard part. You will need to prove to US Customs that it is not Canadian firearm being imported into the US. Without a Canadian permit that is hard to prove.

CJ