I am planning a similar flight, and from what I understand so far
returning back into the US is the stickiest part. You have to call the
customs agent ahead of time and arrive within 15 minutes of your ETA, and
not even one minute too early. The penalty for arriving without notice is
severe. It is best to make a stop at an airport near the border, call
customs again and depart for a more precise arrival.




(Ross Oliver) wrote in
:


I am planning my first international flight from the Seattle area to
Port Hardy, BC, Canada during the week of July 4th. I have bought all
the relavent Canadian charts (VFR and IFR), and have Googled for
previous
discussions on flying in Canada. However, I would appreciate any
tips on the actual USA - Canada transition with regard to ATC. Will
US ATC hand off VFR to Canada at the border, or will I need to
call up on my own? "Knock, knock, can I come in, eh?" Same question
for returning to the USA.

Any suggestions on routing? Is it advisable to fly over top of
Widbey Island NAS, or better to remain east and cross to the north?
What is the best route past Victoria heading up Vancouver Island's
east coast?


Thanks,
Ross Oliver