"Roger" wrote in message
...
The change was in the system,not in the pilot.
Over the years I had come to expect receive similar treatment from the
system whether VFR or IFR. Only on more recent flights have I seen a
major difference.

From which system? Canada or US? And over how many years?

Granted, my first flight into Canada was "only" 15 years ago. But even
then, the US system did not generally involve ATC being willing to deal with
VFR flight plans. Doing so required them to negotiate with the FSS directly
(as opposed to dealing with an IFR flight plan that was already transmitted
to their computers), and was an additional work item they never wanted to
deal with.

The only time I was able to get ATC to close a VFR flight plan for me was
when the US Customs agent that was supposed to meet me had overslept and I
was left sitting in my airplane for 30 minutes until the guy finally showed
up and let me and my passengers out of the airplane. I was unable to reach
the FSS on their local RCO frequency while sitting on the ground (guess it
wasn't that local) and ATC thankfully was willing to talk to the FSS and
have them close my VFR flight plan, as well as phone Customs to try to
figure out why my scheduled Customs agent wasn't present.

Canada on the other hand has always been willing to deal with VFR and IFR
flight plans in the same way. As far as I know, they *are* handled the same
way for them, without the FSS-disconnect that exists in the US for VFR
flight plans. Canada ATC has always closed my inbound flight plan for me,
and opened my outbound flight plan for me. I have even filed a VFR flight
plan through the Canada ATC once when I had a mechanical issue and I was
stuck out on the airport ramp when the plane was finally ready to go. I
could've walked back into the terminal and phoned, but they let me file on
the ground control frequency through them.

As an aside (not related to your comment about "over the years", obviously),
I have not made an international flight since before 9/11/2001, so I don't
have first-hand information about how the new flight plan requirements work.
But I haven't read anything to suggest they are a LOT different from the way
they used to be, and haven't seen anything to suggest that US ATC is now
handling VFR flight plans in the same way that they handle IFR flight plans.
Someone flying internationally and expecting US ATC to open and close their
VFR flight plans just hasn't done their homework.

Pete