Flying from Washington state to Canada

http://www.edt.com/homewing/international/

"Mike Rapoport" wrote in message
ink.net...
You should inform her that its not desolate...its populated...there are
about 20,000 grizzley bears in BC.

Well, I told her that.

She asked me if I still had my old .44 Magnum and a lot of ammo. :~(




Mike
MU-2


Have Fun!


Let us know how that one goes. If things work out as
hoped/planned/fantasized, the family will make a journey from COS to COE
(fuel stop...on our line of travel) to JNU next summer. You'll be
covering
roughly the same route as we will and my wife is "wondering" about
crossing
all that desolate territory in BC.

Now that the FAA decided to send me my Aircraft Registration I am going to
be making the same trip.



"Ross Oliver" wrote in message
...

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

In article , Tom Sixkiller
wrote:

"Mike Rapoport" wrote in message
ink.net...
You should inform her that its not desolate...its populated...there are
about 20,000 grizzley bears in BC.

Well, I told her that.
She asked me if I still had my old .44 Magnum and a lot of ammo. :~(

Interesting... how does one get a handgun through Canadian Customs? ;-)

In addition to notifying customs before arrival (CAN PASS going into
Canada and the various numbers going into the U.S.) you are required
to be on a flight plan (VFR or IFR) when crossing the boarder. In the
U.S. its as expected. In Canada it appears you call 866-WX-BRIEF to
file your flight plan. You can open your VFR flight plan with tower in
Canada. Make sure you flight plans are open before crossing.
My understanding is that after you notify Canadia customs of your
arrival there is a 90% chance they will clear you through right there
on the phone, rather than see you in person.

I'm getting ready for my first Canada but I've done Mexico many times.
Coming back to the U.S., its not unusual for customs to be very, very
late. Sometimes you must wait around for them to be ready for you.
Also, Mexican officials are there to help, U.S. officials are there to
ensure you are following every letter of every law. I understand the
same in Canada.

-Robert


(Ross Oliver) wrote in message ...
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

FYI According to a friends wife who is an ER doctor, everyone who has shot
a grizzley bear in self defense in Wyoming with a handgun has been mauled.

Mike
MU-2


"Tom Sixkiller" wrote in message
...

"Mike Rapoport" wrote in message
ink.net...
You should inform her that its not desolate...its populated...there are
about 20,000 grizzley bears in BC.

Well, I told her that.

She asked me if I still had my old .44 Magnum and a lot of ammo. :~(




Mike
MU-2


Have Fun!


Let us know how that one goes. If things work out as
hoped/planned/fantasized, the family will make a journey from COS to
COE
(fuel stop...on our line of travel) to JNU next summer. You'll be
covering
roughly the same route as we will and my wife is "wondering" about
crossing
all that desolate territory in BC.

In article , Ross Oliver wrote:

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.

As you seem to realize, you do have to be on a flight plan (VFR or
IFR) _and_ talking to ATC while crossing the border (with a discrete
squawk code). Clearly, you've done your homework. :-)

If you're IFR, the handoff is automatic. If you're VFR, you call up
the U.S. controller and tell them you're going into Canada. The
handoff seems to be automatic. I've done this with both Whidbey, WA
and Burlington, VT approach controllers. The both probably get enough
cross-border traffic to know the procedures.

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?

Going to San Juan Island/Victoria BC from Seattle, I usually go to
direct to Everet (PAE), then turn northwest. This keeps you closer
to land a little longer and there's a nice narrow peninsula tha
points directly to your destination.

HTH,

Morris

In article , wrote:
Here is the checklist that I have used to fly to and fro Canada. Best viewed
with a fixed width font.

Good stuff.


* Ask about your border-crossing squawk-code. This code will
probably not be available until you take off and open your flight
plan, but ask them anyway. DO NOT CROSS THE BORDER WITHOUT
SQUAWKING THIS CODE.
[snip]
* The FSS operator will give you a border-crossing squawk-code.
If they do not - ASK!

What's this about getting a squawk code from FSS? I thought you had to
be talking to ATC (and getting the code from them). That's how I've
always done it (for some value of always).


6. Land at the AOE and taxi to Canadian Customs

When I flew into Montreal, they just asked me what FBO I was planning to
go to. Two flights in the last month: on the first one, was cleared by
telephone; on the second one, was met by an officer who was already at
the FBO.


* If you are continuing your flight, then ground control or the
control tower of the AOE will assign your in-country squawk-code.
Do not take-off without an in-country squawk-code.

Canada uses 1200 for VFR flights, unless you're getting radar surveillance
(flight following).


4. Take off, and IMMEDIATELY open your flight plan if necessary. Canadian
flight plans seem to assume takeoff times, and will be opened automatically.

Not quite (unless they've changed things recently). At an uncontrolled
airport, they assume that you crashed on takeoff if you don't open your flight
plan.


Morris

Mike Rapoport wrote:
FYI According to a friends wife who is an ER doctor, everyone who has shot
a grizzley bear in self defense in Wyoming with a handgun has been mauled.

Mike
MU-2


Hmmm... Let's think about this. She's an ER doctor - why would she
ever come in contact with any of the people who were successful at
thwarting an attack?

Just something to think about. Anecdotal evidence can seem very
convincing until you step back and see what you may be missing.

But that doesn't change the moral of the story: when up against a
Grizzly, a bigger gun is better :-)

-Aviv

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message

Also, Mexican officials are there to help, U.S. officials are there to
ensure you are following every letter of every law.

Unless of course you're Mexican.

And if you go to Canada, don't tell 'em you're going to see Pink Floyd or if
at all possible they will run their drug-beagle up your butt. Drove over
one time and they checked everything from my pocket lint to the camera
bag...except the glove box. Next time, I told 'em I was going to look at
the Spitfire at Abbottsford and they sent me right through.

-c