Flying from Washington state to Canada

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

YMMV - check the procedure for yourself as things may have changed in the last
year.

Cell phones in Canada may or may not work. Always have a land line back up
plan.

======================
From U.S. into Canada:

1. File a flight plan with U.S. FSS at 1-800-WX-Brief (1-800-992-7433)

* File ONLY for the border-crossing leg.

* 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.

2. Contact Canadian Customs at 1-888-CAN-PASS (1-888-226-7277) at least two
hours and no more than 24 hours before arrival

* When you first phone and they ask you a bunch of questions, you
are actually making a CUSTOMS DECLARATION. Be sure to ask them for
their name, station, and the declaration report number. They will
not offer this information unless you ask, but it may come in handy
for the next step.

3. Take off, and IMMEDIATELY open your flight plan with the U.S. FSS.

* The FSS operator will give you a border-crossing squawk-code.
If they do not - ASK!

4. Set your border-crossing squawk-code.

5. If possible, close your flight plan when you have the Airport Of Entry
(AOE) in sight.

* Canadian FSS frequency is 126.7
* Canadian FSS Kamloops 1-866-WX-Brief (1-866-992-7433)

6. Land at the AOE and taxi to Canadian Customs

* If your flight plan is still open, ask the tower if they can
close it for you. If not: call Canadian FSS Kamloops
1-866-WX-Brief (1-866-992-7433).

* Call 1-888-CAN-PASS (1-888-226-7277) and inform them of your
arrival.

* Get your Customs Report Number from the agent(s). Write it down!

* 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.


=====================
From Canada into U.S.

1. File your flight plan with Canadian FSS Kamloops 1-866-WX-BRIEF
(1-866-992-7433). Land lines may be necessary.

* File ONLY for the border-crossing leg.

Ask about your border-crossing squawk-code. You probably can't
get this squawk code from this facility so see #3 below. DO NOT
CROSS THE BORDER WITHOUT SQUAWKING THIS CODE.

2. Contact U.S. Customs at your chosen AOE and make an appointment.

* Bellingham : 1-360-734-5463

* Do not be more than 15 minutes early or late. Update your
arrival time by contacting an FSS, either by phone or radio.

3. Set your border-crossing squawk-code.

* If you haven't gotten your border-crossing squawk-code call
Canadian ATC IFR Flight Planning at 1-888-987-2633 and request
one. Even if you are flying VFR.

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

5. If possible, close your flight plan when you have the AOE in sight.

* U.S. FSS for Bellingham frequency is 122.15

6. Land at your AOE (Airport of Entry) and taxi to U.S. Customs

* If your flight plan is still open, ask the tower if they can
close it for you. If not, close it by FSS radio or call
1-800-WX-Brief (1-800-992-7433) and close it.

* If you are more than 15 minutes late or early, gingerly call
local U.S. Customs:

* Bellingham : 1-360-734-5463

wrote:
[original post snipped]

Wow! What an awesome post. Thanks for the great information. I'm
planning a trip to San Juan Island this summer, but I may just extend it
in to Canada, now that I have this great border crossing checklist.

Thanks again!
DanH

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

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

wrote in message . ..
Here is the checklist that I have used to fly to and fro Canada. Best viewed
with a fixed width font.
....
DO NOT CROSS THE BORDER WITHOUT
SQUAWKING THIS CODE.
...
* The FSS operator will give you a border-crossing squawk-code.
If they do not - ASK!

====================
From Canada into U.S.
...
DO NOT
CROSS THE BORDER WITHOUT SQUAWKING THIS CODE.
...
3. Set your border-crossing squawk-code.

* If you haven't gotten your border-crossing squawk-code call
Canadian ATC IFR Flight Planning at 1-888-987-2633 and request
one. Even if you are flying VFR.

I flew to Canada a few years ago, and didn't need a squawk code either direction. Is this something new since 9/11?

Do not be surprised if Canadian Customs does not show up for your appointment.
They did not show up the last two times I flew into Abbotsford. If Canadian
customs does not show up, CAN-PASS will give you your Customs Report Number.

The U.S. takes its border more seriously and expect the U.S. customs agents on
your return to be professional and business-like. However, they are not your
friends. They have the serious job of preventing entry to people who want to
kill you and your family. Remember, the FIRST thing you have to pass is the
ATTITUDE TEST. Everything after that is downhill. They will check your
paperwork, so get out of the plane with everything you will need. They work in
pairs, one up close dealing with you, and one back a few steps providing cover.
Let them do their jobs.

I have always found the U.S. Customs agents to be professional, polite, and
respectful in their demeanor. Please extend them the same courtesy.

Demonick
Seattle, WA

wrote in message
...
[...]
I have always found the U.S. Customs agents to be professional, polite,
and
respectful in their demeanor. Please extend them the same courtesy.

I agree that one should be very careful when dealing with US Customs.

I disagree that they are uniformly "professional, polite, and respectful in
their demeanor". I have a wide variety of experiences with US Customs,
mostly negative:
* I had the guy who slept through his appointment with me; I had to have
FSS phone him to get him over to the airport, while we sat in the airplane
on the ground (remember, not allowed to leave the airport until Customs
shows up) for over an hour. We were in the airplane with the engine off
longer than we'd been in it with the engine on.
* I had the creepy guy who, while never really overtly crossing the line
of respectful behavior, asked a bunch of questions of me and the woman I was
with that had nothing to do with our immigration status. We left wondering
if he was going to wind up stalking us later, or worse.
* And then I had the woman who took the trouble to call me back four
days after I'd been trying to reach her to yell at me and tell me I better
not have made the flight I was trying to make, since I hadn't heard from her
first (I had been phoning her office for the two days prior to the flight to
make arrangements for my return flight, which was on a Saturday and not
during normal Customs business hours at my home airport, without being able
to reach a live person once). When I say "yell", that's what I mean...her
phone call was not a friendly one.

For that last case, I wound up clearing through Friday Harbor Customs, where
I found an overworked and VERY friendly and respectful fellow. He was
responsible for both dealing with Customs at the airport as well as down at
the marina, and in spite of him having to drive back and forth all day, he
was in a good mood when I saw him and stayed that way throughout my entire
processing.

Another memorably good experience was at West Palm Beach, coming back from
the Bahamas. I wouldn't call the officer "friendly" exactly, but he was
very professional and business-like and appeared to take his job seriously.

Customs isn't all bad, as some of my experiences have proven to me. But
they sure aren't all good either, and so far, the bad has outnumbered the
good.

By the way, I have *never* had more than one Customs agent to process my
return to the US. Maybe you've had better experiences because you've always
had two, and they always are looking over the other's shoulder.

Pete