Flying through Canadian airspace

I'll take a few flights between Rochester, NY and the Detroit area this
summer. Going through the Canadian airspace just seems so much
shorter. I can go IFR.

My questions is:

* I don't need to deal with customs at all, as long as I don't stop at
Canada, right?
* Do I need to use the ICAO flight plan for the IFR, or is the FAA
domestic flight plan sufficient for these flights?
* Since I'll use Canadian ATC service during the overflight, will I
get a bill from NavCanada when I get home?
* Is it easier to do this IFR or VFR? I assume doing this IFR would
make the Canadian overflight easier, but I'm very open to suggestions.

Thanks!

M wrote:
I'll take a few flights between Rochester, NY and the Detroit area this
summer. Going through the Canadian airspace just seems so much
shorter. I can go IFR.

I did this a couple of years ago.

* I don't need to deal with customs at all, as long as I don't stop at
Canada, right?

No customs.

* Do I need to use the ICAO flight plan for the IFR, or is the FAA
domestic flight plan sufficient for these flights?

Domestic flight plan worked for me (through FSS, didn't try duats).

* Since I'll use Canadian ATC service during the overflight, will I
get a bill from NavCanada when I get home?

Don't know this one, as I was flying a friend's plane and NavCanada
changed how they do user fees since then, I think.

* Is it easier to do this IFR or VFR? I assume doing this IFR would
make the Canadian overflight easier, but I'm very open to suggestions.

IFR made it transparent. Don't know about VFR, you'd need to go
through the rigamarole of a DVFR flight plan on the way back into the
US or something?

Great view of Niagara Falls, I should add. Bring your camera.
(although we were routed around the Detroit area to the North, so you
may not fly right over it)

In a previous article, "M" said:
I'll take a few flights between Rochester, NY and the Detroit area this
summer. Going through the Canadian airspace just seems so much
shorter. I can go IFR.

I'm a member of the Rochester Flying Club and I fly into or over Canada
quite frequently.

My questions is:

* I don't need to deal with customs at all, as long as I don't stop at
Canada, right?

Correct.

* Do I need to use the ICAO flight plan for the IFR, or is the FAA
domestic flight plan sufficient for these flights?

The standard FAA flight plan works for over flights or even for flights
into Canada.

* Since I'll use Canadian ATC service during the overflight, will I
get a bill from NavCanada when I get home?

Yes, it's still around $15 (Canadian), and it's good for a whole quarter -
so if you fly back before the quarter is over, you won't get another bill.

* Is it easier to do this IFR or VFR? I assume doing this IFR would
make the Canadian overflight easier, but I'm very open to suggestions.

IFR is easier. If it's VFR, you MUST be on a flight plan and you MUST be
talking to ATC and on an assigned squawk code while crossing the border.
If you're going to file and talk to ATC, you might as well do it IFR.


--
Paul Tomblin http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
But seriously, I've got root, so it's his problem.
-- Nick Manka

About 5 years ago I flew from Detroit to Rochester VFR over Canada. I filed
a VFR flight plan and used flight following the entire way. At that time
there was no charge for Canadian ATC if you didn't land in Canada. Things
may have changed since then.

One thing that was interesting is that north of Lake Erie, ATC was provided
by Cleveland Center eventhough I was over Canda. near Niagra Falls I was
passed off to Toronto Center, and then back to the US when I got back into
the US.

Mike Schumann

"M" wrote in message
ups.com...
I'll take a few flights between Rochester, NY and the Detroit area this
summer. Going through the Canadian airspace just seems so much
shorter. I can go IFR.

My questions is:

* I don't need to deal with customs at all, as long as I don't stop at
Canada, right?
* Do I need to use the ICAO flight plan for the IFR, or is the FAA
domestic flight plan sufficient for these flights?
* Since I'll use Canadian ATC service during the overflight, will I
get a bill from NavCanada when I get home?
* Is it easier to do this IFR or VFR? I assume doing this IFR would
make the Canadian overflight easier, but I'm very open to suggestions.

Thanks!

Great view of Niagara Falls, I should add. Bring your camera.
(although we were routed around the Detroit area to the North, so you
may not fly right over it)

What good is a flight over Niagara Falls, if you can't fly over it?

(We're planning on flying that way this summer, VFR.)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote:

Great view of Niagara Falls, I should add. Bring your camera.
(although we were routed around the Detroit area to the North, so you
may not fly right over it)

What good is a flight over Niagara Falls, if you can't fly over it?

(We're planning on flying that way this summer, VFR.)

It appears that ATC might be flexible when traffic is light. I flew out of
Buffalo on United on the first flight out in the morning, and the pilot did
a 360 over the falls before continuing to Chicago.

Jay Honeck wrote:
Great view of Niagara Falls, I should add. Bring your camera.
(although we were routed around the Detroit area to the North, so you
may not fly right over it)


What good is a flight over Niagara Falls, if you can't fly over it?

(We're planning on flying that way this summer, VFR.)

There's some stuff in the Airport/Facilities book about frequencies, directions
and altitudes to use when flying over the falls.

In a previous article, Dave Butler said:
Jay Honeck wrote:
Great view of Niagara Falls, I should add. Bring your camera.
(although we were routed around the Detroit area to the North, so you
may not fly right over it)
What good is a flight over Niagara Falls, if you can't fly over it?

(We're planning on flying that way this summer, VFR.)

There's some stuff in the Airport/Facilities book about frequencies, directions
and altitudes to use when flying over the falls.

That's true, and that's good for VFR traffic. But I've seen airliners at
higher altitudes, presumably on an IFR clearance, doing a lap or two above
the falls at a much higher altitude.

--
Paul Tomblin http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
Recursion: n., see Recursion.

"Paul Tomblin" wrote

That's true, and that's good for VFR traffic. But I've seen airliners at
higher altitudes, presumably on an IFR clearance, doing a lap or two above
the falls at a much higher altitude.

Wow, and double WoW! Never before, have I heard of an airliner taking the
time to do some sightseeing!

I wonder how much that cost the company? g
--
Jim in NC