Ops to TEB
Can only agree with all comments, terrible experience. Do NOT under any circumstances expect the FBO/handling agent to do anything constructive with your flight other than making you a cup of tasteless coffee and asking for your credit card. Made that mistake, wrongly assumed that they would liaise with Customs when we ran late. $5,000 fine for that one. they are incredible.
We make US Pilots and passengers welome in the UK. The handling agents help and do the paperwork for the crew. It is about time that our American "friends" did the same for us.
Just imagine if the UK required the following from American Crews:
Visa from a UK embassy in the States at least 2 weeks in advance,
Interviews just to get a visa
Full visas for passengers
TSA waivers
Customs Decals
Captain MUST personally liaise with Customs
etc etc etc
As for the TSA waivers, that is a joke. We are an ad hoc company and we cannot get TSA waivers now unless we furnish passenger names in advance!!! We do not know them untill we get a charter booking!
The American charter industry must be laughing all the way to the bank. Virtually imposible for UK operators to go to the USA at short notice whilst all they have to do is file a flight plan!
We must get together and try and do something. It would be interesting to hear replies from American Crews for their comments but I doubt if they would dare