GA flying to Canada

[flyhighdude]

Hi guys,

I will be building up my flight time in the Seattle area this June, and I am thinking of flying across the border to Vancouver, Canada from Seattle.

Does anyone know how I can clear Customs on both sides of the border? Do I need to file a flight plan back and forth? Who do I file the flight plans with? Any other things I should be prepared for, be aware of, and etc.?

If you have done it before, please kindly educate me on how it will work.

Appreciate all your info.

Thanks

[340drvr]

AOPA website has a section with all the general info and requirements about flights to Canada. Your aircraft will need a customs decal, and an FCC radio license, you'll of course need a passport, a radio operator's license, and register and use Customs eApis system, as well as flight plans. For local specific knowledge, there surely will be someone (instructor, etc.) around with that info.

[Tinstaafl]

There are a number of requirements in terms of paperwork & notification.

US registered aircraft: Must have a Customs & Border Protection decal. Available from:https://dtops.cbp.dhs.gov/main/login_internet.jsp# Costs $26.50. More if you use expedited delivery. Not worth it because it is acceptable to fly if you have ordered the decal - but not yet received it - as long as you have the receipt for it in the plane.

The decal must be placed within a foot or so of the door and visible from the exterior when the door is open.

The plane must have its FCC radio licence.

Pilot:
You must carry your licence & medical, passport (of course) and your FCC restricted radiotelephone operator licence. It can only be obtained online from:

You have to register an account to pay:
https://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/coresWeb/regEntityType.do

FCC form 605 to apply on-line. Pay using form 159.
http://www.fcc.gov/formpage.html#605

FCC website instructions:
http://wireless.fcc.gov/commoperators/rp.html

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USA & Canada have two entirely different systems & requirements for Customs & Immigration notification. You will have to notify each country's C&I separately

USA:

As was written above, register on the gov. website: https://eapis.cbp.dhs.gov/auth/login.html. Google 'eapis' will give you a link straight to it.

An online eapis submission is required for each & EVERY USA international departure or arrival. DO NOT cross the border with out one being submitted for each border crossing - inbound or outbound. Be aware that the eapis submission is not the approval for the flight to proceed. You will only know the flight is approved to cross the USA border when you receive an email with a sentence in it similar to 'based on the information submitted this flight is approved to depart' (or arrive, if inbound to the USA.

Eapis must be submitted at least 60 mins prior to departure, or inbound crossing of the border or ADIZ. Don't depart the US prior to your nominated ETD. CBP reserve the right to inspect the plane prior to departure. They rarely do, but get pretty pissy if they turn up to inspect and you've already left. CBP aren't known for their sense of humour.

CBP at any airport can have their own procedures & requirements - especially for arrivals. Phone them before you go to see what they require. Typically you will need to phone them at least 60 mins prior to ETA. Some stations require you to stay in the plane, others to unload & walk in. Like I said, phone them. It makes life a lot easier!

Canada:

Phone CANPASS prior to departing the US. Provide similar info as US eapis, but verbally at least 2 hrs prior to ETA, and no more than 48 hrs. You only need to notify CANPASS for entry *into* Canada. No need to do anything other than file a plan & go for departures *from* Canada (but don't forget US eapis requirements still have to be met.

CANPASS website: https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/prog/canpass/generalavi-eng.html

On arrival in Canada you will have to stay in the plane. Phone CANPASS to advise arrival. You'll either be told to wait for a Customs agent to arrive, who will give you a reference number once you're cleared, or you will be given that cleared-in reference number over the phone and you're free to go.
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Flight plans:

You must submit an IFR or a DVFR plan for crossing the border. I use fltplan.com for *all* of my flight planning & submission, both privately & professionally but you can do it via a briefer too. You can also pay fltplan.com to do the eapis submission for you. Last I checked it was US$25 / flight with some discounts for pre-paid multiple/bulk submissions. I don't bother, but some people prefer it.

If on DVFR flight plan make sure you activate it, and get a TXDR code from ATC.

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Charts etc

Fltplan.com have an app, fltplan go, for Android & Ipad. It has free VFR & IFR charts etc for USA & Canada. You can also download your fltplan.com flight plan including notams, weather etc. I pretty much use it for all of my flying.

[Zombywoof]

Don't try to bring a gun to Canada. They are frowned upon.

[flyboyike]

Don't try to bring a gun to Canada. They are frowned upon.


They are? My friends who go hunting up in Manitoba must have failed to mention that.

[citabria06g]

This is the AOPA guide 340drvr mentioned:

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2017/september/21/aopa-releases-guide-for-cross-border-flying

Click on the blue words "Cross Borders" to download the PDF - it is very well written and comprehensive.

One other important thing: check with your flight school / FBO that they are happy with you taking the plane into Canada. Not all outfits are, insurance being the typical obstacle. Even when the school's insurance does cover Canada, the deductible may be different so you should check your own renter's insurance to see what's covered.

[m39462]

There is an even more comprehensive 150 page AOPA/COPA authored guide available in the member's area, called the "Cross Border Flying Operations Manual", that is specific to Canada/US flight and includes summaries of rule and airspace and charting differences.

[A Squared]

Don't try to bring a gun to Canada. They are frowned upon.

Not true. You are not allowed to bring guns which are illegal in Canada, but that is not all guns. Off the top of my head, handguns and rifles and shotguns with a barrel length below some minimum length are prohibited. There is some paperwork involved, but as long as that is completed, it is perfectly legal to bring most long guns into Canada.

[India Four Two]

flyhighdude,

Light planes, particularly float planes, flit backwards and forwards across the border between Washington and BC all the time.

Besides all the good advice given above, there is bound to be good local knowledge at the location you fly from in the Seattle area.

I've crossed four times between Alberta and Montana and one of the really important things is getting a discrete transponder code before you cross the border.

I'm not sure how that requirement is applied to the Washington/BC border. In 2016, I got a backseat ride in a Nanchang formation over the Victoria Cenotaph on Remembrance Day. I was quite surprised to see that we maneuvered over the US San Juan Islands on the run-in, while under control of Victoria Approach.

Also, the direct VFR route from Vancouver to Victoria cuts through US airspace on the way.

[flyhighdude]

Heyyyy... thank you all for your responses, they certainly are very helpful. I have started planning my trip to seattle and all the things I will be doing up there. Hopefully the weather won't be too bad in early June when I arrive there.

Cheers everyone! thanks!