How to refuel without clearing Customs?
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How to refuel without clearing Customs?
Normally, in the GA context, this appears not possible.
Yet, it seems obvious that a lot of bizjet traffic manages to land, refuel, and depart without the passengers having to get out.
How is this arranged?
Yet, it seems obvious that a lot of bizjet traffic manages to land, refuel, and depart without the passengers having to get out.
How is this arranged?
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In my experience it strictly depends on the country you are transiting. Some countries you are in-transit and as long as your passengers do not leave the aircraft there is no need to clear customs. Some airports there are special parking areas where you can refuel and no customs.
I have refueled, had lav service, trash removed, dropped passengers and taken on fresh catering in many countries and not cleared customs. Of course the passengers that left the aircraft did have to clear customs.
Bottom line is, as long as the aircraft and passengers remain in a secure area many counties see no need to bother with customs.
However, your international handler does the arrangements. At least in my case.
I have refueled, had lav service, trash removed, dropped passengers and taken on fresh catering in many countries and not cleared customs. Of course the passengers that left the aircraft did have to clear customs.
Bottom line is, as long as the aircraft and passengers remain in a secure area many counties see no need to bother with customs.
However, your international handler does the arrangements. At least in my case.
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Not at KTEB
Agree with con-pilot, varies with destination.
The US of A is one place where this definately WON'T be possible. Full customs check for all possibly including Geiger counter!!
The US of A is one place where this definately WON'T be possible. Full customs check for all possibly including Geiger counter!!
Life's too short for ironing
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As you mention the geiger counter, a bit of thread drift. Has anyone had an aeroplane that registered on it yet? If so, what did the customs folks do? My old aeroplane would probably have sent the needle wiggling way up there but I sold it before the geiger counter procedure came into being. If I had been stopped, on the way back in to the US, would I have been refused entry? If so how could they justify that when I'd only left 24 hours before?
Has anyone seen any documentation about this?
Has anyone seen any documentation about this?
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Try doing it at Naples Italy, You have to shut down, get off and go for a tour of the airport to show your passport to a guy who doesn't even look at it then all round the airport back to the aircraft
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I am still looking for advice on how it is arranged 
Does your ops department email/fax copies of passenger passports to the Customs office of the place at which you refuel?
Does your ops department email/fax copies of passenger passports to the Customs office of the place at which you refuel?
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An actual occurrence. The full list of passengers boarded a First Choice charter at Corfu airport. The Captain addressed us....he informed us that his 'take off thrust booster'? was u/s and he had two choices, one, to leave a number of us behind, (because of the relatively short Corfu runway) or take on enough fuel to get him to Rimini, Italy, where he would effect a landing and refuel for the remainder of the flight to Gtwk, taking off from the (presumably) longer Rimini runway.
We remained seated at Rimini whilst the fuel was taken on and the chaps came aboard to debit the Captain's credit card.
The smell of fuel was a bit rich.
<One for the diary>
We remained seated at Rimini whilst the fuel was taken on and the chaps came aboard to debit the Captain's credit card.
The smell of fuel was a bit rich.
<One for the diary>
