Where to get definitive list of US airports of entry / landing rights airports

[charrois]

Hi everyone.

I'm planning a trip from the Edmonton area to California and am looking for an appropriate place to clear customs. I thought the appropriate place to find information for AOE/LRA airports was the A/FD, but apparently that's not the situation.

Case in point: In the Spokane area, according to the A/FD, Spokane International is an AOE with the "Airport Remarks" section saying it is a U. S Customs user fee airport. Similarly, Felts Field is listed as being an LRA with no mention of user fee. Moses Lake isn't mentioned as having customs services at all.

So I called up the customs office in Spokane to ask what their user fee was. He said there wasn't one, but Spokane was actually a LRA airport (so I'd need to get permission to land there). Not a big deal, but obviously nice to know. And he said that Moses Lake did have customs services but it was a user fee system there. Obviously, the A/FD information doesn't jive with reality, according to that customs inspector.

I mentioned to him that the A/FD obviously had errors, and his response that since it wasn't an official CBP document (instead published by the DOT/FAA) there wasn't anything they could do. So I sought finding a definitive list by CBP of which airports are AOA, which are LRA, and which have user fees. I thought I was pretty good with Google, but the best I could come up with was at https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files ... 015%29.pdf which has (presumably) a comprehensive list, but doesn't say which is which.

Does anyone know what the best source of information is for finding an airport at which a person can clear customs flying from Canada into the US? Thanks!

Dan

[photofly]

The CBP website

[charrois]

Yes - I've been there, but still no luck. Even with the font size that seems to be about 4 times larger than it should be, I still haven't found such a list. The closest I could find was their "Locate Port Information" section. But that doesn't seem to be right. When I click on Washington state, it gives a list of 6 ports, none of which are Spokane. If I click on the "Seattle" field office, it gives a list of "related ports of entry", still none of which are Spokane. Even a search of "Spokane" in their search form doesn't yield anything promising. Yet I know they do have the ability to clear customs at Spokane (and Felts Field nearby). Do you have a specific link to the right place on their site? I'm sure they have to have it there somewhere...

[ba31pilot]

Check out this link:

https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files ... le.doc.pdf

It is not alphabetical but you can use the search function to find Spokane.

[photofly]

https://www.cbp.gov/contact/ports

[charrois]

The https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files ... le.doc.pdf provided is to the same general document I linked to earlier (though a March 27, 2014 version instead of January 25, 2015). It seems to have a good list of AOE/LRA/User fee airports, but doesn't designate which is which (and it does make a difference on the procedure a pilot is to follow).

And the https://www.cbp.gov/contact/ports link is the "Locate Port Information" link I referred to, which doesn't seem to mention Spokane at all unless I'm doing something weird in searching for it there.

Maybe there just is no accurate online document, and the only way to really tell if an airport is an AOE, LRA, or User fee airport is to call CBP directly. A person has to do that anyway to notify/get permission to enter.

If nothing else, I was surprised to learn that the A/FD, which I thought was definitive, isn't in this regard at least.

Dan

[cgartly]

To be honest it doesn't really make a difference to the procedure a pilot needs to follow. In all cases you need to file eApis and then phone CBP at the airport you intend on landing at a minimum of 1 hr before arriving - times may need to be adjusted based upon CBP's workload etc. LRA, International or User Fee makes no difference, you still need to call a minimum of 1 hr before to obtain permission to clear at your proposed time.

The only difference is if it is a user fee airport you will be expected to pay for a fee for each clearance, I think Moses Lake is $15 or something.

[NovaBoy]

AC-U-KWIK has all the US airports that you can clear customs, with phone numbers and notification requirements. Most FBO's have them in the flight planning rooms. Section in the back of the book.

Some airports require 1-2hrs notice, some want a call the day before. Best to check well before you leave.

I've cleared in Moses Lake a few times, CBP has an office next to Million Air. The officers were friendly there.

[charrois]

Thanks for the advice, everyone! I'll have a look out for the AC-U-KWIK, but in the meantime, it does seem as the best option is to call and check with CBP anyway, since it's necessary to determine their availability, what notice they need, etc., not to mention scheduling a time with them.

[Brantford Beech Boy]

www.fltplan.com is usually pretty accurate and free.

just type in the airport identifier and it provides most info