I am just wondering if anyone has a checklist or any advise for travel to the US.
I am the new go to guy for a newer 702/703 operator and we have recently received a request to fly to the States.
We are approved for International travel, but I would like to build a detailed checklist for the crews (to eliminate as many suprises as possible)
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
703 Flight to the US
Moderators: sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako, lilfssister, North Shore, I WAS Birddog
Not sure about what to do concerning 702/703 rules, but here are a few tips to going to the U.S.
Going to U.S
+First stop at airport with customs.
+Call U.S customs in advanced & give them a precise eta +/-15mins.
+fax arrival form in advance. (ask agent on phone or call U.S customs. I believe it is CBP form 178 ?)
+Pay the 25$ with credit card once you meet agent. (U.S treasury sticker)
+Remember that to you must ask the controller to activate your flight. plan
+FSS is centralized in Georgia now thru Lockheed Martin. 1-800-WX-BRIEF.
+Make sure everybody has passports.
+Flight following when crossing the border is recommended.
Going to Canada
+Call customs in advance.
+Make sure that your flight plan is actiavted with U.S ATS/ FSS before crossing the border (Flight plans are not activated automatically in the U.S. You have to ask ATS to activate them.)
& that shoudl do it.......I think? Am I missing anything else?
Going to U.S
+First stop at airport with customs.
+Call U.S customs in advanced & give them a precise eta +/-15mins.
+fax arrival form in advance. (ask agent on phone or call U.S customs. I believe it is CBP form 178 ?)
+Pay the 25$ with credit card once you meet agent. (U.S treasury sticker)
+Remember that to you must ask the controller to activate your flight. plan
+FSS is centralized in Georgia now thru Lockheed Martin. 1-800-WX-BRIEF.
+Make sure everybody has passports.
+Flight following when crossing the border is recommended.
Going to Canada
+Call customs in advance.
+Make sure that your flight plan is actiavted with U.S ATS/ FSS before crossing the border (Flight plans are not activated automatically in the U.S. You have to ask ATS to activate them.)
& that shoudl do it.......I think? Am I missing anything else?
Asking a pilot about what he thinks of Transport Canada, is like asking a fire hydrant what does he think about dogs.
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Conquest Driver
- Rank 6
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 12:57 pm
The "big" one is eapis.
Stands for electronic advance passenger information system. You have to register your passengers and crew on this before you enter or exit the Excited States.
Other than that, phone ahead to U.S. customs direct.
They may ask you to fax "178 form". That's for private operators, not commercial, but try to convince them of that
If you fax them the apis printout that usually works. If not, arguing with them truely defines "urinating into the wind". Just give them what they ask for.
File IFR whenever you can. That gets you away from flight plan activation issues.
Have two copies of an inbound and outbound general declaration. They get one, you ask them to stamp/sign the other for your records.
Good luck, have fun.
Stands for electronic advance passenger information system. You have to register your passengers and crew on this before you enter or exit the Excited States.
Other than that, phone ahead to U.S. customs direct.
They may ask you to fax "178 form". That's for private operators, not commercial, but try to convince them of that
If you fax them the apis printout that usually works. If not, arguing with them truely defines "urinating into the wind". Just give them what they ask for.File IFR whenever you can. That gets you away from flight plan activation issues.
Have two copies of an inbound and outbound general declaration. They get one, you ask them to stamp/sign the other for your records.
Good luck, have fun.
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desertduster
- Rank 1
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 7:02 pm
Yes, for every state you want to stop in you need to have a gen dec stating what state you proceeding to and get the customs in the state you are leaving from to stamp it. If there is no customs at the airport you are proceeding from fax it to the nearest customs office and get it stamped and sent back to you. keep these with you for the duration!!!!
Don't do like one of my passengers did, take a box of Cuban cigars to give to one of the plant managers for a gift. He nearly got arrested and we thought they were going to seize the plane except the Customs lady new us and we got off with only a lecture. 
"What's it doing now?"
"Fly low and slow and throttle back in the turns."
"Fly low and slow and throttle back in the turns."
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Scuba_Steve
- Rank 7
- Posts: 660
- Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 9:10 pm
First off if you are going to the states under 703, you don't need a sticker, thats for POC operators only. There I just saved you 25$
You will need to have APIS done in advance, call the customs office you are planning on clearin with, have an A039 (or the new form I cannot recal what it is called) have two copies of the GEN DEC one inbound one out. You will need to get both signed (with badge number) or stamped before you can procceed to points further into the states, or leave the states (they are pretty simple really)
Make sure you are as close to your arrival time as possible and update when it changes by more than 10-15 mins - FSS in the states is freaking amazing they will make the call for you enroute, no questions asked -
When you arrive, go to the customs building, do not exit the aircraft until an officer has arrived....be friendly as hell. Have you license/medical/passport/paperwork all ready. Once you are good to go, get the Inbound Stamped, if you are leaving right away, do the same with your outbound, or if you are leaving the next day and have the same passenger load they usually stamp it then too.
If you are carrying on to othe rpoints, just ask the guy where you can get the outbound stamped, if there is no customs office where you are going get the phone # and fax # for the nearest office and just call them, tell em what you need and fax it, they will fax one back for you.
MAKE SURE - you double/triple check all names/passport numbers/birthdates/middle names/passport expiry dates before you leave Canadian soil. That APIS has to be perfect or else you are getting a hefty fine.
CABOTAGE - you can only bring people down to the states, for a drop off, or a multi leg trip if you have the same people on each leg, you cannot pick up and drop off passengers for flights within the US. You can Fly down with a group, fly to a few destinations with teh same people, then fly back to Canada, or you can fly down to the states, pick some people up and come back to Canada...thats it...the fine is huge if you get busted doing charter work within the US.
Clearing back into Canada Requires a Phone call to CAN PASS, you will need all their passport info, including middle name. your destination etc. They will ask you on the phone for all the info. They require 2 hours notice at a minimum and get pretty pissy when you don't give it to them (happened to me on a medivac once they were goign to have my poor passenger wait in the aircraft for an extra hour just to appease their lame policy - as it stood no one came to meet our aircraft anyways)
When you arrive if no officer comes to meet you, just call canpass (I usually don't even have to shut my engines down) get your entry # and write it in your logbook so they can never come back and tell you, you did not get permission to enter Canada.
k I think I covered it all, I do a lot of charters to the states but our dispatch handles the APIS and most of the paperwork, its all available online on the customs web page.
Flying in the states is a lot of fun, the paperwork can be intimidating but once you get used to it, its pretty simple, the people friendly, FBOs could teach ours a few things about customer service, and the controllers and FSS guys/gals are always super helpful.
Cheers
You will need to have APIS done in advance, call the customs office you are planning on clearin with, have an A039 (or the new form I cannot recal what it is called) have two copies of the GEN DEC one inbound one out. You will need to get both signed (with badge number) or stamped before you can procceed to points further into the states, or leave the states (they are pretty simple really)
Make sure you are as close to your arrival time as possible and update when it changes by more than 10-15 mins - FSS in the states is freaking amazing they will make the call for you enroute, no questions asked -
When you arrive, go to the customs building, do not exit the aircraft until an officer has arrived....be friendly as hell. Have you license/medical/passport/paperwork all ready. Once you are good to go, get the Inbound Stamped, if you are leaving right away, do the same with your outbound, or if you are leaving the next day and have the same passenger load they usually stamp it then too.
If you are carrying on to othe rpoints, just ask the guy where you can get the outbound stamped, if there is no customs office where you are going get the phone # and fax # for the nearest office and just call them, tell em what you need and fax it, they will fax one back for you.
MAKE SURE - you double/triple check all names/passport numbers/birthdates/middle names/passport expiry dates before you leave Canadian soil. That APIS has to be perfect or else you are getting a hefty fine.
CABOTAGE - you can only bring people down to the states, for a drop off, or a multi leg trip if you have the same people on each leg, you cannot pick up and drop off passengers for flights within the US. You can Fly down with a group, fly to a few destinations with teh same people, then fly back to Canada, or you can fly down to the states, pick some people up and come back to Canada...thats it...the fine is huge if you get busted doing charter work within the US.
Clearing back into Canada Requires a Phone call to CAN PASS, you will need all their passport info, including middle name. your destination etc. They will ask you on the phone for all the info. They require 2 hours notice at a minimum and get pretty pissy when you don't give it to them (happened to me on a medivac once they were goign to have my poor passenger wait in the aircraft for an extra hour just to appease their lame policy - as it stood no one came to meet our aircraft anyways)
When you arrive if no officer comes to meet you, just call canpass (I usually don't even have to shut my engines down) get your entry # and write it in your logbook so they can never come back and tell you, you did not get permission to enter Canada.
k I think I covered it all, I do a lot of charters to the states but our dispatch handles the APIS and most of the paperwork, its all available online on the customs web page.
Flying in the states is a lot of fun, the paperwork can be intimidating but once you get used to it, its pretty simple, the people friendly, FBOs could teach ours a few things about customer service, and the controllers and FSS guys/gals are always super helpful.
Cheers
Be sure of where you are going to clear customs. Don't try and do it at a major airport. We've had problems in the past of pilots getting vectored 130 miles out of their way. Try and pick a smaller, less busy airport to clear customs at. Might make the trip that much more easier. Oh and if it's your crew's first time flying into the states, send a F/O with them if there is not one with them anyway, it will make the radio and nav less stressful.
-Rockin In The Free World
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goldeneagle
- Rank (9)
- Posts: 1362
- Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2006 3:28 pm
Re: 703 Flight to the US
If that approval is just the TC approval on your oc, then it's only half the battle. You still need the FAA paperwork too. If you dont have it, plan on a year of beaurocracy before the paper finally arrives.compilot wrote: We are approved for International travel,
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co-joe
- Rank 11
- Posts: 4812
- Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 2:33 am
- Location: YYC 230 degree radial at about 10 DME
My advice is whenever you talk to anyone, GET THEIR BADGE NUMBER!
That way an hour later when they've miraculously lost your info you can tell them who you talked to and when. Victoria Canpass is brutal for this.
The only other one I can think of that has saved me is that when you pull up at US customs for god's sake don't get out of your aircraft or let any of your pax get out. If they take an hour to come to you, phone them and then wait patiently in the plane.
If you have any problem with your own passport (like if it's from another country and you haven't got around to getting a canadian one yet) get that sorted out now. I know a pilot who spent his 3 day trip to a warm sunny US destination in jail because he was PIC and hadn't sorted this minor detail out yet... They let him out in time to fly home.
Be respectful, courteous, and make small talk. I also found it helps divert attention away from you if you fly with a Polish captain (AKA the polish prince), and bring a Mexican Canadian passenger.
CJ
That way an hour later when they've miraculously lost your info you can tell them who you talked to and when. Victoria Canpass is brutal for this.
The only other one I can think of that has saved me is that when you pull up at US customs for god's sake don't get out of your aircraft or let any of your pax get out. If they take an hour to come to you, phone them and then wait patiently in the plane.
If you have any problem with your own passport (like if it's from another country and you haven't got around to getting a canadian one yet) get that sorted out now. I know a pilot who spent his 3 day trip to a warm sunny US destination in jail because he was PIC and hadn't sorted this minor detail out yet... They let him out in time to fly home.
Be respectful, courteous, and make small talk. I also found it helps divert attention away from you if you fly with a Polish captain (AKA the polish prince), and bring a Mexican Canadian passenger.
CJ
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Dust Devil
- Rank 11
- Posts: 4027
- Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2005 10:55 am
- Location: Riderville
Re: 703 Flight to the US
I actually found that part easy. The FAA office just asked for my TC op spec then forwarded the U.S stuff too me. Wasn't alot of hoops to jump though.goldeneagle wrote:If that approval is just the TC approval on your oc, then it's only half the battle. You still need the FAA paperwork too. If you dont have it, plan on a year of beaurocracy before the paper finally arrives.compilot wrote: We are approved for International travel,
Still takes at least a month though. Also in addition to the FAA paperwork you need a certificate giving you economic authority to operate in the U.S. This is separate from the FAA
Iceman stated remember to advise the controller to activate your flight plan.
If you are going IFR, that is correct. If you are going VFR, you might want to review the procedures for opening a flight plan in the US because controllers (tower, terminal )do not usually open them.
If you are going IFR, that is correct. If you are going VFR, you might want to review the procedures for opening a flight plan in the US because controllers (tower, terminal )do not usually open them.
Accident speculation:
Those that post don’t know. Those that know don’t post
Those that post don’t know. Those that know don’t post
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hawker driver
- Rank 5
- Posts: 308
- Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:49 pm
Call the customs office and ask what to do when you arrive.Scuba_Steve wrote:When you arrive, go to the customs building, do not exit the aircraft until an officer has arrived....be friendly as hell. Cheers
If you wait in your aircraft in FLL or PBI you will be waiting for hours.
You have to go in with all your stuff and pax.
If you get out of aircraft in Morristown, NJ you get a $10,000 fine. In most place the customs guys will be waiting for you.
There is no set rule what to do when you show up at customs. Every inspector has their own procedure and you are expected to know all 3000 of them.
So call ahead and ask. ( And hope that customs guy is not on a break when you arrive)
