Flying over the state of Maine

[dave_091]

I've got a question for you guys, perhaps a couple.


I will be flying from New Brunswick to Quebec which involves flying over the state of Maine. I wont be landing in the U.S. I will just be flying over it. What sort of things do I have to sort out with the higher ups in order to complete this flight without getting intercepted?

I am sure I could figure it out on my own but I wanted to create a discussion here.

[Tail-Chaser]

File a flight plan, and carry your passport just in case.

[old_man]

Make sure you get a discrete transponder code with FSS before you cross. You could get flight following the whole way but radio/radar reception is not the best at lower levels.

[pelmet]

I believe you are required to be in contact with ATC when you cross the border as well as a discrete transponder code. If you are not on a flight plan you will have a violation.

I was really lucky one time several years ago. I had read in the AOPA magazine about missing flight plans from FSS's in the US. This was not long after Lockheed took over running them and there had been many screw-ups. I decided to check with the tower in Canada prior to crossing the border from the US to see if they had me on file as an arriving flight but they did not. A check with Canadian FSS showed no flight plan on file. So I quickly filed a new one with an American FSS prior to crossing the border(Canadian FSS would not accept one filed for a flight from the US) which came through quite quickly.. I wonder how difficult it would have been to get proof that I had filed and opened one from Lockheed.

Don't forget that the northern half of Maine is very remote territory.

[BGH]

I've done that flight a few times while travelling back & forth from Ontario to New Brunswick & PEI while ifr on v300.
Contact is with Boston Centre if I remember & although I was on an ifr flight plan the fellows under me were on vfr flight plans & just contacted Boston Centre for a discrete transponder code & clearance through Maine.After contact & identification their flight continued as flight planned with no hassles & flight following with traffic advisories to boot.

Daryl

[nbinont]

I've flown it - Just file your flight plan and be sure to get a transponder code before crossing the border. You'll get switched to Boston Centre. I was VFR and the clouds kept me lower than I wanted. Lost communication with all ATC, out of range of all VOR/DME for about half an hour. Not as fun as I'd imagined! Don't worry - you'll be fine!

[Pavese]

I've flown it - Just file your flight plan and be sure to get a transponder code before crossing the border. You'll get switched to Boston Centre. I was VFR and the clouds kept me lower than I wanted. Lost communication with all ATC, out of range of all VOR/DME for about half an hour. Not as fun as I'd imagined! Don't worry - you'll be fine!

As NB says above and don't trust that the frequency you're handed over to at the border will give you good comm to a station. We (6500 ft) were helped out by higher traffic (9500) who relayed a station we could talk to. Rather lonely all by yourself in the middle of nowhere...

If I had it to do again I'd scope out where all the ground stations were and their frequencies and go down the list until I could raise someone. FWIW, we didn't get any calls from flight following the whole leg, don't know if it was no traffic or no comm/thin coverage.

D

[Scout44]

I know your original question was about procedures, but even though it goes without saying, I'll add that if you're going VFR to make sure it's good VFR and watch for early signs of deteriorating Wx.

Flew that route as my first long cross country from SW Ontario to the Maritimes in 2002 with a friend, and despite a favourable forecast, we had to divert into Maine.