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US pilot flying in Canada

Bubblehead

Well Known Member
I am planning a trip from Fort Worth, TX to Alaska. I have been studying different resources and videos, and have gotten my FCC license for the comm radio and my FCC operator's license, I have my other paperwork including Passport in order. I still need to study up on eapis etc. I have studied the 3 main routes and their variations, and have a survival gear list made up based on Canadian and Alaskan requirements plus my experience backpacking.

My question for this thread is what do I need to know about flying in Canada compared to the US? Are traffic patterns the same? How about communication protocols? Do I need to file flight plans for every leg if VFR? Should I get some ground school by phone from a Canadian flight instructor?
 
The Cross Border Operations Guide is really good. A few items to pay attention to: Page 61-62. Monitor/use 126.7 for position reports in uncontrolled airspace. Pattern entry procedures are different, though most Canadian pilots don?t get these right either.
Flight plans or flight itineraries are required for all flights more than 25 NM. Call 1-866-WXBRIEF to file and close your flight plans.
It?s all easy - you shouldn?t have any difficulties.

Scott
 
You may want to pay a little attention to airspace differences - one in particular. Our class B is a layer between 12500' and 18000' that you need a clearance for, but it isn't everywhere - check the VNC. The other thing you may encounter are mandatory frequencies (MF) around the mid sized airports. This typically is for contacting a flight service station (which is not the same as the US) where you will get advisory services only. You don't need clearances, but you are expected to be on that frequency when in a MF zone.

I'll know the differences better in a few days when I fly into the US for the first time.

The article cited above is excellent, it is however only available to members. There should be one on AOPA's site as this was a cooperative document, but that will be members only too. There are some copies out there in the Google ether if you search for AOPA COPA cross border. I'm not going to link it.
 

This caught my eye: "BASICMED ? FLYING IN CANADIAN AIRSPACE
Due to the non ICAO-compliant nature of the BasicMed regime, Transport Canada does not currently allow aircraft to be operated in Canadian airspace by U.S. pilots flying under BasicMed. This includes transiting without landing (i.e. to/from Alaska). COPA is currently collaborating with AOPA and Transport Canada on a way forward which would allow certain BasicMed operations that comply with the restrictions imposed on Canadian Recreational Pilot Permit Holders."

I used the Basic Med route a year ago. Looks like I need a full FAA Medical now. Ugh. Thanks Ron RV8 for the link.
 
YYCC650 - I have downloaded the guide and will read those pages. Thank you.

Flying Canuck - Thank you too for the information. I look forward to your observations.

I'm collecting those and other pieces of information and web links to refer to as the planning progresses and will take some of the info along in hard copy to refer to in the cockpit and all of it on my laptop to refer to while on the ground.
 
The Canadian Flight Supplement (CFS) has all the Canadian airport drawings and info such as frequencies, elevation, runways, services, procedures (ie RH cct) etc
It can be searched and downloaded from the web, although for me finding airports is easier with the hard copy. Most GPS' have airport info which is Ok as long as the database is current.

Flight following is also an option in Canada, as in the US.

Standard pattern entry in Canada at uncontrolled airports is overhead to the mid-left downwind (preferred) or straight in on downwind, if no conflict exists, at 1000' above airport elevation. No 45 to the downwind or straight in finals. The CFS indicates if it is a non standard pattern in the procedures. I have seen many Canadian and US pilots join a non-standard pattern incorrectly by not checking the CFS prior to arrival.

Have fun and safe flying!
 
The Canadian Flight Supplement (CFS) has all the Canadian airport drawings and info such as frequencies, elevation, runways, services, procedures (ie RH cct) etc
It can be searched and downloaded from the web, although for me finding airports is easier with the hard copy. Most GPS' have airport info which is Ok as long as the database is current.

Flight following is also an option in Canada, as in the US.

Standard pattern entry in Canada at uncontrolled airports is overhead to the mid-left downwind (preferred) or straight in on downwind, if no conflict exists, at 1000' above airport elevation. No 45 to the downwind or straight in finals. The CFS indicates if it is a non standard pattern in the procedures. I have seen many Canadian and US pilots join a non-standard pattern incorrectly by not checking the CFS prior to arrival.

Have fun and safe flying!

Discussing with Nav Canada, the most common issue with US aircraft is failure to communicate on the appropriate frequency and busting airspace. Probably the same for Canadians flying to the US.

Find a frequency, talk to ATC and ask for help. Thereafter, you should be fine.

As for uncontrolled aerodromes, the guidance above is golden. Anything else may lead to conflicts or worse. If you are uncertain, and there is traffic, just ask on frequency what the preferred approach is. Private pilots are a friendly lot and will help if asked.
 
I learned the hard way the when you file a VFR flight plan (required) and put down a departure time, they assume you departed at that time. You do not have to "open" a VFR flight plan like we do here. If you don't show up at your destination airport at your ETA plus a couple of hours, they start SAR. In other words, if you file a VFR flight plan and things change, notify their FSS folks.
 
A question on weather data. I get data now in the US through ADSB. I will be over a lot of remote territory so I know I won't get data there, but what about when I am close to towns and cities like Grand Prairie? Is ADSB in use in Canada?

Does XM Weather cover Canada?
 
A question on weather data.

Does XM Weather cover Canada?

Yes, but you have to buy that package.

Also, if you can go IFR... then do it. It makes the weird airspace thing a non-issue.

Don't forget to get your DTOPS sticker! I hear that they are running behind on getting them out. I ordered mine a week or two ago and it's not here yet.

Also look into the Flashpass app instead of doing eApis. It is available on smartphones now, not just the iPhones! It really simplifies the border crossings!

:) CJ
 
I learned the hard way the when you file a VFR flight plan (required) and put down a departure time, they assume you departed at that time. You do not have to "open" a VFR flight plan like we do here. If you don't show up at your destination airport at your ETA plus a couple of hours, they start SAR. In other words, if you file a VFR flight plan and things change, notify their FSS folks.

THIS is a very important difference between Canada and the US.

Here in Canada we have lots of uninhabited areas, lots of open space, lots of places for an airplane to go down and never be found. It's all too common for a crash scene to be discovered years after the occurrence date.

With this in mind, in Canada, a VFR flight plan is a VITAL SAR tool. In the US it seems more of a "nice to have" - up here, it's often what makes the difference between being found and starving/freezing to death. When filing, and when flying, always keep this tidbit of info in mind.

Also, if you are overdue by as little as 30 minutes, Flight Service will start a communications search for you. They will call your cell phone number that you filed in the flight plan. They will call your airport of destination to see if you've arrived and just forgot to call FSS to close the flight plan. Then they'll call your alternate contacts to see if they know where you are. Believe me, your wife and kids don't want to receive this call.

The best example of this I've seen so far was on a fairly local flight of 130nm. Winds aloft were forecast to be less than 8 knots, while actual winds were closer to 35 knots. I arrived at destination 15 minutes late. As I was taxiing in the local FBO told me over the radio that FSS was looking for me and that I had better call them. I was only 15 minutes late and they were already looking for me. THAT's how seriously flight plans are taken here.

As an adjunct to the anecdote above, be aware that Canada is big. Flying along with flight following, you will frequently hear the Terminal controller say "Radar services terminated"... you've fallen off the edge of their radar. If you want to know the "next" radio frequency to use to contact the next controller, look up an airport near your route of travel and a few miles ahead of you. In the "COMM" section of the Canada Flight Supplement listing for that airport you will see a frequency listed there - sometimes shown as PAL, or TERM or DEP as well as the name of the controlling unit, like "Toronto Ctr" or Montreal Term". Dial up that frequency and see if you can raise them to establish flight following as you continue your journey.
 
To add to the previous post by Canadian Joy. Something that can really help with Search & Rescue is frequent position reports to flight service, and use of a tracking device such as Spot or inReach. Both of these can significantly reduce the search area if you fail to arrive at your destination and close the flight plan. The Canadian Flight Supplement and Foreflight both have the appropriate frequencies to contact for various locations.
 
A question . . my son lives in Bellingham, and wants to do an aerial tour of Vancouver island. The might be several day for flights and some will result in stopping and clearing customs etc. But, since BLM is so close, after getting all the paperwork straight, is it possible to do a flight from BLM up around the Island (or anywhere north of the border) and back to BLM without landing? Proper contact with authorities and inflight communications are assumed.

Does it present any difficulties if there is no landing in Canada?
 
Does it present any difficulties if there is no landing in Canada?
Nope. People do it all the time, to fly up and around some of the mountains here in the lower mainland of BC.

Off the top of my head, you have to have a flight plan, be squawking a discrete code (no anonymous mode) and talking to ATC. Same rules as if a Canadian aircraft were flying down to the US for an overflight without landing.

Think about what you'd do if you had an emergency though, and what you'd want to have with you if you needed to land out somewhere. Passport, at a minimum.
 
Canada

Xm weather doesn?t work, I did get cloud cover from ADSB, and some high traffic. There wasn?t any low traffic. I forgot to say make sure you have phone coverage, I got mine for 4 cents a minute. Nav Canada has a good weather web site and Alaska has all the weather cams and they go as far as Watson Lake. My visibility was always at least 40 miles. I didn?t see any Canadien customs agent on my crossing.
 
Recent Experience

Just returned after another foray to Juneau, and this particularly sticks in my mind:

You absolutely must have cell coverage for border crossing operations. Make double-d***-sure your phone will work throughout your trip in Canada as well as the USA. The coverage maps may look good, but pitfalls exist in network usage. The principle need is reporting your arrival to CBPA (having previously arranged arrival - by phone) and establishing an appointment with CBP - by phone - to reenter the US. Canada simply doesn't have the critical aviation mass to fund staffed airports and FBOs at every podunk field - even larger ones. Finding a landline can be next to impossible especially on Sundays. This is all on top of web access for filing e-**** notices.

Related, refueling isn't as easy as the US. Make sure fuel can actually be purchased when you arrive. Self-serve is not nearly as widespread as the 48 and fueling from the only FBO might bump into bankers' hours. Again, a working cell is very important for nosing around. Don't let the four-spokes graphic make you complacent. My wanderings tend to be in BC and YK; maybe it's better in the eastward provinces.

What's really nice is Canada and Alaska FSS services. Alaska did not adopt the Lockheed FSS model. You can walk into an FSS, though they are not numerous, for a personal briefing and, most delightfully, when you ring them on the radio you get immediate "how can I help you" responses, not a reading of the FARs, 20 questions, and VFR not recommended. Canada (at least Pacific and Edmonton Radios) are the same. How nice to receive service instead of a lecture.

John Siebold
 
Can an exp fly into Canada without a std airworthiness certificate?

Short answer is yes. Longer answer is that you need a "Standardised Validation of a Special Airworthiness Certificate - Experimental...." which is downloadable (I think from Transport Canada and probably elsewhere) and free. I've never been asked for it, but the requirement is in the regs.
 
I also recently (3 days ago) crossed the border at low level (below radar and Center radio coverage). I got a squawk code before departing the last airport, but weather was low enough that I could never raise Center. When I got to Kamloops for my customs stop, they (local radio) knew I was coming and actually called me when I was about 15 miles out to ask if I was on frequency. Although I was concerned when I couldn't raise anyone on the radio near/at the border, it turned out to be a non-issue. Just a data point for anyone worried about border crossing.

I'm not sure whether it would be the same non-issue flying south....
 
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