Flight to Canada (Not to be...)

Flight to Canada (Not to be…)

May 13th, 2010 |

Well I hate this but as they say “it is better to stand on the ground wishing you were in the air then to be in the air wishing you were on the ground”
After spending way to much time and money getting ready for my flight to Canada for the (Diamond Aircraft Factory Tour with the Republic Flyers) I have decided to pull the plug. The final nail in the coffin was when my estimated time in route (ete) went from 3:30 to over 4 hours due to a strong headwind thereby requiring an en-route stop in hard IFR conditions. Factor in that this aircraft has let me down before (alternator controller failure) and the chance of embedded thunderstorms (without on-board weather), hard IMC, and we are clear that this flight just wasn’t meant to be..
Sad though.
I brought the following:

Expedited Passport (good for 10 years) $160.00 Traveled into NYC 2 days in a row to US Department of State to get it. (Path Train cost about $7.00 taxi $12.00)
Aircraft FCC radio station license (good for 10 years) $110.00
Restricted Radio Operators license (good for life) $60.00
Charts for the flight (will attempt to return) about $60.00
Aircraft DHS / CBC Decal $32.00 with expedite (good for one year)

++++ I can’t remember it all.
Well at least I learned allot.

If you are planning on flying internationally I suggest checking out AOPA. They have a great section on the process.
http://www.aopa.org/members/pic/intl/

On the bright side I have an aircraft that is legal for international travel, a Radio Operators License, and a Passport.

This Saturday I will fly with my Son, my friend Ed and his niece to the EAA240’s Increasingly Famous Pancake Breakfasts New Garden Flying Field (N57)

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http://keith.tristesse.com Keith

Hi Mike,

Sorry to hear that things didn't work out. I recently did a lot of reading about the requirements for flying into Canada. It seems as though the requirement for the pilot to hold Radio Operators License is actually a US rule that applies to US-registered aircraft flying outside of the US. Think about that for a moment, it's comical My reading lead me to believe that the Canadian govt has no interest in enforcing this rule. It seems as though this is one of the famous myths about what is require to fly to Canada.

You've got the documentation now, though, so I know this is too little, too late, but I thought it might be of interest to anyone else planning a flight.

http://intensedebate.com/people/mikeb172sp Mike Bennett

Thanks for the comment Keith,
You are correct, this is a US FCC requirement. I talked with a pilot in our group and he said that he has never been asked for his FCC documents. That being said. When you return to the US Customs has the authority to request the documents and may fine you on behalf of the FCC for not complying with the rule. I would err on the side of safety and get the documents. After-all we are only talking about $170.00 for lifetime licenses.

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