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To:  lml@lancaironline.net
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:47:03 -0400
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From: "Nicholas Paczkowski" <npaczkowski@telus.net>
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Subject: RE: [LML] VA to AK
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I am a Canadian  based in Canada but have been flying to and from the US
(every few weeks) on a regular basis since the Revolution. (usually VFR).

Airspace is very similar with a few minor differences. Comparing the
inverted wedding cake diagrams tells it all.

Coming or going you need three things:

1.	US Homeland Security requires that you file an eapis manifest 2
hours before departure in either direction. Your clearance to cross the
border will be delivered by e-mail. The 'hands down' best way to do this is
to subscribe to www.flashpass.net. There is a free trial period and then a
very modest subscription. This is simply one of the best ways to make the
whole Homeland Security thing effortless. I have no connection to Flashpass
other than being a very satisfied subscriber. 

2.	You need to file an ICAO  flight plan in the country you are
departing from. The Canadian Flight Service number for filing a flight plan
is 1-888-WXBRIEF. In Canada there is no need to contact FSS in order to open
your VFR flight plan since it will be opened at the departure time that you
specified on the plan unless you advise otherwise. Tower will usually
confirm that your flight plan is open when you are cleared for take-off. On
arrival, you can ask Ground to close your flight plan. Again there is no
need to contact FSS. 

3.	Flying into the US you need to contact the US Customs office at your
arrival airport at least 1 hour before you arrive. This must be done after
you have an eapis clearance since customs will ask if you have one. Flying
into Canada you need to contact Canada Customs at 1-888-CANPASS at least 2
hours before you arrive. They don't care if you have an eapis clearance.

4.	When you activate your US VFR flight plan FSS will give you a
'border crossing squawk code. Quite frankly, I have never figured out why
this is necessary since the rule is that you are supposed to be talking to
ATC when you cross the border and if you request flight following you will
of course have a discrete squawk code assigned by ATC. If for some reason
you don't have an ATC assigned code then as you are crossing the border, you
must squawk the code assigned to you when you opened your flight plan.

On one flight, my flying buddy was an American living in Canada. On arriving
in the US we were met with a handful of border crossing agents in training.
The senior agent was showing off slightly to his trainees and knowing that
Canadians pronounce the letter Z as 'zed' while Americans pronounce it 'zee'
thought that he would cross examine my friend's assertion that he was
American as we stepped out of the plane. He turned to my American friend and
demanded "What is the last letter in the alphabet?"  Unflustered, my friend
looked the agent in the eye and said "A". Now the agent was unsettled and
said "A, what do you mean A?" to which my friend replied "I mean the last
letter of the alphabet is 'zee', eh!"

Hope you have a great visit.

Nick Paczkowski

-----Original Message-----
From: Dennis Johnson [mailto:pinetownd@volcano.net] 
Sent: October-23-11 6:28 PM
To: lml@lancaironline.net
Subject: Re: [LML] VA to AK

Hi Danny,

A few years ago I flew my Legacy from California to Alaska and back.  The 
AOPA website was helpful.  Here's the link, assuming you're a member:

http://www.aopa.org/members/pic/intl/

Good luck,
Dennis