Border Crossing, Flight Plans, etc.

[Chrisgoesflying]

I'll be flying from Canada to the U.S. next week. This is the second time I'm doing this and the first time was anything but smooth so hoping to get some things cleared up beforehand this time around. I know the procedure, what I need, what I have to do, etc. but some of these things simply didn't work out last time. Luckily, the border officer was more than accommodating and in the end, all was fine. Here is what happened.

I called the customs office to give my ETA. As I was approaching the border, I tried to reach FSS for my discrete border crossing x-ponder code and got nothing but radio silence. Tried ATC with same result. I was too low. So, I had to climb. I was at 6,500 ft (about 5,000 ft AGL) and the ceiling was about 1,500 above me so not much leeway. I flew around on the Canadian side of the border until I found a clear spot, circled to get up and finally reached FSS at 9,500 ft. They gave me the code, I told them I need to descend back down and therefore would not be able to be "in touch with ATC" (which is another requirement) while crossing the border and they said it's fine. Since I lost a good hour looking for that clear spot and circling up to altitude, I also asked them to inform the border officer of my late arrival and also to update my flight plan to reflect the late arrival.

After that, the flight was uneventful and we landed. The border officer came out to meet us, joked about our late arrival and when I asked if FSS informed him he said no but it's no big deal. I wanted to clear customs and then close the flight plan but as I was sitting in the customs office, FSS called the border officer asking if we arrived as our plane shows as overdue. Whoever we talked with over the radio must have also not updated the flight plan.

My questions:

If I can't get in touch with FSS, what can I do? I don't think I can cross the border with 1200 on the transponder. I'm sure I can get FSS at 9,000 or 10,000 feet but what if I'm restricted to below 9,000 feet due to clouds? In that area, I also can't reach any Canadian ATC - it's really remote out here. I read somewhere that I can call by phone to get a code if I cross the border within an hour of the call but the flight to the border is well over an hour.

This time around, I'm flying into a towered airport. Does ATC (tower) close your flight plan in the U.S. if you ask them to or do I always have to call to close the flight plan? Tower will close your flight plan in Canada if asked, but I don't know if they also do in the U.S.

On the way back home things were smooth, but I also couldn't get in touch with anyone near the border. However, I was on flight following on the U.S. side. They got in touch with me about 50 miles from the border and said that they'll lose my reception soon, gave me the code and told me which frequency to contact once I'm about 30 miles into Canada.

Would love to hear your thoughts on this or any PIREPS of those who have done the crossing several times.

 

[mandm]

I haven’t done this yet but I want to, from what I recall, you have to close your VFR flight plan manually. Before landing and turned over to CTAF or tower, perhaps you can ask them to close or cancel your flight plan. Or better yet, file an IFR flight plan, those are usually automatically closed and also automatically cancelled if you don’t pick up your IFR departure clearance. To fly to US, all I recall is that you need to be on a flight plan, and when you pick up that flight plan I cannot see why you wouldn’t be given a transponder code right away, I would just continue flying in and if you have military jets on your sides then listen to and communicate frequency 121.5MHz.

I am wondering about flying to Canada - I would like to fly to Toronto soon, as before there was the Covid test and I think the customs service at smaller GA airports was closed - has it reopened!? Any idea how flying to Canada works? Required flight plan? I rather do flight following, but I’m ok to file a flight plan. Then I heard for customs you make an online reservation and you’ll likely be cleared in-flight without having to see anyone, is that how it works?

 

[Chrisgoesflying]

I am wondering about flying to Canada - I would like to fly to Toronto soon, as before there was the Covid test and I think the customs service at smaller GA airports was closed - has it reopened!? Any idea how flying to Canada works? Required flight plan? I rather do flight following, but I’m ok to file a flight plan. Then I heard for customs you make an online reservation and you’ll likely be cleared in-flight without having to see anyone, is that how it works?

Flying to Canada is not much different than flying from Canada to the U.S. You must be on an active flight plan. You can also pick up flight following but that wouldn't relieve you from having an active flight plan open. Customs is no big deal. You call them before you leave (allow for some time waiting on the phone), tell them your ETA and when you arrive, you call them again from the ground and they may either clear you over the phone or tell you to wait for someone to meet you at your plane. When I came back last time, they met me at the plane but that was because their phone system was down, otherwise based on what I'm reading here on the forum, they probably would have just cleared me by phone as well.

To fly to US, all I recall is that you need to be on a flight plan, and when you pick up that flight plan I cannot see what you wouldn’t be given a transponder code right away

In Canada, when you file a flight plan, you don't manually open it. It will open automatically at the time you specify. I fly out of an uncontrolled field so I never get a transponder code - I just fly with 1200. Last time, I took off from a towered airport, I received my transponder code from Canadian ATC but he was clear that this is NOT my border crossing transponder code - I would have to call U.S. FSS to pick that up.

I would just continue flying in and if you have military jets on your sides then listen to and communicate frequency 121.5MHz.

LOL, I'm sure they'll send a nice bill for all that fuel they're burning to check out that little Cherokee busting the airspace.

 

[mandm]

Flying to Canada is not much different than flying from Canada to the U.S. You must be on an active flight plan. You can also pick up flight following but that wouldn't relieve you from having an active flight plan open. Customs is no big deal. You call them before you leave (allow for some time waiting on the phone), tell them your ETA and when you arrive, you call them again from the ground and they may either clear you over the phone or tell you to wait for someone to meet you at your plane. When I came back last time, they met me at the plane but that was because their phone system was down, otherwise based on what I'm reading here on the forum, they probably would have just cleared me by phone as well.



In Canada, when you file a flight plan, you don't manually open it. It will open automatically at the time you specify. I fly out of an uncontrolled field so I never get a transponder code - I just fly with 1200. Last time, I took off from a towered airport, I received my transponder code from Canadian ATC but he was clear that this is NOT my border crossing transponder code - I would have to call U.S. FSS to pick that up.



LOL, I'm sure they'll send a nice bill for all that fuel they're burning to check out that little Cherokee busting the airspace.

Were there controlled airports on both sides of the border where you crossed? I guess if it is remote I could see this happening. If you are late then you can advise ATC to update your flight plan ETA.

Is a Canadian transponder code required when flying into Canada?

 

[kath]

Any idea how flying to Canada works? Required flight plan? I rather do flight following, but I’m ok to file a flight plan. Then I heard for customs you make an online reservation and you’ll likely be cleared in-flight without having to see anyone, is that how it works?

Yes, the flight plan is required, as is eAPIS (if that's the "online reservation" thing you're referring to?), and also calling Customs in advance -- something you have to do *in addition* to eAPIS.
Don't forget your U.S. Customs sticker for the plane so you can return. AOPA has a pretty good checklist of everything you need; a little googling is your friend.

I haven't heard of being cleared through customs in-flight. On the Canadian side, you can sometimes be cleared through customs over the phone after landing, without actually seeing the agent in person -- depends on the timing I guess.

It's not normal for a VFR flight plan to get closed for you in the U.S. Usually, you have to do that yourself. However, if it's an towered Airport of Entry that gets a lot of international traffic and is used to people arriving on flight plans, they will sometimes close it for you as a courtesy (and they'll tell you if they are doing this). Northway, Alaska, for instance; they have an FSS on the field, and I'm guessing they pretty much just process Canadian arrivals all day. But unless they specifically tell you they're closing it, you've gotta close it yourself.

As for the squawk... I'll confess this is still a bit of a mystery to me, as well. I've had a similar experience to you, @Chrisgoesflying... approaching the border squawking 1200 and unable to get ahold of anybody, and freaking out! As I recall, I did manage to get ahold of a controller with about 10 miles to go. Who gave me the strangest "look" (or whatever is the equivalent of a "look" over the radio) when I requested a squawk, as if to suggest "what on earth would you want that for?" and even when I explained I was about to cross the border, he still seemed reluctant to give me one, as if the request was weird. And then there's the Northern border, where there is no radar coverage and squawking is pointless, so you don't need one. So yeah, it's confusing. I've done four crossings, but I still have the same questions you do.

 

[Chrisgoesflying]

Is a Canadian transponder code required when flying into Canada?

Nope, crossed the border with the code that was issued to me by U.S. ATC. Once I got in touch with Canadian ATC they gave me a new code but that was several miles into Canada already.

So yeah, it's confusing. I've done four crossings, but I still have the same questions you do.

Seems like a common point of confusion I guess. In another forum, someone said (years ago) that he crosses the border with 1200 on the transponder all the time because there is no way to reach anyone where he flies. According to him, he never had an issue.

 

[sourdough44]

I went from Canada to N MN a few years ago. I thought I had a border crossing squawk before I took off? I called US ATC on the phone, told him my particulars, he gave me a squawk to write down then put in as I got near the border, 1 hour flight.

I was VFR, relatively low altitude.

 

[George182]

If you are concerned about not being able to reach ATC for you code call the FIC before departure. Your flight plan should have a code assign at least 30 minutes before your departure time.

 

[Chrisgoesflying]

Learned something today: As expected, right before crossing the border, I couldn’t get a hold of FIS or Center. I wrote down the SLC center phone number and called them in the air telling them that I’m about to cross and need my border crossing x-ponder code. The guy on the phone said “we don’t worry about this anymore, just keep 1200 on the transponder. Right after I crossed, I got in touch with FIS and told them I just crossed but center said I wouldn’t need a unique code and they confirmed that. Not sure if that’s a SLC policy or if that applies to all units. Any ATC people on here who can confirm that the policy has changed? If so, AOPA’s guide should be updated.

 

[4CornerFlyer]

There are different regulations and procedures for entering the US depending on whether you cross through an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). There is no ADIZ on the US-Canadian border, so those rules don't apply. To cross the northern border, the FARs call for being on an active VFR or IFR flight plan (not DVFR), and having an operating transponder with altitude reporting. There is no FAR calling for two-way communications with ATC or a discrete transponder code. That's FARs, which aren't the only rules in play.
To make things confusing, there has been at NOTAM for nearly 20 years addressing flights to and from the US, separate from the ADIZ. This NOTAM required contact with an ATC facility crossing the border, and squawking an "ATC assigned" transponder code. The interpretation I received and operated under going back to the origin of the NOTAM was that 1200 was the "ATC assigned" beacon code for uncontrolled VFR flight, and that nowhere did the term discrete code appear in the NOTAM. So you could ask for and get a discrete code to cross the northern border, but you didn't need to. A communication requirement in advance of border crossing could be met with a radar facility or FSS, but there was no requirement for radar service, which as the poster noted is often impossible at lower altitudes in rural areas. I will point out that you don't need radar service even when crossing the ADIZ, say entering from Mexico or the Bahamas. You can get a discrete transponder code from FSS a hundred miles out and maintain a listening watch on their frequency.
When I just did a pretend briefing for a flight from Seattle to Vancouver, I did not see that old NOTAM come up, so maybe it's been canceled. I have not flown internationally since pre-COVID, so that may have happened some time ago.
So to summarize, you don't need to follow ADIZ rules, and you should carefully check the NOTAMS for an international flight with attention to the exact wording.

Jon