Ontario CYZR and CYKM PIREPS Please

[MickYoumans]

It looks like I will be doing some consulting work for Bruce Power in Kincardine Ontario Canada after my current project finishes this fall. I have been to the AOPA website and reviewed the Customs checklists for flying into Canada and back into the US. This will be my first experience flying GA into Canada. I will be flying into CYZR Sarnia to clear customs then up the coast of Lake Huron to Kincardine CYKM. My first couple of trips I plan to fly commercially into Toronto since it will be winter. Hopefully by Spring and after I get a little more comfortable with that area of Ontario, I would like to start flying my own plane to Kincardine to avoid the commercial flying hastles. Any first hand information you can give me about CYZR, CYKM and dealing with Customs is appreciated. Do they have temporary hangars available in Kincardine. I don't need a hangar full time since I will primarialy be working from home and only fly up a couple of times a month for meetings. I will only need a hangar for a couple of nights each trip. When does the winter weather and snow usually let up enough for GA flights to get in and out?

 

[GRG55]

It looks like I will be doing some consulting work for Bruce Power in Kincardine Ontario Canada after my current project finishes this fall...When does the winter weather and snow usually let up enough for GA flights to get in and out?

Between July 1 and July 4 is usually pretty safe. Outside of that all bets are off. This is The Great Frozen White North we are dealing with after all.

There was another recent thread or two about flying across the border. Procedures not that difficult. You will need to file an eAPIS with USA authorities for both departure and return flight -its an electronic flight manifest. If you have not set up an online account to file these suggest you do that before you need it.

Telephone Canada Customs to let them know your arrival plans after filing the eAPIS. No usually much more than that.

 

[mondtster]

If you read and follow the AOPA website's instructions for customs you're set. It's pretty easy and odds are good that you're not going to see a Canadian customs agent upon arrival. They'll just give you a confirmation number.

I've cleared customs in Sarnia before. There's not much there but there is an FBO and they do have fuel.

 

[pilot_pat]

Suggest getting "CANPASS for Private Aircraft"; CYKM is a CANPASS entry airport and you should be able to go direct there once set up. CYKM likely will have some limited hangar space depending on time of year. PM me for details.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

I used to live near Kincardine and had a plane tied out - decades ago.
I have flown into Kinc. from Texas several years ago.
I visited last summer and the airport was its usual same self.
Beautiful place, summer weather is typically halcyonic. Occasional spells of low clouds & rain ie a few days.
Winter varies from sunny/cold/clear to blinding horizontal snowstorms with roads closed for a few days.

 

[MickYoumans]

Suggest getting "CANPASS for Private Aircraft"; CYKM is a CANPASS entry airport and you should be able to go direct there once set up. CYKM likely will have some limited hangar space depending on time of year. PM me for details.

I will look into the CANPASS. I read a little about it on the AOPA website. Sounds like a pretty hastle free way to come and go across the border. As time gets closer I will talk more with you about hangar availability.

Thanks for all of the replys everyone!

 

[mondtster]

I will look into the CANPASS. I read a little about it on the AOPA website. Sounds like a pretty hastle free way to come and go across the border. As time gets closer I will talk more with you about hangar availability.

Thanks for all of the replys everyone!

The normal crossing procedure is easy too. When I was looking into canpass it seemed to me that the real benefit was if you were going to be crossing the border on a regular basis. An occasional trip didn't seem like it was worth the effort to me.