Flying VFR International

Flying
by Mike Clements

I fly to Canada occasionally and I haven’t gotten fined or arrested, nor even admonished, so I must not have done anything too terribly wrong. This isn’t covered in private pilot training, so I figured it might be helpful to share my checklists. Note: this is for VFR.

Planning (weeks ahead)

  • Passports for every person on board
  • Buy US Customs sticker and apply on pilot side airplane door
  • Create an EAPIS account
  • Have a 3rd or higher class medical (BasicMed not allowed in Canada)
  • Proof of airplane insurance (required in Canada)
  • Radio station & operator license (legally required but nobody ever asks for it)
  • Get Canadian CFS (their AFD book) and charts
  • Proof of COVID vaccination for every person on board
    • COVID tests not required as of March 2022

Pre-Flight (1-2 days ahead)

  • File EAPIS including all people on board, print and bring the email confirmation
  • Pick an Airport of entry for your first landing after crossing the border
  • Figure out where Customs is at your airport of entry (airport diagram, etc.)
  • Call customs at your airport of entry 2-48 hours before landing
  • File international flight plan in the country you’re departing
  • If in Canada returning to the US, call Flight Service an hour before your flight to get your border crossing squawk code

In-Flight

  • Before crossing border, ensure your international flight plan is activated and you are squawking a discrete border crossing code
    • In USA, when in-flight radio flight service 122.2 or nearby RCO to activate
    • In Canada, call flight service 1 hour before departing to file plan & get squawk
    • Don’t cross a border squawking VFR
  • Fly the plan to your destination airport of entry

Flying into Canada

  • Before entering Canada, contact Canadian approach or terminal
    • for example Victoria Terminal 127.8
  • In all Canadian radio communications, emphasize the “N” at the start of your tail number
  • After landing, taxi to Customs, stay inside your airplane and call Canada customs
  • They will usually clear you over the phone without an in-person visit

After flying in Canada, they will mail you a bill for ATC services. The bill has a flat calendar quarterly rate for every quarter in which you fly in Canadian airspace. For example in 2023 I flew to Canada twice, in July and August, and both trips happened to fall in the same quarter. I got a bill for $24.09.

Canada aviation regulations and procedures are similar to the US, though here are a few key differences that will help keep you out of trouble:

  • VFR flight plan required for all flights > 25 nm
    • Call to file before flight
    • Plan automatically activates at filed start time – no need to activate after takeoff
    • Must call to close plan upon landing
  • At busy airports, call clearance delivery before calling ground (even for VFR), to get your taxi/takeoff clearance and squawk code, if applicable.
  • Altitude: 10,000 – 13,000 limited to 30 mins without oxygen
  • VFR over the top is restricted
  • VFR night is restricted
  • MF: mandatory frequency; like CTAF
  • Class “E” airports (untowered) have mandatory reporting before entering their airspace
  • Monitor 126.7 continuously, en route, and make occasional position reports in the blind. Also monitored by FSS.
  • Contacts