Customs Idiots

[Fblowjets]

I had a fly over permit last year to cross the Southern Borders and land in Atlanta from the Bahamas to clear Customs. It expired so I sent in the paperwork 45 days before the trip to renew. I called 3 days before the trip for the permit, and was advised:
"Sorry your permit will not be ready till after your flight due to the ONE guy who approves these just left for vacation."

Really do we only have ONE guy that can do these??????

Anyone use (or know) a service that can get these overflight permits done that hold water with Customs?

Its too late for this trip but maybe next year.

Thanks

 

[Gulfstream 200]

I had a fly over permit last year to cross the Southern Borders and land in Atlanta from the Bahamas to clear Customs. It expired so I sent in the paperwork 45 days before the trip to renew. I called 3 days before the trip for the permit, and was advised:
"Sorry your permit will not be ready till after your flight due to the ONE guy who approves these just left for vacation."

Really do we only have ONE guy that can do these??????

Anyone use (or know) a service that can get these overflight permits done that hold water with Customs?

Its too late for this trip but maybe next year.

Thanks

Did you follow up right away after sending it in?

CBP is not the place to assume anything with LOL...I do our overflight permit, including revisions, and always document everything including names, dates, times of phone calls. They are just too unpredictable.

FWIW our overflight only took about a week to get through CBP Newark.

Also, try not to ever let it expire! - this way its easy to make revisions, often within a day.

Its an insane system.

 

[ultrarunner]

I had a fly over permit last year to cross the Southern Borders and land in Atlanta from the Bahamas to clear Customs. It expired so I sent in the paperwork 45 days before the trip to renew. I called 3 days before the trip for the permit, and was advised:
"Sorry your permit will not be ready till after your flight due to the ONE guy who approves these just left for vacation."

Really do we only have ONE guy that can do these??????

Anyone use (or know) a service that can get these overflight permits done that hold water with Customs?

Its too late for this trip but maybe next year.

Thanks

I suspect that your application may have been moved to the bottom of the pile since you had to re-apply for a BOE that had expired.

I have never had a problem getting my renewal back in a couple of weeks, but I don't let it expire. The renewal is a quick process.

A single-trip exemption application is 15 days prior. No sense or reason to us anyone else to do that for you.

If it were me, I would walk in and talk directly to your local customs agent and see if you can get a BOE for that trip directly from that office.

I have done that once via phone when I was out of the country and had trip that changed to an airport not on my BOE. However, I did have a valid BOE.

Good luck

 

[Hugh Johnson]

Did you try one of the commercial providers, Air Routing, Airinc, etc?

 

[LJ45]

Universal can get it done ASAP if needed.

 

[NCherches]

I always call 10 minutes after I fax the paperwork and get the 'officers' last name... That seems to hold them accountable for not loosing stuff. It's like anything international in this business it seems - you have to call, verify, and call to verify again to ensure things run smooth.

US Customs is always the worst part of any international flight...

 

[Fblowjets]

I have been dealing with the same officer for 2 years. I did the follow up calls, and was told over and over again that everything was going fine. The lesson here is never let it expire. Once I get it back, I am gonna hold on to it even if we dont go back.

Thanks

 

[bizjet800]

I always call 10 minutes after I fax the paperwork and get the 'officers' last name... That seems to hold them accountable for not loosing stuff. It's like anything international in this business it seems - you have to call, verify, and call to verify again to ensure things run smooth.

US Customs is always the worst part of any international flight...

You can say that again!

 

[EngineThunder]

We just received an overflight permit for 2010 for KPIT. I have a couple of questions. Is it good for our entire fleet or only the aicraft listed? Does this get me overflight into any airport with customs or is it only good for landing in Pittsburgh? I thought I had a grasp of these questions but then the customs officer in PIT gave our scheduler some verbal okays that I don't think are correct. Thanks for the help.

 

[LJ45]

We just received an overflight permit for 2010 for KPIT. I have a couple of questions. Is it good for our entire fleet or only the aicraft listed? Does this get me overflight into any airport with customs or is it only good for landing in Pittsburgh? I thought I had a grasp of these questions but then the customs officer in PIT gave our scheduler some verbal okays that I don't think are correct. Thanks for the help.

IF you read the overflight permint you have, it should answer all your questions. Did you read it? :erm:

 

[EngineThunder]

IF you read the overflight permint you have, it should answer all your questions. Did you read it? :erm:

Read it, why would I do that? We received an approval letter stating we were approved for the overflight for 2010. The customs officer then said some things to our dispatcher that made us wonder. He was claiming it was good for our entire fleet which is not what the letter states. He just said some things that contradicted some of the things in the overflight.

 

[LJ45]

Read it, why would I do that? We received an approval letter stating we were approved for the overflight for 2010. The customs officer then said some things to our dispatcher that made us wonder. He was claiming it was good for our entire fleet which is not what the letter states. He just said some things that contradicted some of the things in the overflight.

The letter/permit shows what airports, airplanes, crew and passengers you can use...etc. you are kidding ...right? you really have no clue, and you would trust what someone said vs. what you have in writing?

 

[ultrarunner]

LJ45 is correct. The hard copy of the permit is specific! It lists primary passengers, approved crew members and approved airports.

It also tells you how long it is valid for.

It also tells you that it is ONLY valid for overflight provided at least ONE of the primary passengers is on board. You try to use it with no one in back...bzzzz...deep doo doo!

It it also AIRCRAFT specific. If it is for a fleet, it will list ALL the aircraft.

I would really recommend you take a look at it. You can get in some serious trouble with CBP if you do not adhere to what that permit outlines.

And you need it on board! It does not happen often, and maybe less now with eAPIS, but flight crews have been asked to produce it.

Additionally, it is quite typical for CBP to included several surrounding AOE airports in addition to the specific airport you request. I.E, when you request TEB, you get EWR, JFK, LGA and HPN and SWF.

But, as LJ45 said, you need your hard copy and READ IT. Anyone that blasts off on verbal intel from someone way down in the food-chain, is just asking for trouble!

 

[EngineThunder]

The letter/permit shows what airports, airplanes, crew and passengers you can use...etc. you are kidding ...right? you really have no clue, and you would trust what someone said vs. what you have in writing?

Sorry Mr. Gold Seal CFI smart ass. This a new area for me and my company. I read it and get it but was just shocked at some of comments that the customs agent mentioned. We have not used these before because we have too many changes at the last minute which makes overflight permits difficult to arrange. Sorry for bothering everyone.

 

[LJ45]

Sorry Mr. Gold Seal CFI smart ass. This a new area for me and my company. I read it and get it but was just shocked at some of comments that the customs agent mentioned. We have not used these before because we have too many changes at the last minute which makes overflight permits difficult to arrange. Sorry for bothering everyone.

Well, if you spend more time reading, instead of calling people names and write your questions better,then you might get better answers. Sorry I gave you any help, I will not in the future. Now who were you calling an Idiot?

 

[EngineThunder]

Well, if you spend more time reading, instead of calling people names and write your questions better,then you might get better answers. Sorry I gave you any help, I will not in the future. Now who were you calling an Idiot?

Sorry Mr. Know-It-All,
I don't possess as much Cessna and Piper experience as you do. I am glad you can read as I called you a smart ass not an idiot.

 

[LJ45]

...........ignore

 

[EngineThunder]

still lacking comprehension skills I see...what was the title of your post?

You sure have flown a lot of different airplanes. Is that because you are such a treat to fly with that you have to get a new job every couple of years or so?

 

[LJ45]

You sure have flown a lot of different airplanes. Is that because you are such a treat to fly with that you have to get a new job every couple of years or so?

you might be able to get my "goat" except, I have had the same job for the last 14 years and been flying professionally for 23 years, so grow up.

I am putting you on my ignore list...so don't bother responding, as I will not see it.

 

[EngineThunder]

you might be able to get my "goat" except, I have had the same job for the last 14 years and been flying professionally for 23 years, so grow up.

I am putting you on my ignore list...so don't bother responding, as I will not see it.

I just don't understand why you had jump on my case for asking a simple question in an area that is new to me. No hard feelings. It has been a long day.