IFR over canada questions

[U-I pilot]

Ok. Considering renting a plane to fly from SE michigan to augusta, ME next month. What are things to consider if i wanted to fly IFR OVER canada to NY. Not planning to land in canada. Is it business as usual? Extra charts to buy?

I have FCC RR operators license. Does plane need a special transmitting license?
Should I just fly south around lake erie instead? (extra hour)

Any thoughts or advice appreciated.

 

[minitour]

Ok. Considering renting a plane to fly from SE michigan to augusta, ME next month. What are things to consider if i wanted to fly IFR OVER canada to NY. Not planning to land in canada. Is it business as usual? Extra charts to buy?

I have FCC RR operators license. Does plane need a special transmitting license?
Should I just fly south around lake erie instead? (extra hour)

Any thoughts or advice appreciated.

Seems like the extra hour might be worth it, eh?

 

[350DRIVER]

In the unlikely event of encountering a mx issue during that one hour enroute while over Canadah it just might be a good idea to have some charts and plates onboard should you need to land the aircraft on their soil. Seems like a decent investment but that is just me. Nothing like having to get down in imc without the appropriate plates/charts onboard.

 

[minitour]

Nothing like having to get down in imc without the appropriate plates/charts onboard.

nah...I've heard tell of a "Captain I" know of cancelling in IMC while on an approach. Just ask 'em for the LOC/GS freq, call the field and ask for a contact approach...you got it made.



-mini


If I was being serious here, I would never recommend flying IFR without the approach plates in case of problems (like 350 pointed out). I'd go around Canada though...just seems like an hour isn't worth the hassle, eh?

 

[Lead Sled]

Ok. Considering renting a plane to fly from SE michigan to augusta, ME next month. What are things to consider if i wanted to fly IFR OVER canada to NY. Not planning to land in canada. Is it business as usual? Extra charts to buy?

I have FCC RR operators license. Does plane need a special transmitting license?
Should I just fly south around lake erie instead? (extra hour)

Any thoughts or advice appreciated.

I've flown up in Canada quite a bit, but we always had people in the flight department that had to deal with the monetary "issues" of flying IFR up north. It seems to me that they may hit you with some user fees if you fly in Canadian airspace.

'Sled

 

[Clutch_Cargo]

I've flown up in Canada quite a bit, but we always had people in the flight department that had to deal with the monetary "issues" of flying IFR up north. It seems to me that they may hit you with some user fees if you fly in Canadian airspace.

'Sled

I was thinking about that too 'Sled but I'm pretty sure that anything he'd be renting would be small enough to be exempt from overflight charges. Now if he'd land I'm sure there would be some fees involved but I don't know how much off hand.

cc

 

[U-I pilot]

so the consensus im getting is just go south and around to avoid any issues....thats fine. But just for future reference, are there fees associated with overflight? Any interesting ATC issues? Besides the "mx if's" is there anything else special?
Thanks

 

[Lead Sled]

so the consensus im getting is just go south and around to avoid any issues....thats fine. But just for future reference, are there fees associated with overflight? Any interesting ATC issues? Besides the "mx if's" is there anything else special?
Thanks

I believe that there are ATC and navigation fees associated with using their airspace. (This is pretty common throughout the world - we're one of the few countries where it doesn't cost to use "the system". Yes, I know we do contribute via taxes, etc. but we don't get a bill for using the system after the flight and it doesn't cost us to file a flight plan.)

Other than that, it's pretty much business as usual for IFR enroute operations. Aside from some slight phraseology differences, the only thing that you may hear is some ATC conversations taking place in French.

If it were me, I'd make a phone call or two to get the valid scoop on the user fees then, if they are a factor, I'd simply factor them into your trip costs. Deciding whether or not to fly through Canadian airspace is simply a matter of economics.

'Sled

 

[rcsimpson]

See the URL below to see the charges. I've heard that you get the bill mailed to the registered owner of the aircraft later on.

http://www.navcanada.ca/ContentDefi...idetocharges/Customer_Guide_to_Charges_en.pdf

 

[U-I pilot]

reading through that pdf i get the impression this flight would be exempt.

For foreign-registered aircraft, Quarterly Charges apply. The charge is 25% of the above Annual Charge on Canadian-registered aircraft. • A foreign-registered aircraft is charged on the basis of the first recorded arrival into a Canadian aerodrome or entry into Canadian airspace, excluding flights between two points in the U.S.

 

[HiFlyChick]

After reading that file, it certainly sounds like you wouldn't have to pay any fees unless you stop in Canada, but I agree that a phone call to NavCanada might be in order. I don't think you should fly around Canadian airspace, though - it's not like French is being spoken all of the time or the rules are all that different or anything. I'm not sure how far north you'll be, but if you end up near Toronto or Montreal's airspace, you may get vectored a little bit, but no biggie - they're quite reasonable....