IFR to Mexico

[English]

Any heads up for my first trip into Monterrey, MX? I'll be flying from Cabo to Monterrey....no handler....

 

[G100driver]

Simple:

Get a handler. If your boss says he does not want to pay for it he should not own a jet. It is much chaeaper than having his airplane picked apart by the federalias. Once you learn the system then go without a handlers.

PS Do not spend too much time on squid row!!!

 

[Sammy]

808Flyer,
The very first thing you need to do is follow this link to the Int'l. Flight Info. Manual (IFIM): http://www1.faa.gov/ats/aat/ifim/. Comply with it and you will be legal.

 

[Limeyflyer]

Watch some of those handlers. Most of them are very good ,however we had one when we went into Juarez who along with the customs agent wanted to pimp the captain out of 1600 bucks cash for not having an exit stamp from his last trip to Mexico in his passport. All our exit stamps happen to be on our flight plans given to our handlers. Just dont get jacked and mexico is all good.

 

[Swerpipe]

The cheap way...

1. File a border crossing flight plan and notify custums of when you are coming back.

2. Open the charts and file to Mexico using the Upper Tangos and Upper Julliet airways like a nice instrument student

3. After landing give immigration your paperwork, your FOs and passengers

4. Close the flight plan with the almighty "Commandante" while you slip him a $20. Also, show him your insurance and pay immigration fees (DSM)

5.When you leave go to operaciones, camandante and immigration pay fees, file the flight plan and hand out "mordidas"(ugly word for tip) to everyone who appears to threaten you.

6. Get the F%^&*@^& out of there

7. Call the flight service station about 30 minutes prior to crossing the border. I use 122.6 in San Diego

8. If you are Part 91 you will not need a bond if you are part 135 you will. Produce your certificate, medical, aircraft registration and airworthiness, your passport and your customs paperwork to the customs officer.

9.Leave your border crossing airport happy to be back!

I usually do it for 0 to 120 bucks depending on how many jerks I encounter. I usually play good cop/bad cop with my FO ( I am the bad cop) as we deal with the different personalities.

Don't sweat it, there is nothing a little dinero can't fix. I still wish I was working for someone that would pay out the $1500.00. Good luck and be careful with the senoritas....

P.S. Many airports don't have chocks. Find a rock
Many airports have the same architectural design, so you will think you have been there before even if you have not
You only need a few times to get profficient at it but you can offer 60 bucks and make a handler out of anyone

 

[dpilot_citation]

Los Mochis Mexico

We have trip to Los Mochis in Feb ...any advice on this location.

Thank You!

 

[avpro91]

Our 135 Company is pretty small 12 A/C. When we do international trips to mexico, caribbean, and SA, we do all our own planning. Looking up the customs info and filing all our own flight plans and stuff, has always seemed to work out, and not to hard to get info on what each countries req.s are. Depending on where we go, we'll get a handler for when we get there. We routinely go to Haiti and the dominican rep. without a problem.

 

[avpro91]

Oh, and swerpipe is right. DON'T GO TO MEXICO WITHOUT MEXICAN INSURANCE!!!. They don't have any problems impounding your airplane and extorting you up the a$$ to get out of the country.

 

[Hawker rider]

mexico isn't a big deal at all!

We fly lears in and out of mexico all the time with freight and air ambulance, pax a little less, but nonetheless. We started out having a handler but that ends up just being a big cost that ou don't really need, nowadays we do everything ourself, just make sure that at anycustoms office you go to, take a few papers with you to have in your airplane, make copies if you just want a bunch of empty forms. We fill them out on the flight over there, and we plan the flight just like any other flight, look up the miles in the GPS, look at the high-chart and find some airways until you hit the US border,from there just /g direct.

I have hardly ever ran into problems in Mexico, and ABSOLUTELY never went any dinero out of pocket for services that I needed. And I won't either. I need to sa that I hardly speak spanish, but you'll catch on to what they are saying in front of you soon enough.

All in all, it seems that everywhere outside the USA The (local)aviation authority and customs seem to work very close together. As opposed to the US where the FAA and the customsservice have absolutely nothing in common with eachother.