Pre-clear customs @ St. Thomas?

[ttflyer]

We have a trip comming up to St. Thomas. We have a border overflight exemption for the return but none of the listed passengers will be on board so - no overflight. I understand you can pre-clear U.S. customs down there and over-fly Florida to our destination (which is an international airport). Does anyone have any experience / tips?

 

[ultrarunner]

Pre-clearing down there is one big FUK job right up the pooper shoot. I did it once and will NEVER do it again. Those dik-head customs folks love to go through every bag, they make sure you get dinged for duty on everything you may have bought. If you happen to be attempting to pre-clear during an airline push, you're really gonna get fuked. Could take you 2 hours.

You have to go over to the main terminal for this rape-session. They will not come over to the Gen-Av side.

And you are correct in that you cannot take advantage of the overflight exemption with none of the pax on board. The permit specifically states this.
However, if you have an excellent relationship with your local customs officer at your home base, give them a call and see if they'll give you relief. I have done this a couple of times.

Barring that, just shoot up to ILM and clear, never takes more than 15 minutes. But you've been warned about clearing in St. Thomas.

Good luck.

 

[falconpilot]

St. Thomas is a United States Virgin Island. When I flew for American Eagle down there, they didn't even make us go through customs.. I don't know about now. What about San Juan, PR. Can you clear there and go back home?

 

[Hugh Johnson]

St. Thomas is a United States Virgin Island. When I flew for American Eagle down there, they didn't even make us go through customs.. I don't know about now. What about San Juan, PR. Can you clear there and go back home?

When did you fly for the Beagle? I hired on in '96.

 

[falconpilot]

When did you fly for the Beagle? I hired on in '96.

2000 then furlouged in 01. I resigned shortly after.

 

[Seadogrun]

I pre-cleared at St. Thomas a several times, but it was a few years ago. It was mostly painless except one of the times they forgot (I guess) to forward the info to Customs on the US side so customs here thought we just taxied to the ramp.

St. Thomas is a United States Virgin Island. When I flew for American Eagle down there, they didn't even make us go through customs.. I don't know about now. What about San Juan, PR. Can you clear there and go back home?

That would work, but if it were me and I had to stop I would stop at one of the gateways in FL.

 

[Stinkbug]

Pre-clearing down there is one big FUK job right up the pooper shoot. I did it once and will NEVER do it again. Those dik-head customs folks love to go through every bag, they make sure you get dinged for duty on everything you may have bought. If you happen to be attempting to pre-clear during an airline push, you're really gonna get fuked. Could take you 2 hours.

You have to go over to the main terminal for this rape-session. They will not come over to the Gen-Av side.

And you are correct in that you cannot take advantage of the overflight exemption with none of the pax on board. The permit specifically states this.
However, if you have an excellent relationship with your local customs officer at your home base, give them a call and see if they'll give you relief. I have done this a couple of times.

Barring that, just shoot up to ILM and clear, never takes more than 15 minutes. But you've been warned about clearing in St. Thomas.

Good luck.

I have to second everything ultrarunner just said. I wouldn't recommend going that route; you're probably gonna save yourself a heap of trouble if you just plan a stop in PBI to clear customs...if you do try to pre-clear in St. Thomas tell the passengers to show up PLENTY early...the Customs agents down there do NOT move with a sense of urgency (they're Islanders, after all)

 

[CRAZY LEGS]

We have a trip comming up to St. Thomas. We have a border overflight exemption for the return but none of the listed passengers will be on board so - no overflight. I understand you can pre-clear U.S. customs down there and over-fly Florida to our destination (which is an international airport). Does anyone have any experience / tips?

Ive done it twice in the last two months. No problem either time. Elaine from the FBO is very helpful in expediting the process. Taxi from the FBO to the backside of the commercial terminal. The FBO can fuel you there as well if you'd like.

Have your passengers meet you at gate 10 at the terminal and have Elaine or someone from the FBO with you. They will have a courier standing by to load all the bags. Have your passengers fill out their gen decs and have your paris form done before you head inside. Customs will put you in a seperate line from the airline passengers but you may have to wait a few minutes depending on their workload at the time. They have an x-ray machine that they put the bags through but that was it. No harassment, both times we were in and out in ten minutes.

 

[Jurasic jets]

We just send a change to our overflight permit to customs and explain the situation they normally will turn it to us in under 48 hours and clear at home.