Procedures for overflying the US

[charrois]

Hi everyone.

I'm hoping to do a VFR flight from Westlock, AB to Montreal (St. Hubert - CYHU) next week in my RV-10. I've done several trips down into the US now and am quite familiar with the procedure when I'm actually entering the country, but I'm hoping to do one leg (CYAG - CYAM) overflying the US along the south shore of Lake Superior without landing in the US. And after a few days at CYHU am planning to hop over to Halifax (CYHZ) overflying Maine along the way.

According to the AOPA/COPA Guide to Cross Border Operations, they state that I don't need to contact Çustoms or file an eAPIS, but merely have to have a flight plan filed and activated, a unique transponder code, and communicating with a controlling agency when I cross the border. For those who have done it before, is it really that simple? I'm not exactly sure who I'd get a transponder code from leaving CYAG since it's untowered and only a few miles from the US border... though it would seem that there may be an FSS frequency on the ground there so I'm hoping it won't be any trouble to get in touch with them to obtain one before takeoff.

Once I'm up high enough I always try to get flight following, but for this particular leg I'll probably still be fairly low while crossing the border, so I'm not altogether sure if I'll be able to raise Minneapolis Centre right away to satisfy the requirement to be communicating with a controlling agency, unless my earlier call to Winnipeg Radio (FSS) suffices.... so I may have to climb along the border to get high enough first before heading south.

Any advice from people who have done this? Thanks!

Dan

[lownslow]

Out of Fort Frances you can reach Minnie Centre on the ground if you’re about fifty yards short of the hold short line (there’s a sweet spot), otherwise you can pick them up almost immediately after you’re airborne. I think their radio tower is less than fifteen miles away.

[chipmunk]

And yup - it's that simple!

[Cessna 180]

You can also call 1-800-WX BRIEF (not 1866), select Minnesota, and ask for a transponder code for a border crossing.

[charrois]

Perfect - thanks for the advice, everyone! If Minneapolis Centre has a tower that close, there really shouldn't be any trouble getting ahold of them. And I'm quite impressed that the procedure is as simple as it is, especially as compared to actually landing in the US!

[lhalliday]

Here in Vancouver we do it all the time when we fly to Victoria and Nanaimo. File a flight plan, squawk Mode C, be in contact with ATC when you cross the border. Around here Mode C is acceptable contact; YMMV.

...laura