Problem with TC..HELp!

THEICEMAN · Post by **THEICEMAN** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 10:37 am

I was flying from KBTV to CYHU in a C-172 a week ago. I filed the flight plan with the FSS in the U.S...1-800-wx-brief
I expected to speak with the FSS in BTV but apparently it closed.....almost all the FSS around the U.S have been moved to a central station in Georgia?

Anyways...I filed the flight to leave 1930Z and informed BTv ground about my flight to CYHu & I was ready to go...

I climbed to 4,500 with Burlington Approach (flight plan altittude) then continued to the border..

I was told to switch to montreal approach on 125.15 so I did. I made radio contact & he advised he had radar contact..
Soon after he told me to go to 3,500 & proceed to the Chambly basin.
I did, then soon after landed in CYHu for customs...

Called Canpass & cleared customs!.....5 minutes later I departed |CYHu for CSK3...home
On the way home 126.7....I called Quebec radio to close my flight plan, & they did not have one on file???
He told me that in the U.S you have to active it...

I have gone to KBTV before & usually the old FSS activated my flight plan automatically for me or other Canadians..
This time they didn't!

I arrived in CSK3 & filed a report with the FSS to cover my ass!

TC called my school today & want to know what happened?

Wuestion: Am I in Crap??

wordstwice · Post by **wordstwice** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 10:49 am

xsbank · Post by **xsbank** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 10:54 am

Naaah. Wouldn't hurt to ask FSS if they have something on you when you make contact so you can air-file or get flight following but it sounds like a reasonable error. Just explain what happened. You DID file, you just didn't follow up. Probably the fault of your school if they didn't brief you properly.

How far was it from your custom's stop to your destination? If it was under 25 miles you don't need dick.

You did all the scary stuff like filing for the trans-border stuff, the rest is just something to explain and walk away from.

Sincerely,
Mr. Blase

THEICEMAN · Post by **THEICEMAN** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 11:02 am

Thanx for the advice & will always double check for now on!
I know it's my fault too!

What I don't understand is, Montreal Approach continued my flight following south of the border..

If he had no open flight plan for my aircraft...y did he not advise me prior or even after crossing the border??

Well anyways.
I left two messages with the Transport guys...the FSS told me last week that it is no big deal...
But still..enough to worry me!

Four1oh · Post by **Four1oh** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 11:13 am

you crossed the canada/us border without an active flightplan? and the F16's weren't scrambled?

Heheh, just kidding, but seriously, how many kilos of heroin were you carrying!?

THEICEMAN · Post by **THEICEMAN** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 12:24 pm

2 kis.....just jokin

Anyways! I had flight following & flight plan going from U.S to Canada but not active.

No CF-18s!

I left three messages with the guy at Tc...hope to hear from him soon!

Cheers,
ICE

C-FABH · Post by **C-FABH** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 12:45 pm

Yes, the Americans are rather kooky like that. We managed to avoid it by filing seperate flightplans for the Canadian domestic and USA domestic legs.

Still, we flew for a good hour and a half in the states without an active plan! The guys on the phone were good enough to explain it to us after we landed.

wordstwice · Post by **wordstwice** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 12:50 pm

What I don't understand is, Montreal Approach continued my flight following south of the border..

If he had no open flight plan for my aircraft...y did he not advise me prior or even after crossing the border??

Because the Area Control Centers have nothing to do with VFR flight plans. If an aircraft calls for flight following the controller does not have any info on whether you filed a flight plan or not, its not their responsibility nor do they care. FSS cares (and US customs in this case) but the IFR controllers only care about their job which doesnt include flight planning.

Axial Flow · Post by **Axial Flow** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 1:07 pm

Reading about 5 CADORS a day with the same topic...

fatdumbandlazy · Post by **fatdumbandlazy** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 1:18 pm

xsbank wrote: Probably the fault of your school if they didn't brief you properly.

Ummm, last time I checked it was the PIC's responsibility to ensure all the proper flight planning procedures were followed, not the flight school the airplane was rented from.

All this info is easy to find on the internet. I'm going to assume from the ability to post here that access to this information is achievable.

I wonder how long it will take before enforcement starts making examples of pilots for not doing the proper due dilligence before taking off.

lilfssister · Post by **lilfssister** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 1:34 pm

http://www.tc.gc.ca/CivilAviation/publi ... ations.htm

furious george · Post by **furious george** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 1:42 pm

Ummm, last time I checked it was the PIC's responsibility to ensure all the proper flight planning procedures were followed, not the flight school the airplane was rented from.

All this info is easy to find on the internet. I'm going to assume from the ability to post here that access to this information is achievable.[/quote]

I believe ICEMAN is a CPL student. In that case the instructor supervising him should have briefed him on cross-border flying. I think that's all xs was saying although I think partially to blame may h ave been more correct. (Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on any of that)

Cheers

2milefinal · Post by **2milefinal** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 2:08 pm

I have been doing cross border charters off and on for about ten years. Most of the time things go pretty good. Put it seems just as I THINK I have it all figured out I find out or am told "no no thats not how we like to see this" or "how come you didn't do that" or "how come you did not call them" or "open that" or "close this".
Its not hard for me to believe that a 'low timer' can screw things up.
Its not like you crossed the border flying on the tree tops with your radios turned off.

fougapilot · Post by **fougapilot** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 4:28 am

furious george wrote:I believe ICEMAN is a CPL student. In that case the instructor supervising him should have briefed him on cross-border flying.

Ha!

Quite funny. How many instructor do you know are familiar with cross border procedures... Most instructors I know just give you the "Deer in the headlights" look when this topics comes.

Iceman, don't sweat it. TC called your school, the chief instructor answered a few question and was told to take a closer look at their student that fly to the USA. Don't loose any sleep on this, just learn.

US FSS/Tower will NEVER automatically open or close a VFR flight plan. Learnt that the hard way a while back myself.

Cheers,

F