olsen@ll-xn.ARPA (Jim Olsen) (03/05/86)
Last month, I posted a request for information on flying in Canada. I received two responses; I thank Claude and Mike. If anyone else would like to contribute, please do! --- Claude Goldsmith writes: A couple of years ago I made a summer trip to Canada. I obtained quite a complete package of data concerning their FAR's as part of a "trip kit" from Jeppeson. If you file IFR, you will find very little difference between flying here and there. AOPA is another source of info about border crossing requirements. --- Mike Taylor writes: I'm a Canadian presently living in the U.S. I suggest you contact the Department of Transport in Toronto, for example, and ask them to send you some information - they'll probably send you a copy of the AIP. Just call Directory Assistance for Toronto, area code 416, and ask for Transport Canada. If you are planning to fly a rented or other non U.S. registered aircraft, you will need a Canadian pilot's license which can be simply obtained on the basis of your U.S. license. However, you will not be able to transfer your instrument rating. If you are flying your own aircraft, of course, you can do anything you want. The main differences from the U.S. are the winter weather, much less radar coverage (remember how to do position reports and estimates?), less courteous ATC, and much less elaborate airport facilities except in the major cities. -- Jim Olsen (olsen@ll-xn.arpa) ...!{decvax,lll-crg,seismo}!ll-xn!olsen
marcum@sun.uucp (Alan Marcum) (03/05/86)
One other thing to note, which I recall from my Ann Arbor flying days of
a couple of years ago, is that VFR-on-top requires an instrument
clearance -- unlike here in the US. (This is NOT meant to start a
discussion of the merits, or lack o same, of a VFR-only pilot flying
VFR-on-top above a solid undercast.......but if it does, oh, what the heck.)
--
Alan M. Marcum Sun Microsystems, Technical Consulting
...!{dual,ihnp4}!sun!nescorna!marcum Mountain View, Californiawool@oracle.UUCP (Chris Wooldridge) (03/09/86)
In article <3327@sun.uucp>, marcum@sun.uucp (Alan Marcum) writes: > One other thing to note, which I recall from my Ann Arbor flying days of > a couple of years ago, is that VFR-on-top requires an instrument > clearance -- unlike here in the US. True. I fly a bit in Canada and can pass on the following tips: 1) Their TRSA's are MANDATORY - must have radio contact with approach (they call them "arrivals"). 2) No flying on top of cloud layers with IFR clearance (see above). 3) True courses and standard pressure (29.92) used in the North. 4) Outside of the southmost 200 miles or so, you're in what they call "sparsely settled area" - there is a list of survival gear which you must have on board and the RCMP must check it before you go. 5) Flight plans required for flights of >25nm from origin airport. 6) There's this thing called "the block airspace" - which I recall as above 10,000' in the western half of the country - in which you must operate either IFR or something called "controlled VFR". This CVFR stuff requires either an instrument rating or a special "CVFR" license for a Canadian pilot - I don't know what is required of a nonIFR US pilot. 7) Most of western Canada has no radar coverage. This makes for interesting IFR flying. Canadian radar does not decode mode c, either. 8) You'll notice the engine go into "autorough" a lot in western Canada - a lot of tall mountains (>14,000), no sign of civilization, no radar contact, and absolutely no place to put the airplane should the unspeakable occur. This is true even with the US border in sight! 9) Customs will give you a little green slip which gives you the right to fly in Canada. It is made out for your departure date - make sure you give them the latest date you may stay, else you've got to stop by another customs place for an extention. 10) I've heard, but do not know, that Quebec ATC gives you a hard time if you don't speak French. It is the one place in the world where this is so! Transport Canada has a nifty little brochure for US pilots called "Air Tourist Information - Canada" which tells you more about the above and where to get charts, etc. It's free at Canadian FSS's - at least that's where I got mine. Final note: don't be surprised to get a tiedown bill even 9 months after your visit. They rarely hit you there for tiedown, but your number ends up in their computer, they get your address from OKCity, and you get a invoice from Transport Canada asking for $6 Canadian, or whatever. They'll accept a US check in US dollars if you do the conversion right. Have a nice flight! -- Chris Wooldridge Oracle Corporation 1100 206th Avenue, N.E. Redmond, Wa. 98053 (Mooney N6213U) (206) 868-1985 {ihnp4!muuxl,hplabs}!oracle!wool
mat@amdahl.UUCP (Mike Taylor) (03/10/86)
In article <3327@sun.uucp>, marcum@sun.uucp (Alan Marcum) writes: > One other thing to note, which I recall from my Ann Arbor flying days of > a couple of years ago, is that VFR-on-top requires an instrument > clearance -- unlike here in the US. That's right. Also any flight above 9500 feet requires a clearance, although it may be conducted VFR (sort of). A non-instrument rated pilot may obtain a "block airspace" endorsement for VFR flight above 9500'. -- Mike Taylor ...!{ihnp4,hplabs,amd,sun}!amdahl!mat [ This may not reflect my opinion, let alone anyone else's. ]