Canadian pilot posts ILLEGAL flight into US on OLC

On Wednesday, July 24, 2019 at 7:22:27 PM UTC-7, 2G wrote:
This pilot made a DEEP entry into the US w/o, apparently, following the laws of the US:

Sorry, I should resist but I cannot.

This thread could be both amusing and informative, and well worth while. Unfortunately, the original poster is so keen to defend his error.

Every day, Westjet takes off from Vancouver and flies to Puerto Vallarta. For one example amongst hundreds. Every day. Clearly, there is some legal mechanism to do that. There is no doubt in my mind Chester has an understanding of the mechanisms and rules applicable to what he specifically is doing.

Should a passenger have a medical emergency on that Westjet flight, it will land in the U.S. not at the closest point of entry. Clearly, this is some legal mechanism to sort that out after the fact. Chester would be able to defend a landing as an emergency, given it would happen only with both a radical change in weather conditions and an engine failure.

On Friday, July 26, 2019 at 1:56:17 PM UTC-7, Bruce Friesen wrote:
On Wednesday, July 24, 2019 at 7:22:27 PM UTC-7, 2G wrote:
This pilot made a DEEP entry into the US w/o, apparently, following the laws of the US:

Sorry, I should resist but I cannot.

This thread could be both amusing and informative, and well worth while. Unfortunately, the original poster is so keen to defend his error.

Every day, Westjet takes off from Vancouver and flies to Puerto Vallarta. For one example amongst hundreds. Every day. Clearly, there is some legal mechanism to do that. There is no doubt in my mind Chester has an understanding of the mechanisms and rules applicable to what he specifically is doing.

Should a passenger have a medical emergency on that Westjet flight, it will land in the U.S. not at the closest point of entry. Clearly, this is some legal mechanism to sort that out after the fact. Chester would be able to defend a landing as an emergency, given it would happen only with both a radical change in weather conditions and an engine failure.

I will concede that Chester's flight WAS NOT illegal, as I stated in the title. I did get a call-back from the Spokane FSDO, and it was pretty anti-climatic; they merely referred me to an AOPA webpage (which is pretty informative and is much better than the FAA's):

https://www.aopa.org/travel/international-travel/canada

It does mention not having to file an eAPIS, but no relief from the other requirements, if a flight that originates and ends at US airports, but crosses into Canadian airspace. It does not refer to the reverse situation, which would be Chester's case. The medical emergency you describe is bona fide; I am not as sure about Chester's case, which most likely would be weather related. And it would depend totally on which officer you had to deal with. Personally, I would not take the risk for this reason alone.

Tom

Our posts crossed in the ether. I give you partial credit for a partial admission. That you needed to soften the blow to your ego with the qualifier afterwards kind of makes it sound a little half-hearted, but I’ll count it as progress. Congrats.

Andy

From some of the discussion here could I have just continued into Mexican airspace yesterday? I had 2 chances.
https://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-3....l?dsId=7445891
A few years ago we had a pilot followed back to Warner Springs By the feds (don't remember who) for flying into Mexico. His data logger showed He didn't.
If you fly at Jacumba (see Soaring July 2019) the south end of the ridge is in Mexico so every ridge flight is international. Been there, done that, maybe.
I know someone who has been into Mexico legally after talking with ATC and some who have been way into Mexico not so legal. Is going into Mexico different than crossing the border north or southbound? Different with our current POTUS?
Steve

Depends Steve...are you seeking asylum

On Saturday, July 27, 2019 at 7:47:13 PM UTC-7, Steve Bralla wrote:
From some of the discussion here could I have just continued into Mexican airspace yesterday? I had 2 chances.
https://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-3....l?dsId=7445891
A few years ago we had a pilot followed back to Warner Springs By the feds (don't remember who) for flying into Mexico. His data logger showed He didn't.
If you fly at Jacumba (see Soaring July 2019) the south end of the ridge is in Mexico so every ridge flight is international. Been there, done that, maybe.
I know someone who has been into Mexico legally after talking with ATC and some who have been way into Mexico not so legal. Is going into Mexico different than crossing the border north or southbound? Different with our current POTUS?
Steve

I believe the same US aviation laws apply to Mexico as Canada (at least I haven't seen any that are country specific). If anything, the southern border is MUCH more monitored than the northern, as that is where the bulk of the smuggling is happening. There is virtually no soaring done in Mexico, however. Here are the requirements for legally flying across the border:
https://www.aopa.org/travel/international-travel/mexico
http://azpilots.org/images/events/We...s-feb-2016.pdf

Southern border rules are totally different than Canadian border.

It'll be a while before Chester gets good enough to reach Mexican airspace.

Then he can tell us how to do it legally.