Hope all are having a Happy Thanksgiving.

I've got a question for all that have flown to Alaska From Washington state. If you leave from 0S9, Pt. Townsend WA (or that area) and have a range of 550-600 miles which would put you about Ketchikan AK, KTN (same or that area) and you fly over Canada what kind of flight planning or customs clearances do you have to do? If you don't land in Canada do you still have to contact there customs people?

You don't have to clear Canadian customs unless you land there. Similarly you don't have to clear us customs unless you land in Canada.

But you should be prepared to in case you end up landing there anyway be it a bowel emergency to a weather one

Depending on your route you may have specific flight plan or communication requirements.

No customs required if you are only going to overfly Canada, but you do need to be on a flight plan, which will be handed off to Canadian flight services, then back to FSS in Alaska. Do you have that much range with an hour extra of fuel? I flew up through Canada but went to Kelowna (departed US at KOMK), then headed up and caught the Alaska Highway. I am hesitant to mess around with southeast Alaska weather and terrain in the winter without being much more familiar in nicer weather conditions.

Good luck.

Range is marginal is there a shorter route (kinda hard to shorten a straight line)? I've got 55 ga usable and figure 12 gph. That's only 3.5 hrs @ 150=600 sm. Lotta over water but kickin around mostly overland route. This would be a summer trip. And if overflying Canada do you have to have a 406 ELT

You don't need a 406 ELT.

If you cross an ADIZ on the coastal route you need 12 inch n numbers and a DVFR flight plan filed with USFSS. If you manage to avoid the ADIZ line you will need to have a VFR flight plan filed.

You also have to comply with Canadian regs while in their airspace. This means having a modicum of knowledge about some slight differences in radio and airspace terminology (IMO though they are used to dealing with American hosers on the radio) and maintaining visual reference to the ground while VFR, no going over the top.

once&futr_alaskaflyer wrote:You don't need a 406 ELT.

If you cross an ADIZ on the coastal route you need 12 inch n numbers and a DVFR flight plan filed with USFSS. If you manage to avoid the ADIZ line you will need to have a VFR flight plan filed.

You also have to comply with Canadian regs while in their airspace. This means having a modicum of knowledge about some slight differences in radio and airspace terminology (IMO though they are used to dealing with American hosers on the radio) and maintaining visual reference to the ground while VFR, no going over the top.

So I gotta be able to say, eh, I can see the ground.

I admit I haven't taken the coastal route though I have pics of my plane's previous owner doing it (just one of several ways my plane is much more experienced at this flying thing than I am ). But if I were to do it in something with less legs than a Seneca or turbo Bonanza I would bite the bullet and just plan on a landing in Canada for fuel, stretch and reevaluation of the weather enroute. Perhaps at the northern end of Vancouver Island, or perhaps at Prince Rupert.

If so add Canpass, eapis, customs inspections and passports to your list of requirements.

You're talking my neck of the woods now.

I'd be really nervous trying it non-stop with a C180 and 55 gallons. Lots of cold water, big rocks, and tall trees to look at along the way. Seems like there is always some sort of weather, usually end up in the soup, on the deck, or both.

Port Hardy for gas, Bella Bella is a good place for a quick stop and dump some in from jerry jugs, and Prince Rupert has gas at the sea plane docks, not the airport at last report.

I personally much prefer the road, usually stop in Smithers for gas, then follow along to Terrace and Rupert, then Ketchikan for more gas and Customs. The additional time it takes is worth it in my book, just for peace of mind if nothing else.

Never had any unusual issues with US Customs, and the Canadians have always been very easy to deal with as well.

May, early to mid - June is an excellent time to do it.

gb

gbflyer wrote:I'd be really nervous trying it non-stop with a C180 and 55 gallons. Lots of cold water, big rocks, and tall trees

Ditto...

Gump

OK thanks for the input. I'll look at a more inland route with about 3-3.5 hr legs. I'm not afraid of those Canadians I can get along with them.

Is SE Alaska your destination? Or did you pick Ketchikan because it might get you through without customs stops? If you are headed further in than just SE, once you land in Canada it doesn't really matter if you are there for a day or a week, and you have lots of options of getting through. Makes it easier to take what the weather gives you. And it is beautiful country, as is Alaska.

Having flown around southeast Alaska for the last 38 years experiencing the low clouds, high winds, and fast changing weather, especially in the winter time, it gives me the shivers to think of flying from the lower-48 with a single tank of gas in a 180 and having to contend with the tall trees, frigid waters, absence of landing sites, and precipitous terrain -- just to get to Ketchikan.

I've worked in Ketchikan flying a Beaver on floats. I wouldn't even consider flying the coast with out a lot of outs for weather. It changes fast the freezing levels are low and the rocks are hard. Landing areas are few and far between even on floats. That said it is beautiful when you can see it. Check weather and remember that there aren't many reporting points along the way. The weather can be reported good at the stations and impassable in between. Don't plan on arriving out of gas with no where to go because the weather just went down.

DJ

This past June I had planned on flying back to BC from Anchorage to Cordova, Juneau, Sitka, Port Alexander, Ketchikan and doing some Forest Service cabin camping on the way BUT after waiting 4 days in Anchorage for weather to improve on the coast, we decided to retrace our route thru the Yukon, Whitehorse, Tatoga Lake and home.

We had previously taken a small cruise ship from Juneau to Ketchikan so we had one look at this beautiful coast. We decided that if we couldn't have good visibility it wouldn't be fun to fly this route and the thought of scud running, even on floats, was something we chose not to consider. At least for now, there is always next summer. FF