Heading to Baja today Gonzaga Bay to be exact. Checking in at San Felipe then 90 miles south to Alfonsinas.. Will be back Tuesday.
you can follow me on my spot. Adios

Sounds like a blast.. I used to go there a lot years ago.

Have fun Russ. Stay out of trouble!

Cheers...Rob

Glidergeek wrote:Heading to Baja today Gonzaga Bay to be exact. Checking in at San Felipe then 90 miles south to Alfonsinas.. Will be back Tuesday.
you can follow me on my spot. Adios

I just came by there a couple of days ago, have a couple of pictures of the bay, Great flight!!
Good Luck and have fun, looks like you're there right now!!

M6RV6 wrote:

Glidergeek wrote:Heading to Baja today Gonzaga Bay to be exact. Checking in at San Felipe then 90 miles south to Alfonsinas.. Will be back Tuesday.
you can follow me on my spot. Adios

I just came by there a couple of days ago, have a couple of pictures of the bay, Great flight!!
Good Luck and have fun, looks like you're there right now!!

You guys are awesome... Wish I was there too..

Wheeew....That wasn't long enough...Just got back ...let me get some clean underwear on and I'll upload some Pix

Glidergeek wrote:let me get some clean underwear on

Yikes. Hope you didn't have trouble along the way!

rw2 wrote:

Glidergeek wrote:let me get some clean underwear on

Yikes. Hope you didn't have trouble along the way!

Should have warned Russ about the water and street tacos!!

58Skylane wrote:

rw2 wrote:

Glidergeek wrote:let me get some clean underwear on

Yikes. Hope you didn't have trouble along the way!

Should have warned Russ about the water and street tacos!!

Hahaha... good one

Several of us were planning a trip down to Baja since none of us have been for several years but we found that Mexico has an APIS system in effect since the end of 2013. And, allegedly you have to have a 3rd party do the filings since it can't be done on the internet like the US eAPIS. Also, several fees involved. So, does anyone know what the scoop is---did San Felipe require anything like that when checking in?

geoedgerton wrote:Several of us were planning a trip down to Baja since none of us have been for several years but we found that Mexico has an APIS system in effect since the end of 2013. And, allegedly you have to have a 3rd party do the filings since it can't be done on the internet like the US eAPIS. Also, several fees involved. So, does anyone know what the scoop is---did San Felipe require anything like that when checking in?

We haven't seen anyone at any airport care about it for light aircraft. I've been posting updates about this here: http://www.backcountrypilot.org/forum/m ... ange-14270

But Caribbean Sky Tours is the organization you want to talk to. They have all the latest and, for something like $25 will file your APIS for you if you don't want to lose any sleep thinking that one day the mexican government is going to put a prop lock on your plane for not filing.

rw2: Thanks for the info--I read all the discussions in the link you provided and it helped put everything in perspective. We might decide to give it a try but it still seems like a lot of paper (eAPIS, APIS, entry permits etc.). The old days of just flying down there on the spur of the moment are long gone so I guess we have to adjust.

geoedgerton wrote:rw2: Thanks for the info--I read all the discussions in the link you provided and it helped put everything in perspective. We might decide to give it a try but it still seems like a lot of paper (eAPIS, APIS, entry permits etc.). The old days of just flying down there on the spur of the moment are long gone so I guess we have to adjust.

Yeah, it's like anything else in aviation, there's a learning curve and then you learn everything and wonder why everyone doesn't do it. But, yeah, there is stuff that you need to do before you go and it's stuff you don't have to do for a domestic burger run.

Ok I've sobered up Just kiddin, we had a great time south of the border, it's been about 12 years not much has changed except prices and the multi entry permit. The USA eAPIS appears more intimidating than it is and there is no Mexican APIS yet for GA. I filed my APIS on Friday for both departure and return and got a reply within a couple hours via email. Everybody recommends printing them out and carrying them with you. On Saturday I called FSS and got a briefing and filed both outgoing and return flight plans those are more critical for time than the APIS in my opinion. Sunday on the way to the AP I called for another briefing and FSS had no record of either FP nor my briefing, OK lets refile.

We departed KRIR (Flabob) about 10:30 Sunday opened the FP and moved to SoCal approach which gave us a squawk code and eventually handed us off to Tijuana approach as we crossed the border at L78. An hour and 50 minutes we landed at San Felipe Baja Norte

We were greeted by a couple of these guys, They just wanted to look in the plane and see my pilot credentials.


Then into the terminal for the fun stuff, Imigracion first fill out visa and look at passports then around the corner to FP man, then back to Imigracion man with FP he okays it and gives you tourist papers and passports back. Then back to FP man who then asks where you are going to and you have to answer with an airport/strip that has paid their permit fees. After you establish a valid destination you go to the airport cashier man who takes you pesos for annual permit 1,383 pesos, landing fee 72 pesos and 89 liters of 100LL @ 19 pesos per.

OK 35 mins later we're on our way to Gonzaga Bay another 35 mins south. Oh ya you don't want one of these guy on your 6



If you look a little closer


This looked like a nice little hang out, Punta Bufera I think about 10 miles north of where we stayed.


Then Alfonsinos






The cantina


Needs no explanation


The water was about 75


Headin home



Back to San Felipe, going out is much easier and cheaper than coming in army guys meet us again and got pilot info. Then back into the terminal to get a new FP back into Calexico. My ETA was 1300 but to be sure the FP man called FSS in the USA for me and I verified that I had a valid FP and I also amendment the arrival time to 1330. I can't say more for everybody at San Felipe as they were professional and polite /respectful.