I'm doing research for a script I'm writing. Check out my introductory post for more details on me and my project.

Obviously, there are regulations regarding flying across the Mexican border. Those are fairly easy to look up, and not what I'm interested in. What I want to know is what kind of measures are out there stopping people from just flying across the border? Are there radar stations set up watching for people doing just that? If a drug smuggler wanted to fly across the Mexican border in a rural area and land in a private airstrip, would he get most likely get caught or would be probably get away with it?

Assuming there are measures like radar in place, what ways around that are there? Is the old "flying under the radar" trick they always use in stories realistic? From what I understand that would mean flying within 200 or so feet of the ground where radar tends to pick up a lot of random interference and isn't good at picking out objects. What about flying through a canyon across the border? Is that plausible?

The best explanation of current procedures can be found on custom's web pages. Who you have to call, what documents you must posses and so on. In a nutshell, you have to give a projected entry time to the port of entry airport. Have all your docs, airworthiness, registration and the dreaded Customs Decal (which you must buy in advance). You land, taxi to the customs box (a painted box on the ramp) and wait for customs agents. They come and take you inside and may or may not inspect your aircraft, use a dog, or take and open every inspection panel and have the dog sniff the air in the tires peek in the fuel tanks ask you every inane question they can think of. Just depends on what they feel like at the moment. They may determine you are not a smuggler with their "Steely Gaze" technique.

As for the radar thing. The low flying thing went out in the 50's. I flew the E2C Hawkeye aircraft in the Navy. Customs has some and the airships have the same APS-120/130 radar. It does not depend on the signal return, or the blip you see in the movies. It detects its targets with AMTI, airborne moving target indicator. It only tracks targets that have a doppler shift in frequency from motion. It doesn't care if your low or high, it can track cars. The system can track 250,000 targets, if your emitting any signals, it can use those to give a unique signature identifier to your aircraft (has a passive system). So the fly under radar from movies causes the bullish!t flags fall in my eyes on every movie that uses it. I did some of the early 'see how well this system works,' flights with customs while in the Navy. We would intercept aircraft with the E2, causing a bit of surprise to the pilots flying the target aircraft, it is a big plane. They would be at 100' or so and we would be there, suddenly, 18' off their wing flying form (it is really maneuverable and fast, 350 knots). Then we would give our clever hand signals and lead them to El Centro for processing.

Customs now has everything from Cessna 210's up through Citations, E2's P3's and airships bathing the border with electronic signals. How they process all that info is the subject of another missive. Lets say their command structure and intercept procedures are run in typical government fashion; as well as the Post Office.

Sounds like an interesting adventure you have in mind. Let us know how it works out!

Oh...I missed the part about writing a script.

DEGJR

dogpilot wrote:Customs now has everything from Cessna 210's up through Citations, E2's P3's and airships bathing the border with electronic signals. How they process all that info is the subject of another missive. Lets say their command structure and intercept procedures are run in typical government fashion; as well as the Post Office.

Is the ADIZ patrolled 100% of the time and 100% of the length of the border by aircraft that have this technology? That's a big border with Mexico - and if you include the 2 ocean sides... And the canadian border, too? I always assumed it was - but practically speaking I have to doubt it.

'Greg

There's a guy in NorCal that supposedly sold planes to suspected drug runners from down south. Maybe he can chime in and direct you to the right people for that info.

Visit here: http://www.backcountrypilot.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=9417&hilit=drug

I think you need to get a hold of some established and successful drug runners that have good knowledge of what you're looking for. Most of the people on this board don't go south of the border or want the risk of loosing a good plane sneaking under the radar. If they did have knowledge of what you're looking for I'd be surprised if they posted it here. I've got a nephew that flies drug interdiction missions out of El Paso in the states and in Columbia and he wont tell me shit about what he does. Maybe Wiki Leaks can help

Anybody have Barefoot Bandits address. He can give you good advice.

Tim

Check out Baja Bush Pilots web site. They regularly cross the border with multiple planes. Probably not the kind of crossings you are interested in, but they would be familiar with some of the issues.

DEGJR

I don't think I like the direction this is heading, and I don't think we should support or even humor a guy making a movie that shows what we do in anything but a completly positive light. Maybe, just maybe, if he was making a movie about vigilante backcountry pilots who took it upon themselves to protect our borders in a post apocolispe scenario, would I be ok with some of these questions.

D.

The only thing I am expert at is best approach speed for a power off landing on I-80

Tim

a couple years ago we had a cessna stray across the border, what turned out to be about a half mile into Mexico.. He then flew north to Borego where he landed and was immediately surrounded by armed officers who ran out of the black hawk helicopter that followed him to Borego...I don't know what happened to him after he was taken into custody or his plane but it probably wasn't good... Answer your questions????... I routinely fly in the S>D> back country and I am well aware of where the line is. I don't get within a mile of it...and let me tell you several of the back country strips are watched quite closely... I know that from personal experience....but that's another story....I see you have very few posts here indicating you are a fairly new visitor to this site... what makes you think anyone on this site would be familiar with illegal border crossings by aircraft?? There are very few on here who fly Legally to Mexico and I would be fairly certain not one of us has ever flown nor will we fly illegally into that country.. I won't even drive down there legally. I might suggest that if what you say about your"script" is true you should contact the DEA or Customs... if they want you to know what they do or how to illegally cross the border they will tell you...as for info from us who enjoy flyig and the back country.... forget it. you'll get no help from us....

Another non expert here, but we routinely spray fields that border mexico, and routinely make our turns IN mexico. I can assure you that at least in this part of the world, even the lowest flying ag pilot IS under surveillance while flying close to the border, and yes they do know where you took off from, where you tracked, and where you landed. This is not new science... Radar, Supercubs, Cessnas, Blackhawks, CJs, King Airs, and even cameras in balloons... There are no ways 'around it'

It was a trend in this area over the last couple years for drug runners to try and shoot the border in ultra lights. Most got tagged by Blackhawks, or DA... guess over grossed ultralights don't fly the greatest

Beyond all that, I think I would have to agree whole heartily with DavidB.... Why give fuel to anyone wanting to paint our passion in a negative light?

I

If I were to plan on filming and produce a piece about "Flying across the Mex. border", I think it would be a good thing to contact all the PR divisions of all the authorities controlling and patrolling the borders. That way they already know who you are and what your doing. And they may even help you with your filming. I know I like watching the show "Border Wars" once in a while because they show some helicopter ops.

But what ever you film, I sure hope it's a positive light on General Aviation.

I'm not actually looking to film anything even remotely near the Mexican border so I'm not too worried about that. The film is actually going to take place primarily in Southern and Eastern Oregon and Northern California, I just want to make sure the back story is half-way plausible.

For anyone concerned about how my film portrays aviation, I'm not entirely sure what to say except that my intent isn't to portray back country aviation in any particular light at all. It's not as if I'm attempting to demonize the culture, and I can't actually imagine anyone taking it that way. IOn the contrary I've actually always been fairly interested in this stuff and had a great respect for the rugged individualism, guts, and self-sufficiency that would seem to go hand in hand with bush piloting. It both fits the rugged, adventurous aesthetic I'm going for and is necessary to advance the plot I'm writing, so at the end of the day my use of airplanes is just a plot device that will hopefully allow for some beautiful scenery. I don't really want to say much about the story but, suffice to say, there will really only ever be two planes seen flying in the film. One is piloted by law enforcement, and the other by a salty old Idahoan bush-pilot who isn't running drugs. The whole flying-across-the-Mexican-border thing is just back-story.

David West wrote:I'm not actually looking to film anything even remotely near the Mexican border so I'm not too worried about that. The film is actually going to take place primarily in Southern and Eastern Oregon and Northern California, I just want to make sure the back story is half-way plausible.

Then why ask about "Flying Across the Mexican Border"? Are you planning a trip to Mexico in a plane?

look if it were easy to do or was even being done you wouldn't see so many floating empty Panga's or hear of bails of Marijuana floating off the San diego coast..I know more than most pilots about the border having been SDPD... It's not being done nor is it doable...go through the normal channels and are you even a pilot?????

58Skylane wrote:Then why ask about "Flying Across the Mexican Border"? Are you planning a trip to Mexico in a plane?

The subject comes up in the film and if at all possible I'd like to make it sound like the characters know what they are talking about.

And no, I'm not a pilot.

figures We had you pegged at Hello....good luck see ya...

well now that you've edited your original post and inserted your introductory post a few things are explained... I'm sure your "Salty Idaho Bush Pilot" and whatever law enforcement pilots you fly with can give you more info on smuggling and illegal border busting than anyone on this forum.

Yeah I realized my post could be a little confusing without prefacing it a bit more, lol... I just hadn't wanted to completely rehash my introductory post when I first started this thread, but I think the solution I have now works OK.

Also, I was just referencing the characters I'm writing when I mentioned law enforcement and an Idahoan Bush pilot. I'm not ACTUALLY working with anyone like that right now.