Hey guys, need some help. I am ferrying a plane from Anchorage to MN on straight floats. Last couple of times I have come up the coast, but, this time the lakes in Canada shouldn't be frozen so I would like to make the trip a little shorter by going down the trench or similar route.

1. I think I can do Canadian customs on the river in Whitehorse. Confirmation?
2. Where can I do US customs on floats? NoDak? MT? MN?
3. Cool places to stop for fuel or overnighting?

Any help or resources would be greatly appreciated.

Crane Lake or maybe International Falls both in Minnesota

What kind of range do you have? Not much for water in Alberta, but Saskatchewan is better, if you wanted to cut diagonal across the prairies. I don't know much about the trench route so can't comment on it. Sorry.

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You can clear customs on straight floats in MN at Baudette, International Falls, or Crane Lake. Gas is available on the dock in Crane Lake and you call a fuel truck down at the others. Crane Lake is the only place that you don't have to call customs 1 or 2 hours ahead of time, you can just show up.

If you do customs at Crane Lake anounce on ctaf you're coming in for customs not customs and fuel.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11bE ... sp=sharing

This is the route we will be flying in about 10 days. Allegan Michigan to Lake Hood Alaska, we are spending about a month out there to do some hunting. We just called ahead to all the stops to confirm they had fuel available. We have a range of 400sm on the main tanks (55 gal usable) and will have another 33 gal in the floats as a backup. We will be flying a 182D on straight EDO 2960's.

Here is a better link

Bhawk wrote:If you do customs at Crane Lake anounce on ctaf you're coming in for customs not customs and fuel.

What happens if you announce you're coming for both?

Bhawk wrote:You can clear customs on straight floats in MN at Baudette, International Falls, or Crane Lake. Gas is available on the dock in Crane Lake and you call a fuel truck down at the others. Crane Lake is the only place that you don't have to call customs 1 or 2 hours ahead of time, you can just show up.

If you do customs at Crane Lake anounce on ctaf you're coming in for customs not customs and fuel.

I believe this is wrong and will get you in hot water. You must call Canadian customs before entry. 2 hours I believe.

Going to US after eapis and flight plan you have to call the airport of entry. I know of a flight of three leaving Whitehorse to somewhere in Alaska. Did not call after eapis and flight plan. Fine was $5,000 times three. That was about a year ago.

Although I have experienced laid back customs officials they are not the norm. I would phone.


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Precisely why I switched from straight floats to amphibs!

Charlie Lake near Fort Saint John I've bought from four times. Expensive, but glad it's available. Takes credit cards. Call ahead to be sure fuel is available.

I can't say for sure that you'll get fuel on the water in Watson Lake, but it's actually not far from the pumps to the water if you have Gerry cans. Many trips! Have cash handy in case a better option presents itself. No credit cards accepted except at the runway pump.

Fort Nelson. Make sure you have prior arrangements for Parker Lake. The refuelled isn't fond of going out there. May take some coaxing, and he'll want compensation for his travel time. Call ahead to make sure they'll go. I'm not even sure their airport truck is street legal. I've looked at the river down by the bridge just NE of the airport. My skills don't allow me to judge the suitability, but it's closer to the airport, and they'd be more likely to sneak the truck down there? Maybe?

skywgnyqa wrote:

Bhawk wrote:You can clear customs on straight floats in MN at Baudette, International Falls, or Crane Lake. Gas is available on the dock in Crane Lake and you call a fuel truck down at the others. Crane Lake is the only place that you don't have to call customs 1 or 2 hours ahead of time, you can just show up.

If you do customs at Crane Lake anounce on ctaf you're coming in for customs not customs and fuel.

I believe this is wrong and will get you in hot water. You must call Canadian customs before entry. 2 hours I believe.

Going to US after eapis and flight plan you have to call the airport of entry. I know of a flight of three leaving Whitehorse to somewhere in Alaska. Did not call after eapis and flight plan. Fine was $5,000 times three. That was about a year ago.

Although I have experienced laid back customs officials they are not the norm. I would phone.


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You do not have to call in ahead of time to Canada, or US Customs on Crane lake, just announce on the radio you are coming in. I have done it many times, it is the exception to the rule, nothing to do with who the Customs officers are, you do still have to contact eapis.

Steve

Long story short, at Crane Lake on the American side if you say on ctaf "coming in for customs and fuel" the customs agent won't acknowledge on the radio and when you show up at the dock you will get informed by the agent that your supposed to just say "inbound for customs". I think this just appplies for only one agent that works there and the rest who fill in don't care.

When are your planned travel dates?

We are in Fort Nelson at CBL3. Will be here for the rest of the month then in the Yukon for the better part of September. We can certainly pick you up at Parker Lake and get you to some fuel with jerry cans if nothing else. I believe the fellows at Tims Air Maintenance at the Fort Nelson airport had a tidy tank in a pickup and were delivering fuel to float planes at one time. I will inquire if they are still doing that.

If you are camping, we have a place at Carcross, Yukon you can pull up to on floats. The camping options at Whitehorse for aircraft on floats or wheels, are limited. Most welcome to camp out there. Just let me know and I will advise the folks looking after things up there.

Rod
UpNorth

Crane Lake for Customs (and fuel

Sand Point

Unless policy has changed..
Radio calling intentions to Crane Lk customs is only 1/2 of it. Sand Point Canada is different.
Customs must acknowledge before you land. We were scolded and threatened with a $5000 fine for landing after trying for 1/2 hour.
Another pilot at the dock heard us trying to get John on the radio, but he wasn't near the radio. OneTime we landed north after trying US customs radio and tried a cell phone as well but no joy.

Well, the gig fell through which was okay. I picked up a bunch of hunting charters into the second week of October and the owner didn't want to wait that long, so he put it on wheels.

Too bad it would have been a fun trip and a cool airplane. The tough part of that plane was that it only had three hours of fuel in the tanks, 2.5 hours with my reserve (and I hate only 30 minutes reserve). So I would have found lakes along the way to fuel up with jerry cans.

Thanks for the ideas and fly safe everyone.