I am getting prepared to make my first trip from the lower 48 up to Alaska both as an adventure and to attend the float flying school in moose pass written about here by another member. I am a bit intimidated by the prospect of flying either through or over canada and wondered if some of you that have expierience with this trip would share with me what is required to fly over (Seattle to Ketchikan) or through ( same route or Highway route) canada. Who do I need to contact? What kind of flight plan do I need to get to fly over canada? What documentation do i need to fly in canada and clear customs? I am also worried about the weather on the coastal route. I have the range to make the jump to ketchikan if the winds arent in my face but i am worried about the rainy weather of that part of the world. ANY advice on any aspect of this trip will be greatly appreciated.

Thnaks
Renegade

If you call your local FISDO they will send you a nice fly Canada info pack. The only hang up I have had in the past with any Canada trips was the radio licence requirement on the US form.

Renegade,

No sweat, the only hassles on that route can be weather.

First, I would NOT on wheels, take the coastal route. Weather is VERY iffy, and, while you might get through, you're apt to be really low over a LOT of very cold water. I would NEVER recommend flying the coastal route on wheels. There are only a few places to land out there.

Second, you have to be on a Defense Flight plan (ADCUS) flight plan, entering Canada, and again entering the US. ADCUS means advise Customs, but the irony is that you still have to call Customs ahead of time, and let them know you're coming, and where you're going to land AT LEAST an hour ahead of time, but no more than 23 hours.

NO HANDGUNS in Canada, so don't even think about it. Long guns have to be at least 18 inch (I believe) barrel length. Guns are about the only thing that will get Canada Customs' underwear in a knot.

Pets have to have a health certificate from a vet that's within 2 weeks of entry into Canada, I believe.

Going into Canada, the canpass system works fine. Half the time, they never even come out to inspect you. You taxi up, per tower instructions to a phone booth, pick up a phone, and voila, they give you a travel number. Write it down.

Going into the US (and Northway would be my choice) STAY in the plane till you're told to get out. US Customs are a little more "Tight" than their Canadian counterparts.

From Texas, I'd head up through the mid part of the country, direct to Great Falls, MT. Holman Aviation are great folks there. From there, Calgary, Red Deer, etc. Then up to Ft St. John, Ft. Nelson. From Fort Nelson, the next stop is Watson Lake. There isn't much between, and it's 200 miles. There is a little wayside on the Alaska Highway called Toad RIver, BC, with an airstrip, hotel, cafe. Nice folks. Strip is noted as private on charts, but if you buy a cup of coffee, its' all yours.

Watson Lake to Whitehorse. Whitehorse has a pilot "hostel" right in the main building-cheap and generally not full. Whitehorse, follow the Alaska Highway to Northway, to clear US Customs. There's fuel at ORT and a restaurant as well. Friendly place.

You will be required to file flight plans while in Canada. There are a few different flight rules in Canada as well, but flight plans are the biggy.

After you return home, you'll get a bill from Nav Canada, for $26 or something for services, as in flight plans, weather briefings, etc.

AOPA has a members area link to flying to Alaska as well, with phone numbers, etc.

You have to have evidence of liability insurance in Canda as well, though I've never been asked to see it.

Now, once you're in Alaska, that's another story.

MTV

Oops, failed to mention--there's an Alaska Highway VFR chart available from NOS. Get one, it'll save buying a half dozen charts for the highway route, and that's the route that makes most sense from TX.

MTV

We just attempted to go through this...

Make sure you have a transponder. In spite of the promised 7 day turn around on the web-site, we did not receive our wavers for non-transponder aircraft from the TSA (or even a response).

Canpass takes 5-6 weeks (their web-promise was for 14 days turn around). They did respond, apologize and promise to do everything possible to facilitate our border crossing.

There are several great web sites available with wonderful suggestions.

http://cirruspilots.org/public/alaska/Section%20One.htm


http://philip.greenspun.com/flying/alaska

http://www.alaska.net/~maeco/convweb/FlyingToAlaska.html

http://www.flynorth.com/

Make sure you order the Alaska Pilot's association logbook...

Our trip was canceled at the last minute, but I still admit I had a great time planing and thinking through the entire thing. Now next year, I'm gone!! Ralph

From what I understand you do not have to sign up for canpass in order to cross the border? Or do you? My planned border crossing is in about two weeks and I hope I havent waited too long.

Regarding that float operator in Moose Pass, make sure you have an exact price for services agreed on before you show up.

Last year I arranged a charter from Seward to an outlaying island for $1000 through another outfitter. Upon arriving in Seward I learned that my outfitters' wife had become sick and he was unable to fly. The only other part 135 operator was based in Moose Pass (and ya, he has a float school). Upon hearing that his only competition was out of service, the rates promptly went up. Way up. What Pilot A was willing to do for a $1000, Moose Pass decided to charge $4800!!!!!

This was for the exact same plane (206 on floats). The other difference is that Pilot A was guaranteeing the rate...if weather turned him around when he tried to pick us up and he had to come back another day, the price was the same. Moose Pass made it clear that we would pay for every tenth of an hour flown whether they got in to get us or not.

Maybe I had a pretty good deal through the first outfitter, but Moose Pass saw that I had a limited amount of time to spend, a FS cabin already reserved, and no other options for transportation. He then "adjusted" his charter rates and smugly suggested that if I didn't like it I could spend my vacation sitting in Seward. Then he learned I was a pilot and tried to get me to enrol in his flight school!!

None of the locals seemed at all surprised at his behaver, nor did any of them have anything particularly good to say about him. I thought he was a egotistical ass, but then again I wasn't feeling very charitable towards him while he held my vacation hostage.

On the plus side I talked to several of his instructing pilots and found them to be polite, professional and seemingly very competent.

How he runs his flight school I don't know, but I'd get everything in clear writing before I made the trip.

Renegade,

No, you do NOT have to do Canpass. Just fly to an approved port of entry, and clear.

MTV

Renegade,
When are you going? I'm going the first of July or so. I will be going through Montanna. I would like company if it fit's your plans.

US customs will also sell you a nice customs sticker when you re-enter the US for $25.

make sure you have your current medical and license with you. some canadian airports want to see your pilots license before they will escort you back to the ramp where your airplane is being held hostage. also need your current US registration.
i went through cut bank MT and cleared customs at lethbridge AB. seemed like a good route.

its not a bad experience by any means. have fun getting here. and bring a fishin' pole

Thanks for the advice everybody. I am still a little anxious but much better informed. I will also be making the trip arround July 1. What kind of plane do you have? Have you made the trip before? I am not exactly shure of my route but I am open to suggestions.

Renegade,

Again, unless you have horrendous range on your airplane, stick to the Alaska Highway route. It's really the only one that makes much sense from TX anyway. Longest legs without fuel are Ft. Nelson to Watson Lk, about 200 miles, and Watson Lk to Whitehorse. On that route, there are a few small strips along the highway, and in a pinch you can land on the road.

The Trench is the other inland route, VERY long distance with no fuel, and starts further west. There are one or two places to land in there as well, but its a long haul without fuel stops.

The coastal route isn't even worth considering if you're on wheels, in my opinion.

I spent way too much time over cold water in single engine airplanes to even think of doing that for fun or vacation.

MTV

mtv wrote:Renegade,

Again, unless you have horrendous range on your airplane, stick to the Alaska Highway route. It's really the only one that makes much sense from TX anyway. Longest legs without fuel are Ft. Nelson to Watson Lk, about 200 miles, and Watson Lk to Whitehorse. On that route, there are a few small strips along the highway, and in a pinch you can land on the road.

The Trench is the other inland route, VERY long distance with no fuel, and starts further west. There are one or two places to land in there as well, but its a long haul without fuel stops.

The coastal route isn't even worth considering if you're on wheels, in my opinion.

I spent way too much time over cold water in single engine airplanes to even think of doing that for fun or vacation.

MTV

You have definately convinced me that the coastal route is a bad idea. I am now looking into the two other routes that you described. They shure seem like the long way arround but it is better to be safe than sorry. The husky has a range on paper of arround 800 stature miles. I have personally made a couple trips of about 600 miles but I (and my bladder) are more comfortable with legs in the 300-400 mile range. I am looking for more info on "the trench" as it seems to be a shorter distance. Is this the valley that goes through Fairmount, Invermere, Golden, Prince George, makenzie and so fourth? I will be making a stop in Idaho falls and that will be my jumping off point.

I really appreciate all the advice.
Renegade

Renegade wrote:Thanks for the advice everybody. I am still a little anxious but much better informed. I will also be making the trip arround July 1. What kind of plane do you have? Have you made the trip before? I am not exactly shure of my route but I am open to suggestions.

I have an M-6 Maule. I will be going the Highway route. I'm taking the whole family, so safety is an issue for me, and I've been told by many the Highway route has the best scenery and is the safest. There is a Maule fly-in in Valier Mt. (7S7) the 30th and the 1st. I plan on leaving from there. I'm sure you would be welcome there. I have not gone to Alaska before, I plan on talking to many that have at that fly-in and make any last minute adjustments then.

Renegade,

How many hours in flying time do you estimate it'll take to get there from Dallas?

Renegade and A64,
Maybe I will run into you guys along the way. I'm planning on leaving New Jersey on June 30, heading for Cutbank and going the Alaska Highway route, just like I did last summer. It's a lot of fun, and very scenic (and by far the shortest coming from the east coast, and with better weather).

The longest leg you will have is from Whitehorse to Northway (~230 NM). This is because there is no gas at Haines Junction, unlike in the past. Unless you can get a ride into town for autogas. Of course, I'm assuming you fly the airway direct out of Ft Nelson to the Liard river, not following the highway exactly for that leg (in which case that may be the longest leg).

Unlike what Mike said, you CAN take handguns, but not without a lot of red tape that can take 6 months or more, and the handguns have to have barrels of at least 4.14". See
http://panda.com/canadaguns/ for more info.

See my post I wrote on the thread on supercub.org about this a couple of weeks ago:

http://www.supercub.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=13546&highlight=highway

Hope this helps.....

i followed the highway up this spring. but most of the time i was at 10K on the airways going over the canadian rockies. the weather down in the valleys was just never the best. i had a visual on the highway about half the time, and my gps had it the other half. never got much more than 30 miles from it. i did get to go down and pass some cars a few times. that's much more scenic.
VFR "on top" was my best friend, but summer weather will likely prove to be much nicer.

make sure you get a burger in northway, AK- they are great. but the fuel prices there were a little shocking

WOW!!! A fly-in at 7S7!! I have a home there but we live in Galena, AK most of the time. Most of the hangars on the field are mine except the round-top county hangar. If you need fuel, contact Luke or Jace Redd 406-279-3469 or 279-3342. I’m guessing Rick Geiger from Cut Bank organized the fly-in. Our good friends own and operate the only motel in town. Jeremy Curry and Shannon Curry. The name of the motel is Mountain Front Lodge and the telephone number is 406-279-3476 and we have contacted the owners. There are a couple of good places to eat in town. The Panther Café, located about 3 blocks north of the airport. The Lighthouse is the local dining out place and is located about a mile and a quarter west of town; you would probably need to hook a ride with someone, but Valier people are friendly!!

I’ve flown up here (AK) and back about five times in four different models of Cessnas. Here is my route. I go Valier, Springbank (just west of Calgary Intl) [to clear customs], then, depending upon legs, White Court, Grand Prairie, Ft. St. John, Ft. Nelson, Watson Lake, Whitehorse, Northway and Fairbanks. A good place to stay in Ft. Nelson is the Blue Belle Inn [1-800-663-5267] (there is a pub just across the alcan for a brew and a meal). If the weather is good I would go [I think you probably have the legs], Valier, Springbank, Whitecourt or Ft. St. John then Ft. Nelson (RON); then the next day……..Watson Lake, Northway and Fairbanks then Galena ;>)

Best…………..Buck, Galena, AK

Buck,

That'd be my strategy as well. This last spring, I cut across in crystal blue weather from Watson Lake direct to Ft. St. John. Ft Nelson weather stunk, but it was great direct. Cut off a few miles, but there is NOTHING but mountains down there for a lot of miles.

If you follow the highway through from Ft. Nelson to Watson, don't forget Toad River. It can be a handy stop eastbound if that last big pass jams you up. You can get car gas there by walking across the street. Airport is across from the motel. Cheap motel, good greasy spoon, good strip.

Just in case.

MTV

Renegade

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