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en route stops, with slightly different
experiences and charges. AOPA has a
great flight guide that you should read
prior to crossing the border.
I have flown to about 50 countries,
including a flight to Europe in 1985. I
have always had a reasonably good
experience and been prepared for
most eventualities. My friend Jack
coached me for our recent trip because
I had been discouraged from going
the past several years. I feel that U.S.
Homeland Security requirements do
little to enhance border security but
do make a trip to Mexico by a citizen
doing legal activities more difficult.
Summarizing, I spent about 20 hours
preparing but it could be done in less
time; the main issues and approximate
cost are listed (based upon 12.5 pesos
per dollar) in Table A.
Items (a) through (f) must be completed
before departure. It is mandatory
to do some basic planning like
making sure your passport (and those
www.bonanza.org
of your passengers) are in order, and
double checking that all your pilot and
the aircraft documents are current
(this includes pilot’s certificate, medical,
airworthiness certificate, registration,
and aircraft radio station license).
As you can imagine, flying across the
U.S. border to a foreign country is not
like jumping in the plane and flying to
another state!
It is handy to get a copy of everyone’s
passport front page because that
information is needed to complete
your eAPIS (item b) manifest. The
manifest also includes pilot and
aircraft data, as well as details on point
of departure/destination/times and the
same data returning. It was easy to find
the DHS website and read the laws,
but filing in the e-data was difficult
and time consuming for me (I am a
retired rocket scientist but not up to
date with all computer procedures).
Fortunately, the pages I filled in
were saved to my computer until I
came back to finish. After you email
the manifests, one leaving and one
returning to the U.S., you will receive
an acknowledgement (presumably
that it is approved). Problem is, there
is a total disconnect between your
FAA flight plan and U.S. Customs - any
deviation in the filed Customs manifest
and your actual performance will get
you arrested and fined $5,000; more
on that following.
Items (g) through (j) need not be
planned except as a part of your border
crossing flight plan, which can be
opened in the usual ways: e.g., with
the tower if departing an airport with
a control tower, or by radio with Flight
Service after airborne. In Mexico, unlike
the U.S. that requires you to enter at
the nearest approved border crossing
airport, you may proceed to any airport
of entry. However, you are at risk with
Mexican officials should you make an
unplanned landing on the way to the
flight planned airport of entry.
Volume 13 • Number 1 AMERICAN BONANZA SOCIETY 53