U.S. to Canada and back

[andybean]

So I'm taking a flying vacation.
Flight plan as follows:
Orange County to Golds Beach Oregon to Kamploops BC (Canadian point of entry)
Retrurn
Kamloops to Spokane (US point of entry) Spokane to Cavenaugh Bay.
Cavenaugh Bay Johnson Creek 3U2 Johnson Creek to Thomas Creek 2U8 or Mackay Bar U62 Mackay Bar to KSNA Orange County.

I left out fuel stops on the longer legs but this is a short snap shot.
It will be my 13 year old son and I. We plan to camp in many of the isolated strips.

So regarding the border crossing. (input appreciated)
Eapis file (registered)
Annual border sticker (have)
All standard airplane and pilot docs (have)

Looking for feedback on the crossing going and coming from those who are experienced.
Also feedback on the Idaho airports I have listed above.

I'm flying a Turbo Arrow. Have quite a bit of experience landing on short dirt runways in Mexico. No grass experience. My plan is to start at Cavenaugh Bay which is the longest and most benign. Working my way up to Mackay or Thompson provided I do well at Cavenaugh and Johnson Creek.

 

[kath]

FCC radiooperator's license: get ($60 and you'll have it for life)
Pilot Certificate: make sure it says "English Proficiency"
Flight Plan: file, activate
Customs (CANPASS or USCBP): call ahead (that morning, say), tell them of arrival time

File the flight plan over the phone, so that you can ask the briefer any lingering questions about the procedure (like "do I need a squawk?" or "should I radio ATC/FlightService at the border?"). I found that the procedure was little different on the Alaska side than, say, the Montana side... but briefers should know these things.

--Kath

(Sounds like an awesome fun trip!)

 

[One Short]

Johnson Creek is a great place to camp and one of the easier mountain fields to fly in and out of. But remember short dirt strips on flat land is different from a strip at the bottom of a narrow canyon. Johnson Creek has some room to manuever. The strip is well maintained and realtively long and camping is right on the river.

Thomas Creek is quite a bit shorter and is mostly a one way in/one way out strip. The book says it is 2100 ft but I thoughy I remember it being 1900 ft. I haven't landed there but the canyon felt a lot tighter and the lay of the land looked like it would be more prone to turbulence issues.

Mackay U62 is different from Mackay Bar ID28. Mackay Bar ID28 is short and I think it has a blind approach. Bob Bement has been in and out several times in a 182. I have not seen Mackay U62 But Challis to the north and Arco to the south in the same canyon seemed hot and dry. (Arco had the most reasonable fuel in the area but it was a few years ago that I was there)

Another good camping area is Smiley Creek U87. It is high (7000 ft) but in a wide valley. The field is very well maintained. There is camping on the field and a small restruarant and convenience store across the street with good food and Alaskan Amber beer in bottles. :wink2: It gets cold there at night even in July. I woke up to 25F around July 4th! Smiley Creek has really nice bathrooms with showers. And if it gets too cold just throw your sleeping bag in the shower. It is heated to 50F. BTDT

Watch the fire TFR's. I noticed one in the Stanley area that would interfer with getting around in the backcountry. Sounds like a cool flight, enjoy.

Barb

 

[BillTIZ]

I'm leaving in the morning. Customs at Bellingham and Abbotsford outbound on Sunday.
You need to clear US customs outbound, and a DVFR flight plan.

If you are camping, you should have the required survival equipment on board that Canada mandates.

 

[gprellwitz]

FCC radiooperator's license: get ($60 and you'll have it for life)
Pilot Certificate: make sure it says "English Proficiency"
Flight Plan: file, activate
Customs (CANPASS or USCBP): call ahead (that morning, say), tell them of arrival time

File the flight plan over the phone, so that you can ask the briefer any lingering questions about the procedure (like "do I need a squawk?" or "should I radio ATC/FlightService at the border?"). I found that the procedure was little different on the Alaska side than, say, the Montana side... but briefers should know these things.

--Kath

(Sounds like an awesome fun trip!)

Thanks for chiming in, Kath! Long time no hear!

(For those who weren't aware, she's currently on a trip from Anchorage to the lower 48 and back solo in a 152. It's documented at http://beetlejuiceadventure.wordpress.com/)