Best airports for clearing Customs Seattle to Anchorage and back

[PT20J]

Planning a trip next month. Anyone with recent experience have suggestions (good or bad)?

[Peter T]

My home drome, CZBB, Boundary Bay Airport, is under Vancouver international control zone. Just north of the American border. Has Customs clearance, good along runways, fuel, a restaurant, FBO, rental car.etc. from there I would follow the coast north to PAKT, Ketchikan International, to clear customs into Alaska. Enjoy your trip  

 

 

 

[Bolter]

Can you consider the overflight without customs if you go non-stop to Ketchikan and skip the customs altogether?  

[Aerodon]

20 minutes ago, Bolter said:

Can you consider the overflight without customs if you go non-stop to Ketchikan and skip the customs altogether?  

I always clear customs as close to the border as possible (either direction) - they are not very understanding when it comes to headwinds, ATC delays and a diversion to another customs airport is almost guaranteed to throw the average customs official into a tail spin.  And having to divert to a non customs airport is likely to get you arrested nowadays.

I can think of at least 2 weather related fatal accidents where I am pretty sure the decision to press on was the lack of a customs airport.

Coming to Canada from WA state - CYYJ (Victoria) has a full time customs office and they may or may not come out to the Shell Aerocenter.  CZBB and CYXX are also pretty good, but I think Victoria might be my first choice if I were heading north.  Be sure to read up the Canada Flight Supplement (CFS) before you arrive - you are expected to know the VFR arrival and departure procedures.

 

Don

 

[amillet]

It’s been a few years but last time I flew into Canada I stopped at Abbotsford (CYXX). Called customs on the phone and got a clearance number.  No one inspected anything 

[PT20J]

I’m thinking of Abbotsford and Northway going north and Whitehorse and Bellingham headed back. Might be able to go up the coast if I get a break in the weather, but it’s frequently low scud in SE Alaska in the summer with the MEAs above the freezing level. 

[Niko182]

I've done both Delta and Abottsford. I'd personally do Delta (CZBB). More along the way. Customs at either airport will be easy.

[cliffy]

1 item I can remember was the caution to have all pax stay in the airplane until released by Customs either in person of on the phone.

Only the pilot was allowed out of the plane when I did it.

As no Customs showed at airport I had all pax stay in the MU2 until I called and they released everyone by phone.

They specifically asked where the  the pax were when I called. 

[sleeper-319]

Hey PT20J, how did the trip go? Any thoughts or recommendations you’d add to the thread? Thanks. 

[PT20J]

3 hours ago, sleeper-319 said:

Hey PT20J, how did the trip go? Any thoughts or recommendations you’d add to the thread? Thanks. 

Going north we cleared at Abbotsford and Northway. Going south, we cleared at  Whitehorse and Bellingham. Followed the US eAPIS procedures with no issue. Waited half an hour on hold for CANPASS at Abbotsford. Waited an hour in Northway for customs to arrive from the border (road construction held them up). Canadian Customs cleared us in person at Whitehorse because they happened to be there and Bellingham was uneventful. Just follow the eAPIS online filing procedures for entering and leaving the US and all goes well. US Customs will initially deny entry at Northway because they don’t want to drive the hour + from the border and will try to talk you into clearing at Fairbanks or Anchorage, but after a phone conversation they will agree. Fairbanks was out of the way and we were not sure the weather would permit going to Anchorage. Just tell them you only have fuel to make Northway - shortens the conversation. They will only meet you at Northway at 9am or 3 pm. There is a FSS at Northway staffed by Fairbanks FSS personnel on a rotating basis. 

[MattCW]

As someone who does have eventual plans to reach Alaska, why didn't you do the Ketchikan-Bellingham leg and only overfly Canada without landing/entering? I can kind of understand clearing close to the border so if you do have to divert, you're already cleared, is that the primary issue?

[Ragsf15e]

34 minutes ago, MattCW said:

As someone who does have eventual plans to reach Alaska, why didn't you do the Ketchikan-Bellingham leg and only overfly Canada without landing/entering? I can kind of understand clearing close to the border so if you do have to divert, you're already cleared, is that the primary issue?

Im interested in what @PT20J says, but I’m thinking the coastal route might have worse weather and be even less hospitable terrain than inland… water is really cold!

[PT20J]

On 3/12/2024 at 6:39 PM, MattCW said:

As someone who does have eventual plans to reach Alaska, why didn't you do the Ketchikan-Bellingham leg and only overfly Canada without landing/entering? I can kind of understand clearing close to the border so if you do have to divert, you're already cleared, is that the primary issue?

I worked as a CFI in Anchorage in 1985 and my wife and I flew to Skagway and Haines and got stuck in Haines with IFR conditions and low freezing levels for a week. I worked in Ketchikan flying Part 135 in float Beavers in 2008 and 2009 and spent a lot of time scud running under 500 foot ceilings with 1/2 mile visibility in rain fog. One year another pilot for my outfit plucked a C-210 pilot out of the icy water when he got iced up headed for Juneau and turned around and ran out of gas a mile north of the Ketchikan airport. He was in the water for only about 15 minutes and almost died of hypothermia. The weather in SE Alaska is often bad, changes rapidly and there is a lot of cold water to fly over that if you go down, you better be wearing a survival suit and even then your chances are not good.

[Ibra]

10 hours ago, MattCW said:

why didn't you do the Ketchikan-Bellingham leg and only overfly Canada without landing/entering?

Does Canada/US allow GA to Tech-Stop (like airliners when you land and get fuel while staying airside in H24 international airport with permanent staff), can one get fuel while stretching their legs airside? assuming, one complies with eAPIS, CANPASS, CBP…and sends back-to-back flight plans in big airports 

Just personal curiosity, I am based in Europe and not planing to fly to Alaska anytime soon: it’s still in the dream phase (I did NYC-Canada and Florida-Caribbean with Mrs). In France/UK, GA is not allowed to Tech-Stop like airliners, however, some airports are relaxed with it, especially, for regular pilots getting fuel without passengers 

Edited March 13, 2024 by Ibra

[Fritz1]

I did an AK trip with a M20M 6 years ago, out of Bozeman MT into Kelowna BC, called Canadian customs they said ok to get out of the airplane, non event. Overnight stops in Ft. Nelson and Whitehorse. No FBO in Whitehorse in spite of 12,000 ft runway, made friends with smoke jumpers to use their bathroom and a cart to get luggage out of the gate, we also got their key code. Back into the US in Juneau, friendly customs agent came to the airport within 20 min, parked in wrong spot. Up to Fairbanks, back to through Juneau, then Ketchikan, then Bellingham WA. A good reason not to land in Canada is that you are able to carry a gun just in case. To my best understanding it is virtually impossible to carry a gun on a US registered aircraft landing in Canada. The coastal route is weather sensitive, we did the trip in August with a TKS which we used a couple of times inland but not on the coastal route going south. TKS fluid was not available in Juneau or Fairbanks, had a jug shipped ground by Spruce to Fairbanks FBO, strange Alaska and no TKS fluid. If I were to do it again I would go up and down the coast Bellingham - Ketchikan.