CBP Decal 2024 -- Just ordered, really gonna make it this year

[Tom m20k]

2 minutes ago, Fly Boomer said:

Pesos?  They use the same currency symbol we do, so just because you see a "dollar sign" doesn't mean US dollars.  $1,000 pesos is very roughly fifty bucks.

It was way more than 1000 pesos.  It was like 18000 pesos.  There is a 4547 pesos airport tax.  The total fees were like 1100 dollars and that didn’t include parking.  I included the bill that they gave me as if I had just flown in.  Wondering if that’s what people are seeing.  I had originally told them I would want to stay for the month so they quoted that at 31,392 pesos. 

[kortopates]

19 minutes ago, M20c Tom said:

So I’m in Loreto right now.  Stopped by the airport and I had the FBO give me what it would cost for landing and all the fees associated with it.   It totaled like almost $1000.  Is this correct?   Seems quite expensive to me.   Anyone have any experience with this?

Hope you didn't talk to the FBO versus Operations in the GA terminal.

I paid just under a thousand Pesos yesterday when I departed for Loreo, 400 pesos for landing fee and bit more than 500 pesos for parking for about 3 days.

But if you use the FBO and they add handling fees expect to pay several hundred more dollars for the handling fees.

I avoid FBO's like the plaque since they're super expensive in Mexico, they cater to Jet's with pilots that rely on dispatchers and the Cirrus crowd

7 minutes ago, Fly Boomer said:

Pesos?  They use the same currency symbol we do, so just because you see a "dollar sign" doesn't mean US dollars.  $1,000 pesos is very roughly fifty bucks.

exactly!

[Fly Boomer]

5 minutes ago, M20c Tom said:

It was way more than 1000 pesos.  It was like 18000 pesos.  There is a 4547 pesos airport tax.

Puts it out of my league.

[kortopates]

5 minutes ago, M20c Tom said:

It was way more than 1000 pesos.  It was like 18000 pesos.  There is a 4547 pesos airport tax.  The total fees were like 1100 dollars and that didn’t include parking.  I included the bill that they gave me as if I had just flown in.  Wondering if that’s what people are seeing.  I had originally told them I would want to stay for the month so they quoted that at 31,392 pesos. 

Most of those fees are purely for using the FBO. Their fees are ridiculous. Learn to handle yourself or fly commercial. There are only a couple airports where handlers/FBO are not optional and I simply don't use them. 

[Tom m20k]

4 minutes ago, kortopates said:

Most of those fees are purely for using the FBO. Their fees are ridiculous. Learn to handle yourself or fly commercial. There are only a couple airports where handlers/FBO are not optional and I simply don't use them. 

So in Loreto where would I go to talk with the operations people.  I just walked into the FBO and talked with them.  After talking with them I was pretty sure that I was missing something.  Nobody would fly down if it was that crazy.  It sounds like I need to figure out something’s before I come down.  I want to go to Punta Pescadero.  We love Los Barriles and would love to fly down.  Any tips would be appreciated. 

[kortopates]

There is no airport tax when you do your own handling. But a lot of those fees are for you to clear in Mexico and I seriously doubt that you'll do that arriving in a C model. More likely you'll clear in San Felipe or Puerta Penasco. Where ever you do clear, you will pays fees in the lower half, the AIU Permit for 2182 and the Immigration fee for a passenger (its free for crew upto 7 days) - for those they are quoting last years prices and they have gone up little. And you'll likely exit further north too and just pay domestic parking rates when there.

Bottom line is you don't need any services from the FBO to fly down to Loreto but you do have a fair bit to learn before going down.

[kortopates]

2 minutes ago, M20c Tom said:

So in Loreto where would I go to talk with the operations people.  I just walked into the FBO and talked with them.  After talking with them I was pretty sure that I was missing something.  Nobody would fly down if it was that crazy.  It sounds like I need to figure out something’s before I come down.  I want to go to Punta Pescadero.  We love Los Barriles and would love to fly down.  Any tips would be appreciated. 

Where do you live, fly out of?

Been into Punta Pescadero many times and stayed Los Barriles multiple times too - used to have friends down there with a house. Lots of fun.

The small white general aviation building is next door to the yellow FBO which is the old terminal.

Anyway, real prices are not expensive nor getting concerned about. Gas is cheaper in Mexico than the US, except for some private airports like San Felipe. The only expensive fee is the AIU - entrance fee which is good for 6 months which you can make multiple trips into Mexico on one permit after buying it and it cost 2182 pesos as of Jan 1 2024.

Join Bajabush and get educated about the process.

As an instructor, I take lots of pilots down to San Felipe for the day to get your permit and learn the process crossing the border south and back north, so that you'll feel comfortable doing it on your own. If interested in that, feel free to PM me.

[OR75]

44 minutes ago, M20c Tom said:

It was way more than 1000 pesos.  It was like 18000 pesos.  There is a 4547 pesos airport tax.  The total fees were like 1100 dollars and that didn’t include parking.  I included the bill that they gave me as if I had just flown in.  Wondering if that’s what people are seeing.  I had originally told them I would want to stay for the month so they quoted that at 31,392 pesos. 

Even if the "Free drinks" included a whole barrel of high quality tequila, that would still be expensive  !

you don't need a handler (unless it is SJD airport) 

[kortopates]

34 minutes ago, OR75 said:

Even if the "Free drinks" included a whole barrel of high quality tequila, that would still be expensive  !

you don't need a handler (unless it is SJD airport) 

You also don't need a handler at San Jose (MMSD) either if you know what your doing. But your probably thinking of Cabo San Lucas (MMSL) which because its a private airport you can't use it without a handler. Since that became the rule a couple decades ago, I have never returned to MMSL, and use San Jose for essentially free. 

None of these destinations are for a newbee though. A smart newbee would land at La Paz and visit the cape in a rental car!

Edited January 4, 2024 by kortopates

[802flyer]

I flew to Halifax and then Newfoundland this past summer. It was my first use of the customs sticker. It took some reading to orient myself to the procedures for EAPIS and NavCanada, but it’s actually not very onerous at all once you wrap your head around the steps. I could easily throw together the paperwork for a flight back there in not much longer than it would take to file for any other IFR flight, now that I’ve had some practice.

The customs folks were nice on both sides (cleared by phone arriving in Halifax, and had a very cursory chat with a friendly officer at Bangor coming home).

ATC was great and IFR procedures were 99% similar (but do read up on the differences). Also had to shell out for the North America nav databases.

The only truly painful part was that 100LL at Deer Lake (CYDF) came out to over $12USD/gal and the ramp fees were equally inflated. Halifax was not as bad, and close enough to tanker fuel from the US.

Overall it was a great experience and I’ve already ordered my 2024 sticker in anticipation of going back to Halifax this summer.


Edit to add that I would highly recommend subscribing to international XM weather for the trip, as there is no ADS-B weather up there. It’s easy to take ADS-B for granted stateside. During the somewhat remote leg up to CYDF with “gentleman’s IMC” along the way, it was reassuring to confirm things weren’t changing for the worse at my destination. It was easy to subscribe to the international version of XM weather for a month, then downgrade again afterwards.

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[Tom m20k]

2 hours ago, kortopates said:

There is no airport tax when you do your own handling. But a lot of those fees are for you to clear in Mexico and I seriously doubt that you'll do that arriving in a C model. More likely you'll clear in San Felipe or Puerta Penasco. Where ever you do clear, you will pays fees in the lower half, the AIU Permit for 2182 and the Immigration fee for a passenger (its free for crew upto 7 days) - for those they are quoting last years prices and they have gone up little. And you'll likely exit further north too and just pay domestic parking rates when there.

Bottom line is you don't need any services from the FBO to fly down to Loreto but you do have a fair bit to learn before going down.

That’s my old plane I have a m20k now with extended tanks.  I fly out of Utah 

[kortopates]

20 minutes ago, M20c Tom said:

That’s my old plane I have a m20k now with extended tanks.  I fly out of Utah 

Perfect then!

[OR75]

sounds like we need a mooney fly in to Mexico 

start in Brown Field or Calexico

[Fly Boomer]

11 hours ago, kortopates said:

But your probably thinking of Cabo San Lucas (MMSL) which because its a private airport you can't use it without a handler.

I thought Cabo was SJD?

[N201MKTurbo]

7 hours ago, OR75 said:

sounds like we need a mooney fly in to Mexico 

start in Brown Field or Calexico

I'm in....

[N201MKTurbo]

I have airport friends who are restoring a sailboat in Loretto. They fly down there almost every weekend. They are cheap bastards and they don't complain about the fees.

[kortopates]

2 hours ago, Fly Boomer said:

I thought Cabo was SJD?

Lets see, we have:

Cabo San Lucas International

and 

San Jose del Cabo/Los Cabos International

See the confusion in referring to just "Cabo"?

[kortopates]

9 hours ago, OR75 said:

sounds like we need a mooney fly in to Mexico 

start in Brown Field or Calexico

FWIW, my wife and I led a Vintage Mooney Group fly-in to Baja for Whale Watching back in 2005 or 2006. Had about a dozen Mooney's fly in to Mulege and Laguna San Ignacio over a 4 day weekend. I still go whale watching down there almost every year in the  spring.

Edited January 4, 2024 by kortopates

[Pinecone]

19 hours ago, kortopates said:

I take pilots all the time to Mexico, usually as a day trip to San Felipe to get their entry permit and go through all the procedures in both directions. Then after having gone thorough the process, the pilot is ready to take their family down without the stress. 

Hmm, I would like that.  If I get out that way, I will contact you.

[kortopates]

Hmm, I would like that.  If I get out that way, I will contact you.

Would love to take you down. I know you’re a long ways away but Mooney’s travel so by all means if you ever make it out let’s do it. Fall, winter and Spring are best for this.


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[Pinecone]

There is talk of some of the old AVSIG folks resurrecting the SMX GIG.  If they do, that will get me and my plane out to the left coast for a bit.

[MountainGoat]

Flew to Deer Lake Newfoundland over Labor Day this past year, it was great!  Really pretty area!  Some things to note though:
Most Canadian airports don't let you do things on your own--if the FBO or airport ops is closed (like after 5pm or on weekend/holiday) then you pay $100-$200 for them to come in and unlock the gate/turn on the lights so you can land or pre-flight and take off. 
There is almost no aviation motor oil on the island.  I was about 1/2 quart short, had already used my travel quart at my fuel stop, and called every airport on the island and finally found some guy who had a few quarts. 

Gas was pricey (unsurprisingly for an island, in Canada)