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What a mess. Perhaps targeting the southern border, and its issues, but we (Canadians) are getting caught with this too.
And any Cdn pilots here, a big heads' up, you may have Big Brother on your tail, even if you are flying IFR, on an IFR flight plan. This is quite different from the eAPIS entry procedures for US bound flights, those are a nuisance but manageable. The paperwork with this measure looks to be rather draconian.
I suspect the bad guys won't comply, in any case.
* Orest
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Jan. 14, 2016
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has so far not amended a NOTAM that is causing major headaches and expense for some Canadian pilots and operators.
On Jan. 1, the FAA issued the NOTAM, which requires anyone overflying U.S. territory in a foreign-registered aircraft to have a security waiver or TSA-approved security clearance. Until Jan. 1, Canadian aircraft could transit U.S. airspace between Canadian airports at will, as long as they filed a flightplan and stayed in touch with ATC.
The new rules require background checks and a process that can take a week or more according to COPA (Canadian Owners and Pilots Association) President Bernard Gervais. Pilots who ignore the NOTAM risk being intercepted and forced to land at a U.S. airport for, at best, a stern talking to.
Shortcuts through the U.S. are common in Eastern Canada but the West isn’t immune. For instance, anyone flying from Victoria to Vancouver has to take a detour around a patch of Georgia Strait that is in the U.S.
The precedent setting nature of the situation is also a concern to COPA.
“U.S. TSA had not consulted or informed the Canadian government, Transport Canada, Nav Canada or COPA prior to issuing this restrictive NOTAM through the FAA,” COPA says in a note on its Web site. “All were surprised and blindsided. Currently top management at TC are now aware and collaborating with COPA.”
AOPA is also working the issue from that side of the border but so far there is no indication when the NOTAM might be amended.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
U.S. has tightened cross-border aircraft security
Jan. 7, 2016
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued a NOTAM on Jan. 1 that significantly changes cross-border operations for Canadian aircraft.
The NOTAM appears to require the operator of any Canadian aircraft to obtain a waiver from the FAA to fly in U.S. airspace.
Before the NOTAM was issued, Canadian aircraft were allowed to transit U.S. airspace without notifying U.S. Customs or security authorities as long as their destination was another Canadian airport.
There are numerous shortcuts across U.S. airspace used by Canadian pilots to get from one domestic airport to another and this NOTAM appears to add a layer of bureaucracy to those flights. Pilots who ignore the directive could find an F-16 or Blackhawk helicopter on their wing, according to the NOTAM.
The measure was apparently imposed without consultation and it seemed to take authorities on this side of the border by surprise.
The Canadian Owners and Pilots Association has put the following notice on its Web site.
“Urgent to all Canadian pilots as of January 1st, 2016, U.S. NOTAM FDC 5/6289, requiring a U.S. TSA approval for “all” flights through U.S. airspace. COPA is currently working with authorities to resolve this issue.”
And any Cdn pilots here, a big heads' up, you may have Big Brother on your tail, even if you are flying IFR, on an IFR flight plan. This is quite different from the eAPIS entry procedures for US bound flights, those are a nuisance but manageable. The paperwork with this measure looks to be rather draconian.
I suspect the bad guys won't comply, in any case.
* Orest
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jan. 14, 2016
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has so far not amended a NOTAM that is causing major headaches and expense for some Canadian pilots and operators.
On Jan. 1, the FAA issued the NOTAM, which requires anyone overflying U.S. territory in a foreign-registered aircraft to have a security waiver or TSA-approved security clearance. Until Jan. 1, Canadian aircraft could transit U.S. airspace between Canadian airports at will, as long as they filed a flightplan and stayed in touch with ATC.
The new rules require background checks and a process that can take a week or more according to COPA (Canadian Owners and Pilots Association) President Bernard Gervais. Pilots who ignore the NOTAM risk being intercepted and forced to land at a U.S. airport for, at best, a stern talking to.
Shortcuts through the U.S. are common in Eastern Canada but the West isn’t immune. For instance, anyone flying from Victoria to Vancouver has to take a detour around a patch of Georgia Strait that is in the U.S.
The precedent setting nature of the situation is also a concern to COPA.
“U.S. TSA had not consulted or informed the Canadian government, Transport Canada, Nav Canada or COPA prior to issuing this restrictive NOTAM through the FAA,” COPA says in a note on its Web site. “All were surprised and blindsided. Currently top management at TC are now aware and collaborating with COPA.”
AOPA is also working the issue from that side of the border but so far there is no indication when the NOTAM might be amended.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
U.S. has tightened cross-border aircraft security
Jan. 7, 2016
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued a NOTAM on Jan. 1 that significantly changes cross-border operations for Canadian aircraft.
The NOTAM appears to require the operator of any Canadian aircraft to obtain a waiver from the FAA to fly in U.S. airspace.
Before the NOTAM was issued, Canadian aircraft were allowed to transit U.S. airspace without notifying U.S. Customs or security authorities as long as their destination was another Canadian airport.
There are numerous shortcuts across U.S. airspace used by Canadian pilots to get from one domestic airport to another and this NOTAM appears to add a layer of bureaucracy to those flights. Pilots who ignore the directive could find an F-16 or Blackhawk helicopter on their wing, according to the NOTAM.
The measure was apparently imposed without consultation and it seemed to take authorities on this side of the border by surprise.
The Canadian Owners and Pilots Association has put the following notice on its Web site.
“Urgent to all Canadian pilots as of January 1st, 2016, U.S. NOTAM FDC 5/6289, requiring a U.S. TSA approval for “all” flights through U.S. airspace. COPA is currently working with authorities to resolve this issue.”
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