Flying across the border with Light Sport

[Check 6]

HS will not allow me to come back into the country (that I originated from) without a medical. Let me restate this...It is OUR government and its rediculous laws that would prevent me from flying to Canada and back.
Oh, I have a passport.

You can fly to/from the Bahamas without a medical in an LSA. Is returning from Canada different?

Passport - yes, since at least 1975.

[EDGEFLY]

Reckful,What are the exact requirements for a Canadian RPP ? If they don't include a medical or Canadian citizenship, your supposition that having each would solve this problem for Sport Pilot Licesees and PPL's flying under the Sport Pilot rules may be true. Obviously, one would have to arrange to get an RPP but, if it had a lifetime usefulness like a PPL, the effort might be worthwhile.

[steveinindy]

HS will not allow me to come back into the country (that I originated from) without a medical. Let me restate this...It is OUR government and its rediculous laws that would prevent me from flying to Canada and back

The US is one of only a couple of countries that allow folks to fly what might be considered "real" airplanes without a medical. The ICAO standards are the issue here and most countries- including Canada- abide by them. Also, your argument falls apart given the ability to fly to and from the Bahamas without a medical as someone else pointed out. If you had to have a medical to get back in, then why is that allowed?

[EDGEFLY]

Wiithin the EAA, there must be a Vice President responsible for investigating items like this which are of significant interest to the membership. Has the organization ever made an effort to present these concerns to the Canadian government ? Or, if that is considered unacceptable (an interest group attempting to initiate dialog with a foreign country), an effort to get our government to do so through the (e.g.) FAA or DOT ? If not, why not? Could one of the moderaters get this request in front of the right action person ?

[WWhunter]

The US is one of only a couple of countries that allow folks to fly what might be considered "real" airplanes without a medical. The ICAO standards are the issue here and most countries- including Canada- abide by them. Also, your argument falls apart given the ability to fly to and from the Bahamas without a medical as someone else pointed out. If you had to have a medical to get back in, then why is that allowed?

I really don't think my argument is falling apart as you state. I just don't have an answer. I have search until I have no more ideas on where to search or how to find the answer. At the same time, I agree that is makes no sense to be able to fly to the Bahama's and then able to return but not Canada....makes no sense what so ever. In looking at the rules for the Bahamas it is confusing, as it state Light sport is legal yet some of the requirements state a medical IS required. It'll take further reading til I get it figured out.
Light-Sport Aircraft

The Islands of The Bahamas will accept the certification of a US / Canada sport flying pilot, the only exception is pilot MUST HAVE A Drivers License or a Third Class Medical.












Then further down under Sport pilot rules:


The Sport Pilot Rule

A sport pilot may exercise flight privileges in one or more of the following aircraft categories:

• Airplane (single-engine only)
• Glider
• Lighter-than-air (airship or balloon)
• Rotorcraft (gyroplane only)
• Powered Parachute
• Weight-Shift control aircraft(e.g. Trikes)
• Creates a new student sport pilot certificate
• Creates a new sport pilot flight instructor certificate.
• Requires FAA knowledge (written) and practical (flight) test.
• Credits ultra light training and experience toward a sport pilot certificate providing the ultra light pilot transitions to a sport pilot certificate by 31 January 2007.
• Credits sport pilot flight time toward more advanced pilot ratings.
• Requires either a 3rd class FAA medical certificate or TC 3rd class medical certificate.
• Does not allow carrying passengers for compensation or hire
• Does not allow flights in furtherance of business
• Allows sharing (“pro-rata”) operating expenses with another pilot.
• Allows daytime flight only.
• Allow sport pilots to fly vintage and production aircraft (standard airworthiness certificate) that meet the definition of a light-sport aircraft.

As you can see it can get confusing.

[EDGEFLY]

WWhunter,I have looked at the requirements for flying to & from the Bahamas recently and believe that you may have referenced some data which has been superseded. As indicated by others in this thread, I feel that flying to the Bahamas under Sport Pilot rules is legal and practiced. While I have not done so personally, I think this is a non- issue. The Canadian situation remains and is probably a function of different application of ICAO regulations in each country. With our long common border and good relations with our Northern neighbor, this is certainly a meaningful area of concern. And the EAA should have an active role in promoting the ability of Sports Pilots &/or PPL's operating under SP (or similar) rules in Canada. While a U.S. citizen who owns a recreational cabin there and has simply flown into Canada at will in the past, may have strong feelings about this, today is today and it is not that we simply have to accept every limitation that "today" brings. I thank you for bringing this important topic to the forum and encourage your continued participation in it's favorable resolution. I can't help noticing the deafening quiet coming from our organization on this issue. Along the same lines, has any single disenfranchised Pilot actually contacted the Canadians (by letter not telephone) to ask this question? The 3rd class medical may be clearly stated in ICAO regs but these were written long before there was such a thing as a Sport Pilot Catagory. Similarly, we must have many Canadiens amongst our membership. I've seen one or two comments in this thread from them. How about you ? Do you have a position on this matter. Does your RPP pose problems like this for you ?

[EDGEFLY]

To: All following this thread/WWhunter/steveindy Found a couple of interesting things while poking around the net-- The AOPA site has a seemingly comprehensive list of information about the whole process of flying to Canada (and probably other countries) under the general topic heading of "International Flying". This includes Sport Pilot Licenses, use of LSA aircraft and even experimental aircraft (that should take care of your 200 kt+ development machine! Steve). Please note that I didn't say it was simple or easy but the information is there if you are willing to dig it out. I did not read much on the experimental catagory since it doesn't impact me but, it does appear that most types of licenses etc. are covered and that those who formerly flew to Canada and have backed off to Sport Pilot can "follow the yellow brick road" and make arrangements if they wish. Whether or not it is to ones liking, the requirement for a U.S. passport to renter the U.S. is probably still there and IMHO not likely to change real soon.********Interestingly enough, I was approached about a fly-in fishing trip recently by a person who had done this 10-15 years ago without any stops or entry or return procedures from Pa. & return. I explained that I was certain there would be some of this and the response was "Well, we didn't have to do that back then". My point is that there are lots of things that don't work the way they did in the "good ole days". However, with a little prepation some of those benefits are still possible.

[EDGEFLY]

These issues are addressed on the AOPA site under the topical heading "International Flying". Even experimental aircraft Steveindy.

[steveinindy]

Even experimental aircraft Steveindy.

I appreciate the help. I had already checked out the information previously, but nonetheless I still appreciate it. The only issue I was aware of was with the sport pilot license.

However, with a little prepation some of those benefits are still possible.

The general rule I operate by is that with sufficient patience, butt-kissing and paperwork you can get an exemption to just about anything. I have been half-joking about trying to convince the FAA to give me a weight exemption for zero/zero ejection seats in my LSA (since it's "related to safety" ala the BRS but has much more utility at low altitude and speed).

[Bill Greenwood]

It was not LSA or Sport Pilot, but a few years ago I was invited to go to Canada to do some flying there. The owner/manger of the private airport ask me to bring a copy of my U S license and data, nothing extensive or onerous, and they sent it on to Transport Canada and in just a day or so they sent me a Canadian license which I think may have been for a month or 6 months, can't recall for sure.

A couple of little quirks, if I had flown my own U S registered plane into Canada I could have done it soley in my U S pilot's license. However, since I was flying a Canadian registered plane, I had to get the temporary Canadian license.
And, that license stated that it was only good for me flying that particular plane, not any other even if it was the same model. Seems a bit strange, but it worked and we had a good time.

Several of us flew from Niagara down to a show at Willow Run, Michigan. It was no real trouble, weather was good. Only one catch was that some of the port of entry airports had an office open on Fri when we went out of the country, but closed on Sun when we came back in.

It is a pretty place to fly in the summer over all the green fields.