Yesterday we left Augusta
quite a days flying through the complex areas of US airspace Washington New York Boston
pretty straightforward if you can understand what’s said !
IFR should be easy because you get handed over to the next station but there is a good game here – the controlling stations are not referred to as what you find on the aircraft/garmin database. so we resorted to looking up the frequency on the iPad and finding a name – surprise – its still a different name. Local knowledge is everything
Got up to Lancaster (near Gettysburg PA) refuelled and scuttle doff to Norwood Boston
we left relatively late morning Saturday. Hurricane Dorian (once again) was forecast to clear Boston are by lunchtime and leave clear skies and blustery winds
Exactly so
Now anothe habit of US ATC is to leave ou up high until the last minute 11,000 feet – with a mile to go – now descend to circuit pattern (well Im probably exaggerating but we were on top of Norwood and still at 3000ft – completely missed it – looked like a UK disused airfield
after two attempts got it in and rendezvous wit Syd at the Holiday Inn
Holiday in is a reliable chain but in sore need of the odd bit of refurbishment
Ate at the awful chinese on the hotel campus (did I say I liked chinese – no ? just as well)
discussions on plans Sunday morning decided to leave early (leavin M to make here own way to Boston Logan Monday night
quick rush and were off 3 hours to Houlton where we have to clear customs
up at 11000 nice cruise, same misunderstanding of what was said – arrived Houlton 15 knot xwind
Now Houlton presents itself as Houlton Intenrnational.
Nice facilities – but a completely ghost airport. not a person in site
Fortunately the credit card in the fuel worked – tied her down and called for a cab. Had a coffe in the FBO/reception shack – quite good facilities- a completely deserted clubhouse.
BTW that’s Canada just behind the trees.
There’s only 2 cab companies in time and both phones went to answer machine
A third I called said 45 mins, when he did not arrive I checked and he thought we were in Presque Isle 20 odd miles away
wanted top dollar to come over. We were beginning to think we’d have to bed down there for the night.
But eventually (2 hours) hotel owner picked us up and again fortunately there was a pub restaurant on site so we did not have to go into town
Now hunkering down for day with customs and hopefully off to Goose Bay tomorrow
Now I did this transat 12 years sago and stayed in the far north hotel in Goose bay – This hotel has all the same ‘good ole boy’ moose shooting atmosphere – Thats how you know you’re goin’ north.
A pleasant night – the Motel had an Irish pub so steak sandiwch and a weak beer and off to bed
In the morning I called Troy Fitzpatrick the ‘can do’ CBP officer and we got a lift to the airport for them to inspect the airplane and then off to the Border (Houlton is right on the Canadian Border and there is a customs post on the dual carriwageway. Here Troy and his colleagues went through all the paperwork in a jiffy. When it comes down to it it wasn’t all that complicated – they just needed to eyeball us know we are who we claim to be and are not running away from anything – Very civil – Id also say Troy was a very smart cookie but nice with it – I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up running the show. After that we got chauffered back to the aircraft
This is Troy and his sidekick – Ted with the terminal building of Houlton International in the background and N287TB on hte apron with Canada in the farground
On Houlton airfield there is a small factory – Troy informed us it was Smith and Wesson – which makes all the handcuffs for all the law enforcement agencies in the USA – plus some parts for hand guns
How about that ? Service with a smile from uniformed CBP officers and a quick tourist bit thrown in – Ya can’t knock it.
