Pilot Proficiency

Gear Up: Flying Into Canada in the Age of COVID-19

Dick Karl had to go to Hamilton, Ontario, for a meeting recently. Turns out, he had no idea what he was signing up for.

Tuesday, October 26, 2021 at 08:16 PM ET

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Dick Karl had quite a journey for a two-hour meeting in Hamilton, Ontario. Contributed photo

Key Takeaways:

The author encountered significant bureaucratic challenges when preparing for a short international general aviation flight, primarily with the U.S. eAPIS system and Canada's ArriveCAN platform.
Navigating these systems involved expired passwords, confusing interfaces, workarounds for general aviation details, and correctly understanding time zones, often taking more time than the actual flight and meeting.
Despite the administrative hurdles, general aviation enabled the author to complete a 335-nautical-mile international business meeting and return home on the same day, a feat much less feasible with commercial air travel.

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It was to be a two-hour meeting in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, in early October.

Dick Karl is a cancer surgeon who appreciates the beauty and science involved in both surgery and flying. Dick’s monthly Gear Up celebrates the human side of flying. He writes about his enthusiasm for both the machines and the people who fly and maintain them.