Foreign Affairs

Away from the warm embrace of North Dakota, our hero takes on foreign ATC, poorly marked pavement, U.S. Customs and even Florida. Along the way, lessons were learned.

Matt Johnson

Thursday, February 06, 2025 at 04:57 AM ET

Verified

Edited By: Omar Filipovic

Key Takeaways:

International flights demand pilots adapt to diverse Air Traffic Control (ATC) communication styles, including accented English and foreign languages, necessitating concise, clear English phrases and careful listening.
Thorough pre-flight study of foreign airport procedures and infrastructure is crucial, as operational differences in terrain, approach speeds, and taxiway lighting can present significant challenges.
Navigating international borders requires strict adherence to customs procedures, including specific documentation, aircraft equipment requirements, fees, and a serious, prepared approach when interacting with border officials.

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We listened very intently to the Spanish-speaking air traffic controller, coming in “double-broken”: broken radio transmission, broken English. The woman’s voice in Spanish in our earphones that night, high over Bogota, Colombia. It just sounds “high,” since the field elevation at Bogota is about 8400 feet, so they bring you in at like 13,000 feet on an initial leg for the approach.

Turns out 13,000 feet is lower there than 13,000 feet in Fargo, North Dakota, my home plate, thanks to mountainous terrain. I’m told this is because of the Coriolis effect, but I’m not sure about that.