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:

International general aviation (GA) flights now involve extensive, complicated, and often frustrating administrative processes, including multiple online systems (eAPIS, ArriveCAN) and calls, especially post-COVID.
The author encountered numerous bureaucratic hurdles, such as expired passwords, counter-intuitive website designs for filing departure/return information, and seemingly unnecessary requirements like listing a 14-day quarantine location.
Despite the significant administrative challenges, GA proved highly efficient for a short cross-border business trip, enabling a same-day meeting and return home that would have been far more time-consuming and complicated via 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.