bajabushflyer - 1-10-2015 at 05:33 PM
I want to ask this question, I am sure it has many different answers depending on who you ask.
Can you use the airports displayed on a CH-22 even if the Mexican government has not blessed them as approved?
If you do; can they legally/illegally enforce any actions? From fine to confiscation... what is done in the real world, how does it vary
geographically...?.
I have heard many replies, some no, some yes. I have heard power in number, if there are 4 or 5 planes at a place then the probability of them doing
anything is much smaller...?
Without trying to sound like a rebel, what can us aviators do to get the airports open that we want to use?
What are the rules for operating on private land where you know the owner of the land/strip?
Thanks in advance.
David K - 1-10-2015 at 06:08 PM
I read that if you can file a flight plan to it, it's open. What does Baja Bush Pilots say? What is sad for flying visitors is that the drug runners
have caused the once hundreds of runways to get ditched by the military. Other airports must pay thousands to remain open legally. Good luck!
LancairDriver - 1-10-2015 at 06:40 PM
Technically you could be at risk for fines or even aircraft confiscation, depending on if your aircraft catches the eye of someone in authority if you
fly into a closed strip.Having said that, many are flying into strips that have no permit with no problem. It is Mexico however, so choose your
destination carefully.The best thing to do is join Bush Pilots International.(formerly Baja Bush Pilots.) They know everything worth knowing about
flying into Baja and are extremely helpful. They provide free eapis filing for both US and now recently Mexican eapis both ways.
bajabushflyer - 1-10-2015 at 07:04 PM
We did join, been a long time since we flew there when it was easy. Planning on taking something slow, ugly and fuel efficient, not the gas hog in
picture!
Will start a thread with them too, report what comes out of it.
shari - 1-11-2015 at 07:22 AM
welcome to the sandbox bushflyer! As you know, most everything in baja is um....flexible depending on who is jefe at the moment. Here in Bahia
Asuncion, we get many fly-ins who are welcome by the police and military who do rounds to check on your plane too...sometimes they come out and check
paperwork and sometimes they dont. We pick you up at the excellent, long, well maintained strip and lend you a vehicle to putz around in too so
Asuncion is flyer friendly!
What I suggest for our guests who fly in is not to divulge the destination on the flight plan but to list another place...just in case there are
people on the "inside" at the Ensenada customs who may want to tip off unsavory types...although plane thefts are not common anymore.
capt. mike - 1-12-2015 at 11:39 AM
Sweet Golden Eagle. Do not trust the Mexican authorities as graft is rampant. BBP has the real official status of open legal licensed airports, dirt
or paved. Call Jack there for an update.
BajaBlanca - 1-12-2015 at 12:27 PM
We see plenty of small craft in Abreojos. Maybe Ralph can pitch in the latest news.
Floatflyer - 1-12-2015 at 03:47 PM
Capt'n Mike has good advice. IF an airport is not "open" because of paperwork, like Shari said, AND the airport is being used, you can file a flight
plan to another airport and then divert to the original airport when in the air. This is not uncommon and I have had to do this at both Hotel
Serenidad and at El Rincon is BCS.
HOWEVER, if an airport has been CLOSED, like fenced, ditched, or tires put on the runway, you are asking for big trouble if you land there. Off
airport landings are viewed in the same way, don't do it.
Otherwise, have fun, you lucky dog!
David K - 1-12-2015 at 04:15 PM
The good old days...
when airplanes at Baja resorts outnumbered cars...
like at at Casa Diaz, Bahia de los Angeles:
See more at: http://bannerbob.net/flying_trips_into_mexico.htm
The good old days also meant the turtle population was big enough to enjoy Cruz (Mama) Diaz' specialty...
Pilots would drop from all directions in when the word got out turtles were being cooked up at Diaz'! (sadly, I never got to try it when I was old
enough to remember before they became illegal to eat)
[Edited on 1-12-2015 by David K]
Flying into Baja
Stickers - 1-12-2015 at 04:34 PM
Upon entering Mexico at an 'airport of entry' they will ask your intended destination for their paperwork. We would always give them a registered
airport like La Paz which was our final destination but land at all the little airports on our way down Baja.
Not sure if the sentiment has changed but we never had problems. Once heading to San Ignacio late in the whale season the runway had 50 gallon drums
across it. OK closed, so we continued on.
Baja Bush Pilot Forum is your best bet for up to date info.
capt. mike - 1-13-2015 at 10:44 AM
You can buy on line from several custom meat distributors domestic fresh water turtle. It is spendy but might taste good properly cooked.
At the fish market downtown Guaymas we'd often see sea turtles on display butchered ready for sale - they had gotten tangled in nets and were dead on
arrival so we guessed that made them legal fare.