My Cessna 185 back in US

Early november 2019 – My Cessna 185 is finally back in the US after a few months of involuntary stay in Watson Lake, Yukon Territories, Canada. The combination of an unlucky landing (not mine!), a broken wheel and tire, and an airport where the airplane mechanic had time every two weeks and where shipping of spare parts took at least three weeks turned a half-hour fuel stop into a stay of several months.

Flying into the United States from Canada turned out to be significantly more difficult than from Mexico. I was expelled from the airplane while it was being searched and scanned, I was required to present all papers (passport, certificates, medical, aircraft registration), my flight plan and eAPIS registration were scrutinized and I was required to present documentation for payment of annual fee for flights in and out of the United States. And finally, I had to promise that I would never ever again fail to call ahead even if everything else was fine. In Mexico, in February, I had to present my passport and pilot licence and I was good-to-go within minutes of arriving in Colexico Airport.

After Bellingham I flew to cozy Harvey Field where a friend of mine, John, picked me up for a nice afternoon with family, pumpkin carving, barbecue, coffee, beer and wine 🙂

First picture is from Byron Airport in California (C83) where I found hangar space for my aircraft after I got it back to US.

This picture is from Bellingham (KBLI) where i cleared immigration and customs after flying into US from Canada.

Flying down the west coast of US, I used all the major volcanoes as waypoints. Mt. Baker, Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams, Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, Three Sisters, Crater Lake, Mt. Shasta and Lassen Peak.