The International Cessna^® 170 Association

Nav Canada tracked me down. God Bless America - and the AOPA!

Robert....enlighten us further. How, what, when, and why?

Hmm, bill for services rendered?

Sorry if I created concern. I was just relating to the bill for Nav Canada Service received this month for use during the Kelowna Fly-in, $18.00 for the three or four flights we engaged in while in Canada, and saluting the AOPA ad EAA efforts to resist user fees here in the USA.

Robert, I too was tracked down by these folks I'm quite sure our other US based aircraft owners that attended the convention will also be receiving their invoices tooJust opened my invoice after returning home this afternoon. I knew we would likely be billed for the user services while we were North of the border. If anyone doubts what the good ole US and the airlines are trying to force on GA, this is just a small sampling of what we can expect unless we, as GA operators, don't start making contact with our representatives with a loud objection to these planned fees

BTW, does anyone know what the currency exchange rate does to a Canadian fee of $19.08 (what is it in US dollars)

The exchange rate between US & Canada isn't what it used to be... right now it's around $1.10 - i.e. $1.00 USD = $1.10 CAD.

According to xe.com ( http://www.xe.com/ucc/ - universal currency converter) $19.08 CAD = $17.2795 USD.

What were the charges for? Wx briefings, landing fees , flight plan filings, control tower services?

As I understand it, the charges were for all of the above - whether (if you are Canadian) you use them or not. I understand Canadian GA pilots are billed quarterly for Services, i.e., weather, tower, FSS, etc.

I would never travel to Canada for any reason. I would rather spend my money in the USA!! I am a little old fashion, if I did not use theie services, I would not pay a dime. And a side question, what would Canada do if you refused to pay their bill??????

Nav Canada presently charges Canadian GA pilots an annual fee of $72+tax for the above mentioned services except for landing fees, which the applicable airport's operator would levy. Incidentally, my 170's home airport (CYXD) recently dropped their landing fees for aircraft equipped with six or fewer seats to stimulate local business and GA activity. As far as Nav Canada charging you, I'm curious as to how they valued the amount of service that was provided to you (Total time or number of times services were used) .
I don't know what "Canada" would do if a billing was disregarded, but I do remember about fifteen years ago my mom got a speeding ticket in Wyoming, and that law enforcement agency sent the ticket info to our local Canadian RCMP detachment, where it then proceeded to her auto insurance company for records.

Jody

Regarding what would happen if we didn't pay the user fees--I think we are obligated to pay these fees since we were there. I just haven't decided how much I actually need to send them yet. This $19.08 fee is in addition to the $77.00 fee they collected (I paid in US dollars--technically should have been something less than $11.00 per day US) for parking at the airport for 7 days. Again, this is just a sampling of what we may get forced on us if we, as GA pilots, don't get off our duffs and let our reps know that we oppose user fees in the US.

JTS wrote:As far as Nav Canada charging you, I'm curious as to how they valued the amount of service that was provided to you (Total time or number of times services were used)

I haven't received my bill yet, but my understanding is that they charge is a flat rate per quarter. At least that is the way it was in 2000 when I flew to Alaska. I was under the impression that is was to be per calendar quarter, but on my Alaska trip I overlapped two calendar quarters (mid June to early July), but they only charged me for one.

pif_sonic wrote:I would never travel to Canada for any reason. I would rather spend my money in the USA!! I am a little old fashion, if I did not use theie services, I would not pay a dime.

I'm certainly not a proponent of user fees, but at least I felt like I got my money's worth, ESPECIALLY on my way up to Alaska. The briefers and controllers were always courteous, the briefings accurate, no "lost" flight plans, and there was ALWAYS someone at the other end when I keyed the mic. I certainly wouldn't let $20 - $25 bucks keep me from going back. Not going just for the purpose of making a statement is only cheating yourself.

Miles

pif-sonic,

Know precisely what you mean as I hold both Canadian & U. S. pilot licenses and have flown a fair bit in both countries. Was a member of COPA and maintain membership in AOPA. Howsomever, you will be cutting off your nose to spite your face by ignoring all that Canada has to offer. Fantastic people (except perhaps some in Transport Canada ), excellent flying weather spring, summer and fall and verrry little traffic. Most of their airports are well maintained. And the food, particularly in Montreal & Quebec City is simply outstanding. The cities are not nearly so crowded as most of those in the U.S. Crime and pollution are almost non-existent. In spite of the tripe put forth by the AMA, socialized medicine works very well there. My spouse and I enjoy Canada so much, we have purchased a modest home just outside Quebec City where we will retire in December.

In short, I think Canada is today what the U.S. was about 50 years ago . And NO, I ain't very impressed with the advances the U.S. has made during the same period.

Yeah, User Fees stink, here and there.

As far as what Nav-Canada can do to those in the U.S. who refuse to pay...probably little to nothing.......until you return .
FWIW,
chuck

I hope I did not offend anyone. I would love to visit Canada; I am an avid hunter, fisherman and all around outdoorsman. My wife and I thought about going to the 170-Fly-In this year. I think Canada has a great deal to offer for any type of vacation. I also do not want this to become a political thread. I just can not support a country that does not support our troops and openly talks bad about the USA, we are not perfect but we are a family. We have an officer in the department I work at that spent 13 months in the war; he was away from his family for 23 months. I do not completely support the war but I sure support my friend, fellow worker and all the other soldiers. Well I will get off my soap box; this is not the place for it. If I offended anybody I apologize.

I have to second Miles comment regarding the Canadian Controllers. I also found the Canadian Controllers very helpful and courteous - perhaps because they were amply warned by David to anticipate a bunch of yankee yahoos. Never-the-less, I enjoyed working with the Canadian Controllers. I also found the FSS personnel low key and helpful. I certainly intend to return to Canada regardless of the fees. Just don't want to see fees installed down here. My objection to user fees is based primarily on our experience with similar fees or taxes imposed for one purpose and used for another, and then, of course, raised because insufficient funds remain for the original purpose.