I am planning a flight to Los Cabos, Mexico and was wondering if I needed anything special. Any tips on customs or special procedures.
In reply to:
I am planning a flight to Los Cabos, Mexico and was wondering if I needed anything special.
Bottled water, Imodium AD, and Cipro.
You do need a seperate Mexican liability insurance policy as Mexico does not generally recognize U.S. Insurance so I am told.
Depending on your current carrier you may be able to get it through them for a very little cost. If not, there are several places in the southwest states that handle this on a year long policy or sometimes for a certain period of time.
Send me a private message if you want a contact of someone that can get this for you.
Have a great trip!
Justin Wulf
In reply to:
I am planning a flight to Los Cabos, Mexico and was wondering if I needed anything special. Any tips on customs or special procedures.
Mr. Jones,
If you can make it directly to Cabo San Lucas Los Cabos ariport it is an AOE airport. I have used the Baja Bush Pilot web site as a resource in the past when flying my Cirrus into Esenada. http://www.bajabushpilots.com
I use Esenada rather than Tijuana as it is less congested. Esenada is actually a Military base, but they let GA land there as it is a revenue source for the base. It is also and AOE. The Mexican Air Force trains out of Esenada with Pilatus PC7 aircraft.
You will need to get Mexican Insurance coverage while in Mexico even if your US insurer covers you. I have gotten mine in two days from Baja Bush Pilots. There are additional one time or annual international airspace fees as well as landing fees.
Call Baja Bush Pilots they are very helpful.
Rick
P.S. Disclaimer, I am not a member of Baja Bush Pilots.
Ricky, I havent been there and do not know anything about the insurance needed for an N registered aircraft in Mexico. If you happen to need help with something please let me know.
And dont be fooled, you are not going to the middle of nowhere. Ensenada is almost 3 times bigger than any City in SC. Although you wont find a BestBuy, and McDonalds in every corner but you will do fine.
Just dont go eating Tacos on the streets.
Good Luck
Ricky:
I highly suggest that you join Baja Bush Pilots.
I haven’t been to Cabo San Lucas in my Cirrus, but I did fly to Ensenada, Loreto, El Gallito (Hotel Seneridad), and Laguna San Ignacio for the Whales trip they put on.
There are no more Whales trips scheduled until March of 2006. I highly recommend that trip.
I do recall reading the posts about Cabo San Lucas a while ago to the effect that commercial airport at Cabo was not the place to land due to high fees and lack of GA service. There is another airport actually closer to Cabo that is more GA friendly. I don’t recall the particulars, but that information alone is worth the price of membership.
The document collection that you need on entry to Mexico is also critical. Whether you get insurance by the year or by the month, you do need Mexican insurance. Your US insurance is technically valid, but it is just not recognized by the Mexican government. You also need the ORIGINAL airworthyness, registration, pilot’s license, medical certificate, and if the aircraft is not owned by you personally a noterized certificate from the corporate entity allowing you to take the aircraft into Mexico.
You might also want to look into the Explore Baja trip in October. It is $390 per person double occupancy and includes the pig roast and overnight at Serinadad.
If you do go into El Gallito (Hotel Serinadad) or the Laguna San Ignacio or any other dirt strips please bear in mind that braking is not the same on dirt strips. I did see the results, but not the actual touchdown of a Mooney at El Gallito and talked with the pilot of that Mooney. He said “one brake locked up” but in fact the loss of control occurred at about the first third of the runway. I don’t know the final outcome but the plane looked close to a total loss to me.
The Mooney came in after I did and I was in the hotel when it landed. I do know that on the first third of the runway I was not on the brakes at all and was just concentrating on keeping the plane on the center of the runway until it slowed to taxi speed.
Make sure on dirt strips that the final is flown fairly low (there are almost never obstructions on final) so that touchdown is right at the numbers. Keep tracking the runway with rudder and don’t touch the brakes until down to taxi speed. Only then should you apply brakes as necessary to taxi to the tiedown (you brought your earth anchor didn’t you).
If you just go to Cabo you will be on pavement all the way down. Loreto is a good fuel stop. San Felipe sometimes has fuel and sometimes does not. I cleared and bought fuel at Ensenada which is a good entry point.
Under the “what to bring category” add patience and knowledge!!!
All my info came from the Baja Bush Pilots which I subsequently joined. I fly to Chihuahua City, Chihuahua with my wife and kids to visit the grandparents in an SR22. Even though myself and others have experience going down there AND speak the language, it’s a new adventure every time. Besides spending 1 1/2 to two hours walking to all the different places on the airport to get everything cleared, you basically end up have to educate someone everytime. It seems like a lot of the time, we’re more up on the rules than they are. This, or you have to show them that you know the rules and aren’t going to pay the “extra” fees that supplement their wages.
Justin,
Do you know how much it will cost approximately for coverage for 10 days down in Mexico? Just wondering.
In reply to:
Justin,
Do you know how much it will cost approximately for coverage for 10 days down in Mexico? Just wondering.
Joe,
This is from the baja bush pilot site.
The Mexican government has made a recent change that allows US liability insurance to provide protection when in the Country of Mexico. In order for this to be accepted, the words “Liability Insurance in Mexico” must be stated in your policy and that the limits of coverage are covered. (we advise that US pilots continue to purchase Mexican insurance for at least one more year, primarily to insure that Mexican authorities understand that you are covered and don´t face additional challenges in the case of an incident.
The Baja Bush Pilots have the necessary licenses and Mexican Insurers to provide this insurance at a discount to our members. This insurance is US$110 per year for private aircraft and US$250 per year for business aircraft. There are limitations. We can write you a policy with a credit card. In a hurry? As a faxed copy of your policy is acceptable, print out the form on this site, fill it out, and fax the form to us and we will fax back a copy of your policy and you are on your way.
To purchase insurance, click on the line below or call the office and we will send you a form.
Click Here for the BBP Mexican Liability Form
- Print out this form
- Fill it out
- Either mail or fax to the BBP office with payment.
The BBP Liability Insurance for your aircraft provides you with US$270,000 combined single limit civil liability, US$2,000/10,000 medical, bail bond and Mexican legal fees.
This policy is written by one of MexicoÂ’s largest insurance companies and now, you can receive “same day” rush service via fax. To order, go to the form, print it, fill it out, and fax it to our office. We can turn it around within two working hours.
Baja Bush Pilots Ltd.
149 W Boston, Chandler, Arizona 85225
480/730-3250 (voice)
480/730-3251 (fax)
Jack McCormick"
"
Joe:
I had a client last year that told me he got something for around $25-$30 for a 30 day window if not mistaken.
A few of the carriers writing the Cirrus can issue the policy/certificate themselves for the same dates as your policy. Depending on the carrier it ranges from $70 - $100.
Justin
That is a problem in all Mexican airports, except my home base ! They have learned much from the U.S. System and it works great like filing a flight plan via phone or freq, and not having to walk to 8 different offices throughout the airport. Plus no landing fees, (they are 18 pesos about 2 US dlls but you have to go pay them at some other office).
First, read the postings on Baja Bush Pilots’ web site.
Bring chocks or ropes and tie downs
Don’t try to go to Cabo at the AOE - what if you have to go to the bathroom and stop at a non-AOE? The military guarding the place won’t like it. Just use San Fellipe. Also, with any headwind you will be on the edge of comfortable gas reserves before you get there if you fill up in the USA. They nearly always have gas and the BBP site will show a posting if they are out.
Regarding Cabo, there is a smaller airport right near the town. The “Big” airport where commercial airplanes land charges a lot of fees. Postings talked about $700 for a twin engine AC.
I flew down with San Fellipe as AOE (in and out with fuel in under an hour) and then to Cabo. They do not have 110LL at the smaller airport. I then flew into LaPaz for gas and on to Mullege for the Pig roast (make reservations in advance) at El Serinidad.
From there, a couple of stops at dirt strips on the way back to San Fellipe and getting to Calmexico to enter the US.
A couple of other things: The sun sets earlier in Cabo and there is a time zone difference there. You need to be on the ground before dark if you fly VFR. Everybody does.
Have the GPS coordinates of the smaller airports ready to enter in your Garmnins as waypoints so you know where the nearest airports are.
Oh Yeah, I have the follwing info in my PalmOS cell phone…
BAJA
1 USD = 11.4335 MXN
1 MXN = 0.0874623 USD
011-52-615-153-0530
El Serenidad
Telephone numbers for ICAO airports in Northern Mexico
From the US. 011-52 (number below)
Baja
MMES Ensenada 646 177 4503
MMSF San Felipe 686 577 1858
MMTJ Tijuana 666 683 1060
MMLP La Paz 612 124 6359
MMLT Loreto 613 135 0498
MMSD San Jose Del Cobo 624 142 0436
MMML Mexicali
…
Re:San Felipe AOE
« Reply #13 on: February 24, 2004, 09:31:53 PM »
$15 taxi ride from airport will take you to
Marina $125/nt…Quite… great beach(close to airport but out of town)
El Cortez $99/nt…great bar and restuarant on the beach…10 minute walk into town down the beach.
…
San Diego FSS 1866-6822157
18582773493
619-277-349
1800-439-4322
122.6 Yumu RCO Sandiego Radio
Tijuana, Mexicali, Loreto, La Paz, Los Cabos, and Guerrero Negro
for fuel
Southbound (Entering Mexico)
Your first airport in Mexico must be a Mexican Airport of Entry (M-AOE).
- File a flight plan with the US Flight service from your departing airport to an M-AOE
- If you know your return date, file a second flight plan from a M-AOE to a US-AOE.
(we will discuss why on your return “Northbound” flight) - Open your US flight plan upon departure. (you do not close it when crossing the
border, it just goes away) - Radio your M-AOE at the normal distance out indicating you will be landing.
- Land at the M-AOE. You will be issued a General Declaration (form GCH 40) which
allows your aircraft to be in Mexico. Required information includes:
a) Your aircraft registration
b) Your pilots license and medical certificate.
c) Your Mexican liability insurance
d) In all my years, I have never been asked for a radio license. (no problem) - Each person in the aircraft will be required to prove their citizenship with passport, birth certificate, voters registration card, or military identification card.
- Mexican flight service will then issue two flight plans, one from the US to that M-AOE and a second to where you are going. (yes, your US flight plan did not count)
- Pay your landing fees. (aprox US$7.00 for single, US$15 .00 for a light twin)
- Depart for your next destination.
Now for the fun stuff. (policy seems to change daily)
Regarding immigration: Inside each M-AOE, there is a red/green light with “the button”. (like a traffic signal). When pushed, if it is green, there is no luggage inspection. If red, your luggage will be inspected. Sometimes the pilot pushes it for all in the aircraft, sometimes the head of each family pushes it, and sometimes all push. There is no pattern. (at many small AOEs, the red light/green light is kind of ignored. If you don´t see it and are not directed to it, don´t ask about it)
egarding Fuel: At this time, expect to pay between US$2.50 to US$4.00 depending on if you are at a controlled airport or a private airport. In some cases, the higher fuel prices is because of the difficulty to transport and in other cases… who knows. Fuel from offical fuel pump are clean. Take your own oil as oil is very limited.
Regarding Military: Expect to be “greeted” at all uncontrolled airports by the Mexican army. In most cases, they will spot themselves around your aircraft with their guns “at ready” until the ranking soldier determines that all is correct. He will not speak English, however, all he wants to know is what your name is, the N number of your aircraft, where you live, where you came from, and where you are going. He will also want to glance into your aircraft. They will not shoot you, they are just doing their job. After inspection, it is not unusual to hitch a ride in the back of their Hum-V
Emergency Supplies
charge handheld radio
satellite phone
Water, camelback
Tent, sleeping bag, stove, water pump, first aid kit, compass, knife
Food: tuna, granola bars, etc.
Tools,
Cash:$500
Passports, Driver licences, pilots license, registration, insurance permission l
San Felipe Hotels
You can also check sanfelipeliving.com for hotel names, web sites, and maybe phone numbers. I recommend you consider
Las Casitas at La Hacienda
San Felipe Marina Resort
El Cortez
Don Jesus
Flippin Suites