Thanks for the story !! We keep learning more about the adventures
of "Two Men OUTSTANDING in a Field" :-) from Rebel Ramble 1996 !
Was the fellow who was building the Rebel by any chance, a
long-distance truck driver ??? I did a demo at Brampton several years
ago, for someone from out that way who described this strip ....
I had looked at Porthill - (I thought it was called Eckhart Int'l,
but the ident 1S1 range a bell ...). Your story confirms that this WOULD
be a great place to cross if we decide to go back into Canada after
visiting Libby, and head back through the Crows Nest Pass !
Gee, the list is growing !!! The other TWO spots I found are:
Ross Int'l - between Coutts, AB, and Sweetgrass, MT
and
Whetstone Int'l - near Del Bonita, AB
I was thinking that Whetstone might be a good spot, after Libby,
<IF> the group decides to Ramble back in Canada, instead of continuing
along 'South of the Border' :-) It would really be SOMETHING to
try 'em ALL !! Imagine - crossing the border in FOUR places without
a flight plan !!! (I LIKE it !! ;-) )
Hope we'll see "Two Men OUTSTANDING ....." in Brampton on
July 7th, for the Ramble Kick-Off Party ! (Driving in IS allowed ;-) )
....bobp
--------------------------orig.----------------------------------------------
At 09:48 PM 6/19/00 -0400, you wrote:
OK Bob, here's another one. After our "Rebel imitating a glider" routine
in the last
ramble, Dad and I crossed into the U.S. at Porthill, Idaho (indicator 1S1).
Another
great border crossing. Land on the U.S. side beside the river on a 3000+
grass runway in
the middle of a hops field, taxi across the road and past the tavern to the
"parking lot"
for U.S. customs. When finished, wander over to the tavern for superb
burgers, slot
machines and lots of Harley viewing. My 2000 AOPA guide still shows the
field, with
customs.
While at U.S. customs, the Canada customs guy called and asked if the two
guys in the
airplane could please walk back over and visit him. Until that point, I
never thought
that the OUTGOING customs agency could strike fear into me. We walked back
the quarter
mile to meet this guy, and the conversation went something like this.
Him "that your airplane". Us: "yes.....sir". Him "what kind???" (with
all the
smoothness that only a customs guy looking for something illegal can
display....). Us:
"it's a homebuilt sir". Him: "What kind of homebuilt!!???". Us: " A Murphy
Rebel.....sir". Him: "stay put there a minute, would you please". He
picks up the
phone and makes a call (surely to the RCMP or local authorities - I don't
know what we've
done, but on a Rebel Ramble, it's probably been illegal.....). The party
on the other
end of the phone answers, and the customs guy says "Joe, two guys just
landed here in the
same airplane you're building - get your a** over here". Spent an hour
talking with the
guy and his buddy, but be damned if I can remember who he was. During that
hour, there
were numerous times that the lineup of vehicles coming into Canada was as
long as it is
at Niagara on a holiday monday. But then again, nobody got challenged by
customs.
Actually, I lie. The only guy challenged on his customs declaration for
that entire hour
was some idiot on a bicycle. He declared nothing, and was promptly told by
the customs
guy that the cigarettes were American. He then admitted to buying them in
the last hour
he was over there, and Customs man made him pay two dollars and change for
duty! Then he
turns around and says to us, "guy peddles across every day for an hour, and
every day on
the way back he tries to smuggle in one pack of cigarettes".
Interesting place, those border crossings. If your intent is to visit
Libby, I show it
as 0.8 hours past Porthill in the logbook. Porthill is 2.4 south of
Penticton, which may
be a little to far east for you guys, but a fun place just the same.
Mike
Bob Patterson wrote:
Dave, or anyone in the Vancover area ...
We will be heading south from Chilliwack, and are looking for
the EASIEST place to clear Customs. Do they have Customs available at
Lynden, WA ??? This would be ideal - a small strip, no control tower
or Mode C needed, and on our way ...
Blaine, WA looks like it'd be very difficult to get to without
a transponder ... Does that mean we go on down to Bellingham,WA ??
THAT looks like a big, busy place !! Or even continue down to
Arlington, WA ??? (not a bad idea, IF customs available ...)
Looking for suggestions .....
Also, we might want to come BACK to Chilliwack in a few days.
Where would be a good place to depart USA, and enter Canada ?? Is
Customs available at Chilliwack ?? That would be IDEAL ...
Again - prefer small field, no tower, ....
Thanks !!
.....bobp
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