Member's Home Forums General Discussion Mexico Mexico Aeronautical & Regulatory How to File a flight plan coming back to the US

Hey all!
I have a question for you guys who fly internationally to Mexico more often that I do.

This last June, I flew from Austin (KAUS) to Monterrey Del Norte (MMAN) with a couple of friends, and a CFII on board with us. We used the CFII's ticket to file IFR both ways. Becuase it's been a few months, there is something that I don't remember, and nor the CFII remembers HOW we did it.

1st Question.
I understand that you must be on an active IFR flight plan (or DVFR) when crossing the ADIZ. On our flight BACK to the United States, our handler in Monterrey completed and filed our Mexico ICAO IFR Flight Plan with the Mexican ATC system. Of course, I also called CBP 1 hour prior to departure to notify them of our arrival back into the US.
Our flight back to the US was uneventful. But here is the question... other than the IFR ICAO flight plan that was filed for us in Mexico, do we ALSO have to file and open an IFR flight plan with the US FAA?
I remember doing an ICAO FAA Flight Plan on my Garmin Pilot EFB, but I don't remember if it was filed or not. Is the Mexican flight plan good enough for our return trip?

2nd Question.
If we want to fly from Mexico to the US in VFR conditions, how can we file a DVFR flight plan with the Mexican ICAO flight form? My understanding is that you can only file V for VFR and I for IFR.

Thanks for your help! Please let me know if you need any additional details if it helps better answer my questions!

-Ranferi

Hello Ranferi,

We will try our best to answer your questions:

1) For IFR, you only need to file the Flight Plan with the SENEAM (ATC) office at the International Airport (AOE) of departure in Mexico. You should NOT also file an IFR Flight Plan with the FAA for a flight from Mexico to the USA. Mexican ATC will automatically transmit your Flight Plan information and your discrete transponder squawk code to the corresponding ATC Center in the USA.

2) When filing a Flight Plan for a VFR flight from Mexico to the USA, you will enter a "V" for VFR in Item 8 "Flight Rules" of the ICAO Flight Plan form to select VFR. They use the same form for both IFR and VFR. However, in this case we ALSO recommend that you contact Flight Service (FSS) in the USA and provide them with your flight information. What FSS will do is to create a dummy Flight Plan in there system to capture your pilot and aircraft information in order to be able to provide you with a squawk code when reaching the Mexico-USA border. They will not actually file a Flight Plan from Mexico to the USA but rather a "dummy" Flight Plan from Laredo to Laredo or McAllen to McAllen. This is done because VFR Flight Plan information entered in Mexico does not always get received in the USA and when you contact FSS for the VFR squawk code, they have no knowledge of your flight. If you had been given a VFR squawk code in Mexico for flight following or for any other reason, be sure to replace it with the code issued by FSS in the USA before reaching the ADIZ/border.

This is GREAT information, thanks!!!

One last clarification for the answer to question 2.
When you say to also contact FSS (in this case, my airport of entry will be Laredo), do you mean contact them in the air before reaching the ADIZ to create the dummy flight plan, OR, contact FSS via the phone a few hours before departure at Monterrey?

If its in the air, would you recommend that I contact San Angelo Radio on 121.5 (for the Laredo area) about 10, 20, 30 miles from the ADIZ?

Thanks!!

Good day,

What we meant was to contact Flight Service directly by telephone before departing. You should avoid filing Flight Plans in the air as frequencies may be congested, reception poor etc. Always try and do it while on the ground before departure. The direct dial telephone numbers for Flight Service Stations (800 WX BRIEF does not work outside the USA) can be found on pages 279-280 of our Pilot's Guide to Mexico and Central America.

P.S. Contacting Flight Service should be tried on the Remote Communication Outlet frequencies found on WAC Charts or otherwise on 122.2. Contacting them on 121.5 would not be a good idea unless you really have an emergency.

We believe that the RCO for FSS in the Laredo area is 122.3.

Thank you very much for this information!
I have your Pilot's Guide at home, I will review those pages as soon as I get home!