Monday, August 28, 2023

Not Flying This Weekend

Well this weekend on Sunday I was set for my first international flight ever in the Archer.

Was going to fly to Toronto Island Airport, CYTZ. Being a slightly less than 2-hour flight, it would knock the pants of the typically 5+ hour drive time to get there.

Weather was great, finally.  

The night before I had filed electronically with US CBP as required a minimum of two hours before the fight, and called Canada Customs in the morning, also as required with no issues.

Filed an IFR flight plan direct to Toronto Island Airport, got the plane topped up with fuel and was ready to go.

Got my clearance direct, initial altitude 3,000 expect 7,000 in 10 minutes and good to go, headed to the run up area and started the run up.

All instruments good, all systems functioning, get to the flight plan portion and enter the flight plan enter CYTZ and:

Waypoint not found.

Blink.

Try again:

Waypoint not found.

Tried again, same result, tried other Canadian waypoints and nothing.

Well, so much for flying direct, and that hosed the trip as I would have had to cancel IFR, refile VFR, and then gotten routed around Toronto International's airspace which would have messed up the flying time considerably and would have required redoing the USBP clearance with a two hour minimum as VFR instead of IFR.

Turns out the maintenance guy for the club, without telling anyone, did not renew the subscription for Canadian maps for the club's GPSs.  To say I am not happy about that is an understatement.

Well, definite first world problem that, but quite annoying and it sure messed up the plans for the weekend.