Advance Information on Private Aircraft Arriving and Departing the United States

I am writing to make comment on USCBP-2007-0064. I am an active member of Baja Bush Pilots and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, as well as an airplane owner, commercial pilot and certified flight instructor. My current airplane is a small single engine fixed wing airplane with two seats. I fly into Mexico from New Mexico, Arizona, and California an average of three times each year. I use my airplane in my aerial photography business, in which I create fine art photographic prints of natural landscapes as seen from the air. A significant portion of my work depends on my ability to fly freely into and within Mexico, and ease of border crossing is of major concern to me. I personally experience the extreme difficulties of communications within Mexico because of the remote areas that I work in. The proposed requirement to communicate with Homeland Security prior to every flight across the border, and to wait for response and permission, would be onerous and virtually impossible for me to comply with, thus effectively terminating my flights across the border. My operations are frequently conducted on the leanest of budgets, and I am greatly concerned about the addition of contact fees to the cost of flying to Mexico. I understand and share the concern for the safety of our nation, but I believe the proposed procedures would not have any positive results, and in fact would greatly impair the ability of private citizens to travel to and within Mexico by private aircraft. If changes are needed, I think that small aircraft operations, i.e. in aircraft weighing 12,500 pounds or less, must be excluded from these regulations in the interest of preserving the worthwhile activities of tourism and cross- border business, such as my own. I appreciate the opportunity to give personal input to the process of developing new regulations, and trust that my concerns will be given due consideration.

I am a 26 year old Army officer and owner of a 1961 Piper Comanche 250 (4 place retractable gear airplane with a cruise speed of 153knots). I have been flying for 4 years, with a total flight time of around 500 hours and hold a Commercial Pilot Certificate. Dealing with regulations on a daily basis is part of the military life, but the regulations must make sense. The CBP proposal does not take into consideration the practical application of the rule. Internet is not available in many remote areas at all, let alone at the airport. Often a phone is difficult to find. The additional rules would discourage me from making planned upcoming flights to Canada for business and pleasure purposes and decrease the utility that I have discovered comes with owning your own aircraft. The current system is working fine, and as they say, if it isn't broken don't fix it. There is no need for this additional burdensome regulation. 2LT Matthew Hayduk AOPA Life Member 05256181 FAA CPL 2816439

Attached is AOPA's comments on private aircraft arriving and departing the U.S.