aphid

The requirements as stated above are only ever presented at the Port of Entry. It could be an airport, a vehicle or pedestrian transit location, or the harbour at LA, Orlando, or Seattle if you arrive on a cruise ship. Remember, Canadians are visa-exempt, so there's not much point in talking to the Visa Section of a US Embassy. Which means, in simple terms, Canadians apparently must now carry their passports at all times. And once again the reason most seasoned travelers don't are articulated in my original post. If we must remember to carry them 24 hours a day while vacationing in AZ, so be it. Sure hope a Canuck isn't mugged and has their's stolen. (There is no Canadian Embassy in AZ so getting replacement documents will be just a little difficult) (An aside: just for illumination - not to divert this conversation. When I was at the World Meet in Russia, we had to turn our travel-documents in to the hotel for whatever reasons. Yet, we felt no concern about proving our status when walking around Red Square in Moscow. Why? Perhaps it was assumed their Border/Immigration people at the point of entry had actually done their job properly therefore everybody on the street had a right to be there?) THAT is an GREAT question! They don't. When we return to Canada, we don't have to present our passport, although most of us do because it's easier. So, if we don't present a passport to Canadian Customs, there is no record of us leaving the US on the magnetic strip on our passport(s). Without that record, US Customs might have to make a best-guess assessment about how long a Canadian MIGHT have overstayed a previous visit if/when a Canuck attempts to re-enter and they scan the magnetic strip on their passport. On the surface, at a quick glance, it all sounds so simple. But I would suggest... not so much.

Yes, our passports are date-stamped. But, as I said earlier, I and most international travelers I know, do not actively carry our passports for the reasons I articulated in my original post. Perhaps then, the answer is to carry a passport at all times? Although it does fly in the face of what many countries Foreign Affairs offices recommend. (I don't know what the US State Department suggests for Americans when they travel).

Tell that to the blue-hairs who own a $1M luxury home, their Lexus equipped with AZ plates in the driveway in Scottsdale. And they've done it for, say, 10 years or more? (These folks do exist) I understand the facetious responses, but I had hoped for information or reasoned discourse.

I am curious about the potential real-life impact of the legislation. And until proven differently, I’d like to assume that racial profiling will not happen in upholding the legislation. Having said that, I’ll present a different scenario, albeit a serious one. AZ is the winter destination of an enormous number of retired Canadians. Some call us “snowbirds”, some call us less-polite names. Regardless, Canada is a (rare) visa-exempt nation under federal US Immigration policy. In simple terms, Canadians are allowed to enter the US for periods of up to 6 months without a “visa” that most other nationalities are required to possess. Therefore, as Canadians enjoy golf, play bridge, shop at WallyWorld, or skydive & ride Harley’s as in my case, we have no documents to attest we are legally in the USA. Our driver’s licenses, birth certificates, social insurance numbers, provincial medical cards, and passports all point to the fact we are indeed not American. So, Johnny, Jill, Inderjit or Jose (yes, we are a multi-cultural society too) Canuck gets pulled over for a speeding ticket and is asked to prove they are in the country legally. (Keep in mind that any traveller with a modicum of common-sense and experience does not carry their passport during their day-to-day activities to prevent loss or theft). Parked now on the side of the I-10, dealing with a pretty regular highway patrol officer, just how do you think that would play out? I’d like to hear from somebody in law-enforcement in AZ weigh in on this... I’m sure there are some that hang out here on DZ.com. And to further muddy the water, in my home country, I never carry my birth certificate, my social insurance card, or such. They’re all away in my safety deposit box with any other important documents. So, I assume some Americans don’t carry theirs either. In that case, how will an American citizen be able to establish their proof of legitimacy on the side of a similar highway? John

If you know her, or ever meet her, tell her the guys from Vernon say "hello, 'Princess'". That should endear you to no end :) Actually though, she is a nice young lady. John

I don't know if the American's were able to see the entire event live as I did. It's too bad if they didn't. I'm not necessarily a Vonn fan (national pride and all that), but, as a former Downhill racer, I have to give credit where it's due. 1) She was absolutely superb on the DH, and, more importantly (IMHO), 2) The look on her face, from the bottom of the course, when her closest competitor (Austrian) caught mega-air, was worth more than any Gold Medal in my books. Her unrehearsed look of fear as she witnessed what was about to happen; and her genuine physical reaction of concern for a fellow competitor when she saw the crash, has not received the media attention I think she deserves. Ms. Vonn is one classy lady. John

. I agree. There is nobody currently even close. He definitely is the shit. BoardHead's remind me of the early days of Formation Skydiving. Cheering each other on regardless of team or nationality; congratulating the best; coaching each other with the "secret stuff" so everybody could get better. I think until very recently that still was evident in FreeFly and CReW. Fortunately, I think FS is getting back to that again. It's all about the "community" of competitors. John

Here is your team relaxing with a bunch of Anglophone pilots in my home town. They enjoyed the formation and aerobatic flights, as well as their filet's medium-rare. You think I'm a Francophone? That's funny shit, right there. John

Andrew and Murray got it ALMOST totally correct. It's a cerebral game of chess played on ice. If that doesn't interest you, perhaps this will: http://www.ecf-web.org/calendar.html The curlers featured within are some of the World's elite. To save you a paltry investment to sample the wares, I've attached 4 selected images of the curlers featured within it. Please note, these images are all copyright photographer Ana Arce from Spain. This ain't your Grandpa's game anymore. John (Edited to add) Did I mention I have tickets to both the Medal Games of the Women's Curling in Vancouver? Drool on, suckers :)

Hell yeah.. He did a nice job for sure. I'm hoping to catch Mirjam's team in one of the medal games on the 26th with my tickets firmly in hand. Although if it's between her and Canada, sorry, I'll have to cheer for our ladies :)

ZED? Of course it is! :)

Nice. Good encapsulation. Only two minor errors: > Hopefully you won't hit me. I'm not a violent man. Canadian, remember? > Nancy Greene Raine She was introduced as Nancy Greene. No husband. See you at Innisfail. Kindly use your full name when you introduce yourself. (Alzheimer's is kicking in at my age) John

Can't wait to meet you Steve. I'll be at the Alberta Provincials in Innisfail. Hope to see you there!

I wish every athlete the best of luck! In the words of our First Nations... we welcome you with Open Arms! To quote the Opening Ceremony: "Yes"... "Thank You"... and, "You're Welcome". I am such a Canuckian... and oh so PROUD. My nominee carried the flag into the stadium (Gen Romeo Dallaire), ... and I bid one Rick Hanson over 20 Gretkzy's, anyday!

I certainly will be! And here's a little something to welcome the world to Vancouver from me and some friends...

No empirical data, just personal observation: The city receives typically 3-4 snowfalls annually, amounting anywhere from 5-10 cm (2-4 in) each. It is a west-coast sea-level city renowned for its annual rainfall amounts. Few drivers ever equip their vehicles with winter tires. All of the indoor venues which don't require natural weather are situated in Greater Vancouver. These would be hockey, curling, speed and figure skating for example. With appropriate facilities, Miami (or Durban) could host those Olympic events. Whistler/Blackcomb is hosting most of the Nordic and Alpine events. It is not unusual to be able to enjoy a round of golf in town the same day as skiing on the mountain with a base of 269 cm (105 in). For current skiing and snow conditions, you can check: http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/weather/snowreport/index.htm The only venue of concern is Cypress Mountain, home to the freestyle ski and boarding competitions. Due to the extraordinarily warm winter we are enjoying this year, they are having to undertake measures to preserve and conserve snow. Time will tell how successful their efforts have been. It's been interesting to watch the small but active groups opposed to the Games in action. Speaking only for myself, I think they're one of the best things we've tackled in our province in recent memory and I plan on enjoying them thoroughly, both in-person and on TV/Net. And finally, in response to the idea of Betty Fox lighting the flame: not on my list of choices, but I respect those who do support her. John

As a Canadian and British Columbian, this is MY Olympic “moment”. It’s lengthy, so ignore it if you are so inclined. Somebody special will light the official 2010 Winter Olympic flame this Friday in Vancouver. It might be Wayne Gretzky, Steve Nash, Nancy Greene-Raine, or possibly Gordie Howe. All of whom are quite deserving. I would like to nominate somebody else, even though I know it is far too late for VANOC (Vancouver Organizing Committee) and the Canadian Olympic Committee to consider it. I don’t nominate this person for themselves. I nominate them for what they represent. I nominate them because they seek no personal glory. I nominate them because they represent my country and our ideals in the purest and most sincere way I know. Canada is still a nation devoted to Peace. A country dedicated to paying whatever price necessary to protect the innocent. A nation of people, especially the young, who aspire to make the world a better place for all who follow. On behalf of all those who would make the world a better place, I nominate General (retired), Mr. Romeo Dallaire, and through him, every young man and women in uniform as well as the loved ones they leave behind, to carry the torch into the Olympic opening ceremony and ignite the cauldron of Peace and Freedom to the world as a gift from Canada. As I said, it is far too late for Mr. Dallaire to be selected. So please, Mr. Gretzky, Mr. Nash, Ms. Raine, Mr. Howe, or whomever is ultimately selected: could you kindly wear a yellow ribbon in honour of all those mentioned above? Respectfully. A humble but very grateful and proud Canadian. (If you don’t understand the message, Google “General Romeo Dallaire” and sit down for a long read)

Kamloops, South Sask, and SWOOP. Any others?

Nicely done Rich! J

For a good look at something you might "copy", contact Darren Strocher at BigSky in Innisfail, AB. He just bought Eden North's 206, and he's fairly close to you geographically. John

Burke, We had our aircraft door, step, belts, etc all modified to our satisfaction by an AME. Before making any entries to the Logs or flying it, we hired a TC certified engineer. Essentially, he reverse-engineered the paperwork. Drawings, placards, all kinds of nonsense. He submitted it on our behalf to TC. It was approved immediately. Cost for the engineer (1997) was about $800 all-in. We did get a hell of a deal because he did our work between bigger things while on the local airport. You might want to explore a similar option. Oh and incidentally, Flanagan's is a 205. And, all the aircraft mentioned probably carry a LSTC, limited to their registration/ident only. Not an STC which can cross platforms. John

[reply he was saying it with humor not sarcasm. Sorry. All I could see was arrogant sarcasm too.

Disclaimer: I formerly owned for years a company with a fleet of sales/service vehicles - in Canada What I learned the best for my operation, in the rough-country, was... PURCHASE PRICE: Cars: Who the fuck knows. the Chinese, Korean and Russian shit get's lower every day. SUV's: Hyundai/Ford/GMC Pickup's: Toyota/Ford TOUGHNESS: Cars: GMC SUV's: Dodge (Jeep) Pickup's: Ford/Dodge MAINTENANCE: Cars: Toyota/GMC SUV's: Dodge (Jeep) Pickup's: Ford RE-SALE: Cars: GMC/Toyota SUV's: Dodge (Jeep) Pickup's: Ford/Dodge (tie) LOWEST COST (pre-tax) PER YEAR OF OPERATION: Cars: GMC SUV's: Dodge (Jeep) Pickup's: Ford SURVIVABILTY: Cars: GMC SUV's: Ford/Dodge/Jeep Pickup's: Ford PURCHASE: Buying a car for your wife? Get her a GMC. Buying a vehicle for your child? Get him/her a FORD or DODGE pickup or a Jeep SUV! (Twice, my only-child's vehicles kept him alive, through no fault of his own. Last one, he walked/limped away from a $52K write-off T-boned in his driver's door on a red-light by an illegal alien trying to outrun CBP) Buying for yourself? Oh, maybe a Porsche/Lamborghini/Ferrari/Stryker :)

I must be doing something wrong. Still won't set as the destination. J

A DZ I frequent is on private land with a grass strip, about 320 nm from my home. The DZ does feature on sectionals, but not the strip itself. I've flown in a few times, but I'm trying to load a Route Pack in Jeppesen FlightStar for a GPS-direct VFR route from my home airport to the DZ as a destination. I can add it as a user-defined waypoint, but seem unable to mark it as a "place to land", private strip, destination, whatever. As such, FlightStar won't calculate it as a flight. Oh, I should add, I don't put the flight plans generated into my GPS. I just use it stand-alone on my laptop for flight calc's re: winds aloft, fuel burns, etc. Any ideas? Thanks John