CO IAH To HNL Mexico Fly Over Question — Civil Aviation Forum

Sponsor Message:


My Starred Topics \| Profile \| New Topic \| Forum Index \| Help \| Search

CO IAH To HNL Mexico Fly Over Question

EmSeeEye From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 506 posts, RR: 0
Posted (6 years 4 months 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 2668 times:

Ok... I have had a question brewing for some time and now I've finally gotten around to post it so here it goes:

Back in May 2004 my wife and I took a trip to Hawaii on Continental. The plane ride to and from was great however on the trip out (according the map) we never flew over the border into Mexico. Once over the Pacific Ocean we went directly over the Channel Islands and then turned South West towards HNL. Apparently avoiding Mexican airpace. On the way back we went directly over Mexico on a strait shot to IAH.

The flight out was on a Tuesday leaving IAH about 2:00 PM and the flight back was a redeye. faint

I know this is probably a stupid question but I've been itching to ask it but what is usually required in order to fly over Mexican airspace and why the different flight paths?

7 replies: All unread, jump to last

Laxintl From United States of America, joined May 2000, 22026 posts, RR: 51
Reply 1, posted (6 years 4 months 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 2629 times:

One of the basic premises of flight planning is to either avoid or maximise the effects of upper level winds depending on if one is travelling with or against them.

As far as flying over Mexico, nothing too odd whatsoever cutting across Mexico or Canada airspace for US air carriers, with only the requirement being the filing of an ATC flight plan with the appropriate ATC enroute facility.

While routings over Mexico might not be as frequent, its a standard occurrence where domestic US flights traverse Canada - particularly those headed to/from the Northeast region often routing via into Canada around the Great Lakes region besides those obvious flights headed to Alaska and back.

From the desert to the sea, to all of Southern California

MPDPilot From United States of America, joined Jul 2006, 934 posts, RR: 0
Reply 2, posted (6 years 4 months 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 2564 times:

Quoting Laxintl (Reply 1):
with only the requirement being the filing of an ATC flight plan with the appropriate ATC enroute facility.

does the flight have to file twice then or does the US facility transfer the info if the plan goes through mexico or canada?

One mile of highway gets you one mile, one mile of runway gets you anywhere.

Laxintl From United States of America, joined May 2000, 22026 posts, RR: 51
Reply 3, posted (6 years 4 months 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 2495 times:

Quoting MPDPilot (Reply 2):
does the flight have to file twice then or does the US facility transfer the info if the plan goes through mexico or canada?

An international formatted ICAO flight plan is filled once, and copied to the respective ATC centers along the way.

From the desert to the sea, to all of Southern California

AS739X From United States of America, joined Apr 2003, 5819 posts, RR: 23
Reply 4, posted (6 years 4 months 3 days 20 hours ago) and read 2367 times:

Even though not landings in Mexico though, if I recall they do have to pay a tax using Mexican airspace. But the cost of fuel saving on the return leg may or could easily offset this. But I have to agree this may have been more due to upper level winds at the time.

ASLAX

"Some pilots avoid storm cells and some play connect the dots!"

CitationJet From United States of America, joined Mar 2003, 2230 posts, RR: 3
Reply 5, posted (6 years 4 months 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 2246 times:

It looks like CO Flt #1 bypassed Mexico today:

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/COA1

CO Flt 73 had an interesting routing off the coast of southern Calif:

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/COA73

.

Boeing Flown: 701,702,703; 717; 720; 721,722; 731,732,733,734,735,737,738,739; 741,742,743,744,747SP; 752; 762,763; 772.

FoxBravo From United States of America, joined Nov 2003, 2806 posts, RR: 5
Reply 6, posted (6 years 4 months 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 2217 times:

Quoting CitationJet (Reply 5):

CO Flt 73 had an interesting routing off the coast of southern Calif:

That is interesting. Looks like it deviated around some weather--on the FlightAware map, you can still see that same weather, which has now moved to the east a bit.

Common sense is not so common. -Voltaire

Laxintl From United States of America, joined May 2000, 22026 posts, RR: 51
Reply 7, posted (6 years 4 months 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 2196 times:

If you look at the Hawaii-IAH returns they clearly operated via Mexico eventough the full radar track is not supplied for the Mexican portion.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/COA2
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/COA72

Quoting AS739X (Reply 4):
if I recall they do have to pay a tax using Mexican airspace

Correct, Mexico as most countries charges overflight fees.

From the desert to the sea, to all of Southern California

Top Of Page

Forum Index

This topic is archived and can not be replied to any more.

Printer friendly format

Similar topics: