Member's Home Forums General Discussion Mexico Mexico Airports MMPE - Puerto Peñasco Is it easy to find an FAA A&P in Mexico? In MMPE?

Hi, I'm planning to fly to Mexico (in this case MMPE) for the first time in our club's C182 and doing a bit of contingency planning:
My main concern is: what happens if I have a breakdown that requires maintenance that can only be done by an A&P?
- presumably this has to be an FAA A&P... is this correct?
- is it easy to find such A&Ps in Mexico?
- are there any in MMPE specifically?
- are the prices comparable to the US?
Thanks in advance for any info folks can provide!
Cactus1549

Hello Cactus,

We will be happy to assist you. Could you please provide the email address you sued for your membership, we cannot find anyone under cactus1549. Standing by. Thanks!

Hi there, thank you. My login name is uuccio and that's also my gmail address.

My flying club (which owns the airplane) is concerned about the potential cost of off-base maintenance and also other risks, so I am trying to gather as much information as possible so that we can establish rules to decide who will be responsible for which costs while the plane is in Mexico.

If there are any other flying clubs out there which allow international operations, I'd also be happy to hear from them, to see what kind of rules they have created.

Cactus1549

Got it, thank you.

There is nothing maintenance related in MMPE, not even hangars. The closest practical option is in Hermosillo (MMHO) which is approximately 180 NM straight line distance to the southeast of MMPE. We called the MMHO airport on your behalf and confirmed that there are 2 different companies with mechanics that hold FAA A&P certificates who could legally work on a US Registered aircraft. While these mechanics typically work on airline aircraft, they should be able to assist with most mechanical issues.

Another issue to consider is where to obtain parts. One option is to purchase them from a company in Mexico City called Aerotodo. These parts would have to be sent via air freight to MMHO and you would also have to make payment into a Mexican bank. A second (and easier) option would be to have the parts sent via FEDEX from the USA. For our aircraft here in Mexico we have done it both ways and concluded that it is usually faster and cheaper to have them sent from the USA - all things considered.

If you have a maintenance issue at MMPE then a mechanic from MMHO would have to travel by ground to assist you. Another option would be to have a USA A&P fly in from the USA but you could face immigration and Mexican Civil Aviation issues because they would be working on Mexican Federal Property and that opens up a whole set of regulatory issues. A lot will depend on the willingness of the authorities at MMPE.

If you are trying to create a plan built on reasonable expectations, then we would not make any assumptions about being allowed to do things contrary to normal regulations so don't plan on bring mechanics from the USA. (Although if a maintenance event actually occurs you could then explore that option at that time with the local officials).

Maintenance and repairs of aircraft has always been a concern for flying club aircraft making flights into Mexico as well as to the Bahamas (which is another very popular destination for US pilots). You are well advised to think these things through in advance.

Thank you very much for that information!

The other risks that the club is concerned about are anything that is not covered by our insurance. For instance we're covered for theft but if, say, the airplane is grounded by the DGAC or other Mexican regulator or law-enforcement body for a reason other than an airworthiness/maintenance issues then that would be a big problem for the club.

Do you know how realistic such a scenario is? Do you know of any precedents that one can look up to try and evaluate this risk?

Thanks again for your help,
Cactus1549

The risk is real but can be managed. An aircraft could be grounded for not having the proper documentation or if the pilot commits a very serious violation of aviation regulations (especially if safety is compromised). The most probable reasons that come to mind would/could be:

> Failing to have legally required aircraft documents: Airworthiness Certificate, Registration Certificate, valid Insurance Policy, Radio Station License
> Failing to have legally required pilot documents: Airman Certificate (Pilot License), Necessary Type ratings on Pilot License per FAR 61.55 and aircraft Type Certificate, the text "English Proficient" on the back of the Pilot License, Medical Certificate, Restricted Radio Operator Permit
> Using a Temporary Pilot License after it has expired (120 days from issuance)
> Having an expired Medical Certificate
> Using a temporary/expired Registration Certificate "pink slip" instead of a permanent one that has not expired. FAA "Flywires" are valid for International flights.
> Expired Insurance Policy
> Not having a valid Mexico Single/Multiple Entry Permit
> Overstaying 180 days in Mexico
> Tail number of aircraft does not match Airworthiness Certificate, Registration Certificate, Insurance Policy. This can be an issue when changing the registration number of the aircraft.
> Conducting commercial (for hire) operations without the proper USA AND Mexican Charter Permits
> Conducting cabotage
> Operating at airstrips that do not have a current, valid operating permit
> Off-airfield landings (roads, fields, beaches)
> Flying an aircraft Type Certificated for 2 crew with a single pilot trying to exercise a single-pilot waiver from the FAA
> Creating a situation where air traffic safety is compromised and/or aircraft have to be diverted to avoid a collision or loss of separation.

We have intervened on behalf of pilots who have faced some of these situations. The seriousness of the situation and the consequences have varied.

Nonetheless, these situations have been exceptions and are an extremely small percentage of the overall traffic to Mexico. In most cases, the violations were not only an issue in Mexico, the persons were also in violation of US regulations as well. Entering Mexico is pretty mechanical: the documents to be presented are always the same and the procedures are usually the same. The key thing is to be well informed and have those documents in order prior to arrival. You should consider developing a Check List for club members planning to fly to Mexico that spells out what they need to know/do before they go. You can use our Pilot's Guide to Mexico and Central America as a resource for creating such a checklist). We would also recommend that every club member bring a notarized copy of our "Declaration of Private Operations" letter (you can download it from the member website) which documents that the person flying the aircraft has been authorized by the owner (your club) to fly the aircraft to Mexico and that the flight is for private (non-commercial) purposes and that all aboard are friends/relatives of the owner/operator.

If you want to add another layer of certainty, our Pilot's Guide has the telephone numbers of the DGAC office at every airport where the DGAC is located. This way you could contact the appropriate DGAC office and send them a copy of your documents prior to arrival so they can review and advise. For non-controlled airfields, we list the DGAC office that has jurisdiction over each airfield so that you can contact the controlling DGAC office to verify if the planned airfield has all the required permits for lawful use.

We do this every day so if you need to discuss this in more detail, please feel free to call the office.