Flight Operations to Austin, Texas – U.S. Grand Prix

Planning a trip to Texas for the U.S. Grand Prix? Familiar with operations at Austin Bergstrom Airport? 

The United State F1 Grand Prix 2016 is about to get underway at the Circuit of the Americas. Practice begins on Friday, October 21 with the main race taking place on Sunday, October 23. Located just outside Austin, the Circuit of the Americas is a challenging 3.41-mile racetrack with a 133 ft. hill at Turn 1.

Here’s the vital information you need to plan your trip to Austin.

Austin Bergstrom International Airport

• ICAO: KAUS
• IATA: AUS
• Latitude/ longitude: N30-11.7/W097-40.2
• Elevation: 542 ft.
• Runway length: 11483 ft.
• Magnetic Variation: 06 E
• Fuel: JET / AVGAS
• Location: Texas
• Time zone: UTC/GMT -5 hours

Operational Information

• No overflight or landing permits are required for private and non-scheduled flights
• There are no parking restrictions
• There are no significant NOTAMs

Immigration

Passengers

• A passport is required and all visitors must hold return/onward tickets
• Any visitors who have visited Guinea, Liberia or Sierra Leone within the previous 21 days must enter at Atlanta (ATL), Chicago (ORD), Newark (EWR), New York (JFK) or Washington (IAD) and will be subject to screening and medical checks upon arrival
• A visa is required
• All visitors are required to hold proof of sufficient funds to cover their stay
• All visitors must produce any documents required for their next destination

The following applies to those traveling under the U.S. Visa Waiver Program:

Each passenger must hold a passport (including biometric Emergency/Temporary passport) and be traveling as a tourist, on business or in transit. Passengers can make side trips to Canada, Mexico or Caribbean countries/islands, provided first entering the U.S. on a carrier participating in the Visa Waiver program (VWP). There will be no time extension given based on any of these departures.

Crew

The same regulations apply for crew member as for regular passengers.

Visa regulations for Airline Crews:

• A D-Visa is valid for entry of aircrew members arriving in the USA on a flight operated by their own company
• Such crew members must be listed as “crew” on the arrival manifesto
• If an aircrew arrives on a flight of another carrier for the purpose of boarding a flight as a member of crew, they must have a valid C-1 visa
• A Form I-95 must be filled out on arrival

Customs 

Note: making false statements to U.S. Customs officers is punishable by law.

Information regarding regulations for the movement of fish, animals, and foodstuffs, periods of quarantine, etc. should be obtained from the following:

• U.S. Bureau of Sport, Fisheries, and Wildlife, Washington, D.C. 20240
• U.S. Embassies or Consulates overseas
• U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), National Center for Import and Export, 4700 River Road, Unit 39; Riverdale, MD 20737

For full details please see http://www.aphis.usda.gov/

Transport

• All major rental cars available at the airport (KAUS)
• Limousine services are also available at the airport
• Austin has a bus network throughout town, with special shuttle services to the event site

Accommodation

Hotels near the airport:

• Hilton Austin Airport
• Quality Inn & Suites Airport
• La Quinta
• Staybridge Suites Austin Airport
• Best Western Plus Austin Airport Inn & Suites
• Courtyard Austin Airport
• Hampton Inn & Suites
• Residence Inn Austin Airport

Hotels near the event:

There are no hotels near the event.  The event website lists hotels in downtown Austin as preferred hotels, with shuttle service available to the racetrack throughout the event.  Austin has a rather extensive network of hotels, so please contact your travel partner to help you in securing rooms for this event.