Importing an airplane from Canada to U.S.
- Thread starter KJC
- Start date
Iflylower
Registered User
Memphis, TN
I'll be watching to see what others say.....
I've been involved with an aircraft going the out of the US.
You may give these folks a call and probe them for some questions. Many businesses that handle "out of country" transactions will be able to help you with paperwork, requirements, documents, title search, wire transfer, etc.
Insured Aircraft
4848 SW 36th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73179
1-800-654-4882 (U.S.)
Good luck.
I've been involved with an aircraft going the out of the US.
You may give these folks a call and probe them for some questions. Many businesses that handle "out of country" transactions will be able to help you with paperwork, requirements, documents, title search, wire transfer, etc.
Insured Aircraft
4848 SW 36th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73179
1-800-654-4882 (U.S.)
Good luck.
CaptFox
Registered User
Justin, TX
Typically it should not be too hard.
Preferably get the prior owner to move the airplane to where you want to do the work in the US. (Once Deregistered it cannot be flow until the new airworthiness is issued) Then Deregister the plane in Canada, Register the plane here in the US. Then it will need a fresh annual (within 30 days prior of conformity inspection) and then a conformity inspection. You need to find a DAR or the FAA for the conformity inspecton (all these steps will probably need some paperwork filed too.
Things they will be looking for is conformity to the TCDS, STC conformity, AD's, Approved flight manuals, POH, Weight and balance, and things like that. It things are in order its easy... But...Have heard of problems too...Its much easire bringing them into the US than into Canada tho.
To answer your A&P question. You will at least need an IA for the Annual.
Last time I did one it took about 8 weeks for the whole deal but did have about 2-3 weeks of hang ups along the way. We were also in no rush.
Good luck.
David.
Preferably get the prior owner to move the airplane to where you want to do the work in the US. (Once Deregistered it cannot be flow until the new airworthiness is issued) Then Deregister the plane in Canada, Register the plane here in the US. Then it will need a fresh annual (within 30 days prior of conformity inspection) and then a conformity inspection. You need to find a DAR or the FAA for the conformity inspecton (all these steps will probably need some paperwork filed too.
Things they will be looking for is conformity to the TCDS, STC conformity, AD's, Approved flight manuals, POH, Weight and balance, and things like that. It things are in order its easy... But...Have heard of problems too...Its much easire bringing them into the US than into Canada tho.
To answer your A&P question. You will at least need an IA for the Annual.
Last time I did one it took about 8 weeks for the whole deal but did have about 2-3 weeks of hang ups along the way. We were also in no rush.
Good luck.
David.
jcrowles
Registered User
bemidji,mn.56601
Importing an airplane from Canada into the U.S.
This can be frustrating and one forgotten item !! Money !! Quite a bit of it ! If the imported plane was originally built in the U.S. ' you can figure by the time you can legally fly it you wil most likely spend in excess of
$ 1000.00 It won't be cheap ! Also, Canada does not recognize U.S.
maintenace records and a lot of time the Canadian owners will throw away the U.S. records. Then when you bring it in the U.S. , it is aS if it never existed before the Canadian owner. This happened to me and I had
a terrible time reconstructing the records of American ownership! Be careful !! It might be far less hassel to just by a U.S. plane to start with .
John
This can be frustrating and one forgotten item !! Money !! Quite a bit of it ! If the imported plane was originally built in the U.S. ' you can figure by the time you can legally fly it you wil most likely spend in excess of
$ 1000.00 It won't be cheap ! Also, Canada does not recognize U.S.
maintenace records and a lot of time the Canadian owners will throw away the U.S. records. Then when you bring it in the U.S. , it is aS if it never existed before the Canadian owner. This happened to me and I had
a terrible time reconstructing the records of American ownership! Be careful !! It might be far less hassel to just by a U.S. plane to start with .
John
I recommend doing a search on this site for prior discussions about importing aircraft from Canada. Use care in the process. Canada requires you to de-register the plane in Canada before importing it into the US. Upon arriving in the US it then undergoes an inspection for a US Certificate of Airworthiness. If there are any problems such as lack of documentation of STC's, unapproved modifications or other problems, the airplane is grounded until they are corrected at your expense. An FAA inspector here in Alaska suggested that I have a DAR (Designated Airworthiness Inspector) inspect the PA-14 I was purchasing in Canada. I made an agreement with the seller that the airplane would be made import ready at his expense before I paid him for the aircraft. I then hired a DAR which cost me around $900.00 with his travel costs, etc. It proved to be a great investment. The owner paid $5,200 (Canadian) to have the deficiencies the DAR discovered corrected. When the deficiencies were corrected the DAR issued a new US Airworthiness Certificate and I put the N numbers on the airplane. The airplane was then registered as a US aircraft while still in Canada and I flew in back into the US without needing any additional inspections and no risk of ugly surprises. Please email me if you have any questions.
Noting that I'm Canadian, Why would you buy a Canadian aircraft? Prices are much higher here for comparable aircraft. Smaller market, our economy is holding up a tad better and owners are demanding a higher dollar for their planes. The exchange rate isn't even advantageous anymore.
Did you find something special?
Did you find something special?
cafi19
MEMBER
NWA
If you click on this link there is a section about importing.
http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/aircraft_certification/international/
Hope it is helpful.
cafi
http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/aircraft_certification/international/
Hope it is helpful.
cafi
Scouter
SPONSOR
Exeter Maine
A few yrs ago I nearly bought a PA12 on floats from Steve Assaly in Ontario. csplane.com He was a big help on the import question, he uses someone near Buffalo to do the import stuff from start to finish, but I cant remember the name of the gent. If the plane had an N number when manufactured, I seem to remember it was a lot simpler.
Jim
Jim
D.A.
FRIEND
Free America
Sorry for bumping an OLD thread, but I have a twist on this same question. The challenge for most is prepping a Canadian registered plane for a US conformity inspection for a Standard C of A. That being said, if you were willing to bring it to the US and just put it in Experimental Exhibition, that should be a slam dunk, right? Let's not get into a rant about the restrictions of EXP Exhibition, I'm just asking the question.
Thanks in advance
Thanks in advance
skywagon8a
MEMBER
SE Mass MA6
D.A., that should be rather simple. However, consider the resale value to you before you do it. You may end up owning it forever.
Keep in mind that to qualify for exhibition, you have to show a true exhibition purpose in your program letter. It isn’t just a slam dunk.
Something else to consider, if the aircraft ever had another type of certificate, all the provisions of Part 43 (maintenance) still apply.
I charge the same for a Standard as I do for an Experimental certificate as do most other DARs I know, so cost is no different. For a Standard you need a 100 hour inspection, for an Experimental, you need a Condition inspection. Same inspection just different name.
If the aircraft had a US certificate at one time, it isn’t an import. It’s just a certification of a used airplane. If it was built out of the US, it will need an Export C of A stating it meets the US Type Certificate. That’s about the only additional thing for a Standard.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Last edited:
Getting my 1948 PA-11 home to Maine from Ontario was pretty easy it was disassembled and hasn't flown for years biggest hassle we had was crossing the boarder as I was given 5 places to cross with the plane GPS sent us to a small crossing near Derby Line, VT after a few minutes with customs they made a call and we were on our way. I reserved the origional N number plane is in the sandblasting and buying STC's and parts stage. Have a request in to CAA for records of plane but haven't got anything back yet so they may be similar to our FAA I have logs from 64 on so missing Canadian logs from 1952 to 1964. Will see how the conformity inspection goes in a couple years.
Have you gotten the deregistration confirmation from TCCA yet? You will need that to get the registration here. Start looking for a DAR now, and be sure you know what he/she will be reviewing when it comes time to get an airworthiness certificate issued.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Got it, I’m in the same boat with my PA-16, have to finish it before they will issue the registration.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
skywagon8a
MEMBER
SE Mass MA6
Is this something special when an airplane is being returned to the US from another country? Years ago I brought a wrecked Lake LA-4 from Canada to the US. I had to have the Canadian registration canceled with them notifying the FAA, then the FAA issued a registration with a new N number to me. Years later, after I rebuilt it the FSDO issued a new airworthiness certificate. The new registration was issued long before the airplane was put back together.
Again when I got the bill of sale for my Cub kit, I immediately sent in the bill of sale and the FAA issued me the new registration. This was 3 or 4 years before it was ready for it's airworthiness inspection.
Has the procedure changed? You won't even be able to issue yourself an airworthiness certificate when your PA-16 is ready to fly because you have no registration? You'll have to wait for an extended period of time for the FAA to send you the registration? This doesn't make sense.
You are absolutely right, it makes no sense. In my case the airplane never left the US, just that the registration was administratively revoked in the 1970s.
Seems some idiot read 49USC 40102 (a)(6) “”aircraft” means any contrivance invented, used, or designed to navigate, or fly in, the air.” And decided that the definition means that the aircraft has to be complete and flyable.
I caused enough of a flap that I have a letter from Rick Damingo Executive Director of Flight Standards saying all I need to do is provide pictures of the completed airplane and they well issue the registration. Manage of AFS-750 told me “within 3 days”.
I’m not sure if they will issue a “replacement” airworthiness certificate or if I’ll have to apply for a new one. Doesn’t really matter to me as I’ll do all the paperwork either way, just can’t issue one for my own airplane as that’s considered a conflict of interest.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I was also told to submit pictures of the complete plane but I had already got carried away with starting the rebuild so it was naked by then.
Attachments
hotrod180
FRIEND
Port Townsend, WA
A friend of mine bought a project Luscombe a couple months ago.
Registration was expired or maybe even cancelled, can't recall.
FAA wants to see photos of the complete airplane before issuing registration--
complete as in all the parts. Guess it's OK that they are not actually assembled.
I think he said to get a new airworthiness certificate issued, the airplane has to be assembled & annualled-
in other words, actually airworthy.
I might not have it quite right, he bought two separate Luscombe projects & I might have paperwork issues on the two of them mixed up.
The pics for registration need to be the complete assembled airplane. To get an airworthiness certificate it needs 1. Registration, 2. Be in airworthy condition with an annual for a replacement, if it is a new airworthiness certificate, it needs a 100 hr within the preceding 30 days.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
