rundogdave
Pre-Flight
Does anyone have any experience with buying an aircraft with a foreign registration, and getting it registered in the U.S.? What costs, and processes are involved? How much of a pain in the @$# is it to accomplish? Thanks.
Foreign Registration.
- Thread starter rundogdave
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petrolero
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Not quite but I owned a plane whose engine had been operated in Costa Rica. When they brought the engine here (way before I bought it), they had the engine log stamped by the FAA and that was it - it was legal. There was no paperwork relating to the overhaul itself. Just "yep, it's legal. See here's a stamp that says so."
Well that wasn't quite enough for one potential buyer when I went to sell it. It was a flight school and they rejected it because of the foreign overhaul even with the FAA's stamp. They said they thought their insurance would balk, but I think that may just have been their excuse. Still I pocketed their earnest money.
Well that wasn't quite enough for one potential buyer when I went to sell it. It was a flight school and they rejected it because of the foreign overhaul even with the FAA's stamp. They said they thought their insurance would balk, but I think that may just have been their excuse. Still I pocketed their earnest money.
Not sure on the costs, but I provided the labor on a couple import inspections. It ain't cheap, and I would suspect with the increased labor and DAR costs I can't imagine it being cheaper than 4x the cost of an annual.
The plane has to go through a conformance inspection and that requires a DAR which is typically a long term IA who has a FAA designation and more authority on what papers they can sign, and bills higher. So, not only does the plane have to meet the typical annual inspection, they need to determine if all the parts like radios, instruments, windows, strobes... are conforming to FAA standards. Depending on the plane, you can run into some jackpots here, one of the guys had to change out all their windows on a 210 when it came from Kenya because the DAR couldn't find what he was looking for on them.
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James331
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James331
My 185 was exported to Canada for the second owner before me, than brought back to the US for the most recent owner before me, even though I'm missing the logs before the export to Canada in the mid 80s, going over all the crazy stuff TC wanted to see for the Canada import and the slightly less stuff required for the import back to the US, I felt VERY comfortable with the accuracy of the condition and times on the plane and engine.
I'd sooner take a plane that went through the import process but had some logs missing, over a plane which never went through the process but had full logs, there is a large difference between what's good enough for a shade tree AP IA and a conformity inspector.
I'd sooner take a plane that went through the import process but had some logs missing, over a plane which never went through the process but had full logs, there is a large difference between what's good enough for a shade tree AP IA and a conformity inspector.
It really depends on the plane and the deal, but yeah, it has to be a damned good deal, or necessity to business, to make it worthwhile IMO. The 210 from Kenya worked out only because he was importing his own plane he bought there for a song while living there, and flew it over himself.
It has to be inspected and if there are any alterations they get scrutinized. So if its new and never modified, you will be good to go. If its old and repaired, they will find something, and there is no way of telling what or how much it might cost beforehand. With so many airplanes available in the US...most dont bother. Still there is always the guy who did it and will tell you it was worth it. If you like to bump up against Federal Bureaucracies and inspectors, go ahead and give it a try. Maybe you'll like it. I suppose if it doesnt work, you could always sell it in the country where you bought it.
Thing is right now the US Dollar is strong in Canada. Another thing to watch for in Canada s planes under the Owner Maint program, that will pretty much assure you that your conformance inspection process will be difficult and expensive before you get you COA.
Also some deals like this yak I posted earlier, with only 380tt negotiable at 28k USD.
Prime example deal of where doing the import is worthwhile, especially since there is already an established niche industry vector of the people with the skills and knowledge to get it all done quickly and efficiently. They can give a firm quote on the import cost because they have done many.