Importing a Glider from Canada to US

[GeneReinecke]

Looking at a couple of used gliders in my price range across the border in Canada. Does anybody have recent experience importing and re-registering a Canadian glider in the US? Logistics, cost, time, etc.
Thanks in advance
Gene

[Dan Wrobel]

I believe Leading Edge Aviation, the FBO in Logan purchased an L-23 in Canada a couple of years ago. Talk to Scott Weaver or Kim Hall.

[JJ Sinclair[_2_]]

Get Transport Canada to "De-register the sailplane for export to USA", then obtain an "N" number and fill out a request for registration, send it to the FAA along with the bill of sale you got from the seller and your check for $5 bucks and the paperwork should be all done. Have an A&P / AI inspect the machine and sign off an annual and then you get to fly your new honey.
JJ
Plus, scrub off the "C" number and put on your new "N" number. Acetone usually removes old numbers and the new one can be vinyl.

[Dan Daly[_2_]]

Transport Canada link on process at https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/standards/general-ccarcs-export-2039.htm Export C of A makes it easier at import.

[Steve Leonard[_2_]]

On Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at 3:23:54 PM UTC-6, JJ Sinclair wrote:
> Get Transport Canada to "De-register the sailplane for export to USA", then obtain an "N" number and fill out a request for registration, send it to the FAA along with the bill of sale you got from the seller and your check for $5 bucks and the paperwork should be all done. Have an A&P / AI inspect the machine and sign off an annual and then you get to fly your new honey..
> JJ
> Plus, scrub off the "C" number and put on your new "N" number. Acetone usually removes old numbers and the new one can be vinyl.

Well, there is a bit more to it than that, JJ. Depends on Standard License or Owner Maintenance in Canada, and if it is to be Standard Airworthiness or Experimental in the US. Then there is the visit from the FAA or DAR for issuing the airworthiness certificate and or operating limitations.

Also had the recommendation to conduct the transaction in Canada. If done there, you are bringing your property into the US. No issues. If the transaction happens here, you can get in trouble with papers as the plane was "brought into the US with intent to sell" and there are fees, etc that must be paid, and forms to be filed in triplicate. And we won't go in to the 8 by ten color glossy photographs with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explainin' what each one was, to be used as evidence against us...

Steve Leonard

[Andrzej Kobus]

On Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at 4:23:54 PM UTC-5, JJ Sinclair wrote:
> Get Transport Canada to "De-register the sailplane for export to USA", then obtain an "N" number and fill out a request for registration, send it to the FAA along with the bill of sale you got from the seller and your check for $5 bucks and the paperwork should be all done. Have an A&P / AI inspect the machine and sign off an annual and then you get to fly your new honey..
> JJ
> Plus, scrub off the "C" number and put on your new "N" number. Acetone usually removes old numbers and the new one can be vinyl.

Not as simple as JJ says. I imported a glider from Canada with a standard certificate of airworthiness with excellent documentation.

Someone in the US has to issue a US certificate of airworthiness and while having an export certificate of airworthiness available helps it does not make the process pain free, read $$$. I obtained export C of A from Canada. You might get lucky. Then the trailer is yet another story, careful here.

[richard wilkening]

I recently called my local FSDO about this. I was told that if the glider was previously registered in the U.S., your local FSDO can do the paperwork.

If it's never been here, the process is more involved.

I decided that asking lots of questions and being proactive with FAA before import would be a good idea.

[Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot)]

On Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at 4:57:34 PM UTC-5, Steve Leonard wrote:
> On Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at 3:23:54 PM UTC-6, JJ Sinclair wrote:
> > Get Transport Canada to "De-register the sailplane for export to USA", then obtain an "N" number and fill out a request for registration, send it to the FAA along with the bill of sale you got from the seller and your check for $5 bucks and the paperwork should be all done. Have an A&P / AI inspect the machine and sign off an annual and then you get to fly your new honey.
> > JJ
> > Plus, scrub off the "C" number and put on your new "N" number. Acetone usually removes old numbers and the new one can be vinyl.
>
> Well, there is a bit more to it than that, JJ. Depends on Standard License or Owner Maintenance in Canada, and if it is to be Standard Airworthiness or Experimental in the US. Then there is the visit from the FAA or DAR for issuing the airworthiness certificate and or operating limitations.
>
> Also had the recommendation to conduct the transaction in Canada. If done there, you are bringing your property into the US. No issues. If the transaction happens here, you can get in trouble with papers as the plane was "brought into the US with intent to sell" and there are fees, etc that must be paid, and forms to be filed in triplicate. And we won't go in to the "8 by ten color glossy photographs with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explainin' what each one was, to be used as evidence against us..."
>
> Steve Leonard

Arlo Guthrie...... nuff said...... LOL........ Yes, I have BOTH versions.......

PS, added "quotes" to the end of your post...... ;-)

[JJ Sinclair[_2_]]

My experience was all positive and there were some pitfalls. To start with the owner reported the ship destroyed. It wasn't destroyed, just busted up a bit. I wrote to Transport Canada, explained the situation and requested they de-register it for export. Took about a month, then after I repaired it and signed off an annual inspection I requested the Airworthiness Certificate. Local FSDO asked if I wanted Standard or Experimental? I opted for Experimental, they came out, looked the bird over and typed out a Certificate on the spot. All this did take some time, but mostly because it needed to be repaired. Couldn't get an Airworthiness for Export, because she wasn't airworthy! Didn't need it anyway. If you want a Standard Airworthiness Certificate, you may have to pay a DAR to perform a compliance inspection to prove it is in compliance with its Type Certificate.
Much simpler to buy a ship here, but with a little patience and a good deal, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Canadian bird.
JJ

[Robert Buck]

At 22:19 24 February 2015, Charlie M. UH & 002 owner/pilot
wrote:
>On Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at 4:57:34 PM UTC-5, Steve
Leonard wrote:
>> On Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at 3:23:54 PM UTC-6, JJ
Sinclair wrote:
>> > Get Transport Canada to "De-register the sailplane for export
to USA",
>=
>then obtain an "N" number and fill out a request for registration,
send it
>=
>to the FAA along with the bill of sale you got from the seller and
your
>che=
>ck for $5 bucks and the paperwork should be all done. Have an
A&P / AI
>insp=
>ect the machine and sign off an annual and then you get to fly
your new
>hon=
>ey.=20
>> > JJ
>> > Plus, scrub off the "C" number and put on your new "N"
number.
>Aceton=
>e usually removes old numbers and the new one can be vinyl.
>>=20
>> Well, there is a bit more to it than that, JJ. Depends on
Standard
>Licen=
>se or Owner Maintenance in Canada, and if it is to be Standard
>Airworthines=
>s or Experimental in the US. Then there is the visit from the FAA
or DAR
>f=
>or issuing the airworthiness certificate and or operating
limitations. =20
>>=20
>> Also had the recommendation to conduct the transaction in
Canada. If
>don=
>e there, you are bringing your property into the US. No issues. If
the
>tr=
>ansaction happens here, you can get in trouble with papers as the
plane
>was=
> "brought into the US with intent to sell" and there are fees, etc
that
>mus=
>t be paid, and forms to be filed in triplicate. And we won't go in
to the
>=
>"8 by ten color glossy photographs with circles and arrows and a
paragraph
>=
>on the back of each one explainin' what each one was, to be used
as
>evidenc=
>e against us..."
>>=20
>> Steve Leonard
>
>Arlo Guthrie...... nuff said...... LOL........ Yes, I have BOTH
>versions...=
>....
>
>PS, added "quotes" to the end of your post...... ;-)
>
WITH CIRCLES AND ARROWS ON THE GLOSSY 8 X 10's! RB

[[email protected]]

On Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at 1:16:51 PM UTC-5, GeneReinecke wrote:
> Looking at a couple of used gliders in my price range across the border in Canada. Does anybody have recent experience importing and re-registering a Canadian glider in the US? Logistics, cost, time, etc.
> Thanks in advance
> Gene

Take care, went to Toronto (from FL)to buy an ASW-15 some years ago. Owner told me it was pristine, never damaged, etc., etc., etc.. He never wanted me to review the logbook and when I did, I didn't really find any discrepancies that would throw up the red flags. Upon inspection of the ship, I noticed some very small pinholes in the gel coat on the leading edge of the vertical fin. The owner then explained that the aft fuselage from the trailing edge of the wings to the top of the vertical fin had been refinished by a local Corvette repair shop. No certified logbook entry by an AME (Aircraft Maintenance Engineer) for the refinish. Ended my inspection. His mistake, I hold an A&P certificate and AME "R" (rotary wing)certificate from Canada. Just my opine.

[Allen Duncan]

I have very recent experience.
Among the normal things (log books, all maintenance and repair records with proper approvals), make absolutely sure you have a good Certificate of Export.

Talk to a Designated Airworthiness Representative for your area before you
make the purchase. (DARs are listed on the FAA website ):

https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/designees_delegations/designee_types/media/DARDirectory.pdf

Good luck! With a little precaution it could be a great transaction.

[danlj]

Agree. About four years ago our club bought a glider in Canada. Our member who picked it up believed the pleasant Canadian who said, "Oh, you don't really need an Export Certificate of Airwothiness." Bad mistake. He spent the next six weeks disassembling & reassembling it under the watchful eye of an FAA inspector who was kind and friendly but thorough.

[GeneReinecke]

On Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at 11:16:51 AM UTC-7, GeneReinecke wrote:
> Looking at a couple of used gliders in my price range across the border in Canada. Does anybody have recent experience importing and re-registering a Canadian glider in the US? Logistics, cost, time, etc.
> Thanks in advance
> Gene

OK, thanks for all the suggestions. So nice to get information from the community without any flames, bickering, characters called into question . . .
Cheers
Gene

[JJ Sinclair[_2_]]

One more little tid-bit concerning importing a Canadian glider. The gentleman we sent to pick up the ship had a prior misunderstanding concerning the possession of a controlled substance and the Canadians wouldn't let him in the country! The seller had to meet him at the border, shove the trailer across the border, load the ship and hand shove it back across the border whereupon he departed South, glider in tow, waving a fond farewell to the Canadian authorities with his social finger.
:>) JJ

[richard wilkening]

On Friday, February 27, 2015 at 11:54:11 AM UTC-6, JJ Sinclair wrote:
> One more little tid-bit concerning importing a Canadian glider. The gentleman we sent to pick up the ship had a prior misunderstanding concerning the possession of a controlled substance and the Canadians wouldn't let him in the country! The seller had to meet him at the border, shove the trailer across the border, load the ship and hand shove it back across the border whereupon he departed South, glider in tow, waving a fond farewell to the Canadian authorities with his social finger.
> :>) JJ

The Canadians also don't take kindly to those who've had DUI convictions. Here is some info:

http://www.himsprogram.com/Content/HimsResources/ResourceLibrary/CanadianEntry.pdf

[Tony[_5_]]

I spent an hour and a half trying to get into Canada with a box of vintage sailplane association Tshirts. Apparently they were very worried that I was going to set up a black market T-shirt shop while I was there.

Getting the glider into the US was easy from my perspective but my customer had hired an import agent to dot the i's and cross t's. I handed them a pile of paperwork. I ran through the xray thing the semis go through to check for illegal aliens and they had a look in the front of the trailer and I was back in the USA

[SF]

The trailer offers potentially more difficulty at the border crossing than the glider. Buy the trailer with a separate bill of sale, leave the Canadian tag on it, and take the Canadian Title with you. You will have to mail the Canadian tag back to the owner so they can turn it in, and use the bill of sale and Canadian title to get you a US title for the trailer. For payment you can buy a draft from a Canadian bank in Canadian$ from your US bank. The airplane stuff is pretty straight forward as others have described.

SF