Shipping a Glider from Europe

I am considering the purchase of a glider that I would have to ship
from Switzerland to an East Coast port. Can anyone give me some
direction on the best way to accomplish this. The things I'm most
concerned about are; official paperwork, customs, funds transfer and
shipping.

On Aug 7, 8:30*am, Coucked wrote:
I am considering the purchase of a glider that I would have to ship
from Switzerland to an East Coast port. Can anyone give me some
direction on the best way to accomplish this. The things I'm most
concerned about are; official paperwork, customs, funds transfer and
shipping.

Gawd, there was a fellow in our club who imported a Grob 103 with
trailer from Belgium several years ago. As I remember it stayed
parked for about 6 months while he chased the paperwork. I would
contact your FSDO and ask them about the process so you have it
all mapped out ahead of time. As I remember my friend's problem
stemmed from the fact that he needed paperwork from Belgium
cancelling the registration of the plane there before he could proceed
to register it here. I've also seen some discussion in the HP forum
about moving planes back and forth between the US and Canada,
which sometimes occurs smoothly, even.

-- Matt

mattm wrote:
On Aug 7, 8:30 am, Coucked wrote:
I am considering the purchase of a glider that I would have to ship
from Switzerland to an East Coast port. Can anyone give me some
direction on the best way to accomplish this. The things I'm most
concerned about are; official paperwork, customs, funds transfer and
shipping.

Gawd, there was a fellow in our club who imported a Grob 103 with
trailer from Belgium several years ago. As I remember it stayed
parked for about 6 months while he chased the paperwork. I would
contact your FSDO and ask them about the process so you have it
all mapped out ahead of time. As I remember my friend's problem
stemmed from the fact that he needed paperwork from Belgium
cancelling the registration of the plane there before he could proceed
to register it here. I've also seen some discussion in the HP forum
about moving planes back and forth between the US and Canada,
which sometimes occurs smoothly, even.

-- Matt

A kind reminder, Switzerland is not part of the European Union, this
probably means that whatever is valid for many countries in Europe may
not be valid for Switzerland. May be worse, may be better, but most
probably... different.

Beware.

Cheers,
Anders P

On Aug 7, 8:30*am, Coucked wrote:
I am considering the purchase of a glider that I would have to ship
from Switzerland to an East Coast port. Can anyone give me some
direction on the best way to accomplish this. The things I'm most
concerned about are; official paperwork, customs, funds transfer and
shipping.

You are wise you asked this question since there is a lot to importing
a glider and especially importing a trailer from Europe. I did this a
couple of years ago. Send me an e-mail and we can arrange a
conversation.

As Matt pointed out, the Swiss de-registration of the aircraft with
paperwork being sent to the FAA is the most important part.
Also be certain to have good title documents for the trailer. I've
found this to be the biggest pain about buying most gliders. Very few
seem to care about trailer documentation.
Then it's just a matter of getting the new documentation from the
FAA. They will have received the deregistration documents from CH.
Apply for the N-number on the FAA website in advance, and start the
paper trail with your local FSDO.
If you want to drive the trailer out of the docks you may need a
plate. Somehow registering the trailer before it arrives is best.
Build and test the electrical adapter and be certain you have a 50mm
ball, unless you've got a 2" coupler for the trailer.
Getting the shipping done and customs clearance is easy if you hire
the right people. Get several quotes on the shipping. My last shipment
ended up costing just over half of what the highest bidder quoted.
Prior to shipment, discard the main batteries (small memory
batteries in flight computers, radios, etc are OK) and remove any
cleaning fluids, adhesives, etc (HAZMAT) from the trailer, and clean
the glider and trailer completely inside and out. Also use a spray
insecticide in the trailer. You don't need to be charged for
professional cleaning and quarantine.
To get a few dollars toward the shipping, you may want to put
somebody else's stuff in the trailer or container if you are using one
(consolidation). If you do this, include that stuff in the paperwork.
Jim

On Aug 7, 8:30*am, Coucked wrote:
I am considering the purchase of a glider that I would have to ship
from Switzerland to an East Coast port. Can anyone give me some
direction on the best way to accomplish this. The things I'm most
concerned about are; official paperwork, customs, funds transfer and
shipping.

You do not have to acquire the services of a broker, I did it this
past March without one only after reviewing what I would need when
clearing customs. Don't let anyone tell you that a broker is legally
required. It is not. Read the regulations and laws. If you are not
good at meticulously following directions and doing simple paperwork,
then by all means get a broker.

The trailer must be acceptable to Dept of Trans. requirements. If it
is an old trailer (I think 25 years old and greater) you do not need a
letter of conformity from the manufacturer. However, if it is
younger, you must have such a letter to provide DOT and to show
customs. If trailers are registered and tagged in Switzerland, then
get all of that documentation. Make sure you have the serial number
and (if applicable) the registration numger of any tag. There is a
DOT form you must fill out. The customs office will tell you where to
obtain that. Get the trailer papers in order or your ship will
certainly remain at pierside possibly for a long and expensive wait.

Make sure you have an Export Airworthiness Certification done by the
Swiss owner. Without this document, the FAA can require you to have
it type certified when you are doing your airworthiness certification
over here with them. Type certification is an expensive pain and a
step you can avoid if the ship is type certified to begin with and if
you have an export airworthiness certificate. I did not have one done
on my Grob 102. I did get around having to have it certified in
Boston for type by requesting to have it registered experimental. The
experimental registration is an option, some folks don't like to
register it to this certification. I have no problem with it.

Do your FAA registration at least two weeks prior to it being
shipped. If coming over in a trailer, the use of a roll on roll off
type of shipping conveyance will save you tons of money over shipping
alone in a container. If you share the container it can be more
economically feasible but can be a scheduling nightmare to try to get
three gliders shipped at a time, if at all a possibility to begin
with. RO RO is definitely the way to go.

Make sure the measurements you use for shipping quotes and for
shipping costs are exact, as i exact length of trailer, width and
heighth. The current owner will have to supply these measurements to
you if the trailer is not a commercailly available one with exact
specified dimensions referenced somewhere. Rember to include the
measurement of the tongue in overall length. If you measure small,
they will surcharge you and your costs will go up dramatically when
they measure the trailer at the port of origin facility.

You do not have to pay tax on the sailplane or the trailer, no export
or import duty is required, but make sure you don't have to pay a VAT
or such in Switzerland to buy this ship for importing. The US does
not charge tax on sailplanes or trailers.

A lot of research but you can really get a bargain in importing.
Americans have grossly inflated most sailplane values in our current
market. For example, I purchased my Grob 102 with trailer from
Britain, including all shipping and incidental costs, for under 10,200
USD. The ship is in good condition, flies like a dream and required
no work to fly her as is. The declining British Pound had some to do
with this bargain basement purchase, but I think the inflated values
of sailplanes on the american market had more to do with it. Grob
102s (with spar spiggot AD already accomplished by the way) typically
market for between 15 and 20k USD here.

You''ll get a lot of people offering opinions and advice here who have
never imported nor exported. You'll also have a lot here, such as I,
offer advice that worked for them. Your experience will be different
due to whom it is you work with at customs. If you get the run around
so to speak from the clerk at customs, ask for a supervisor. They
have to let you speak with one. Have your paperwork in order and
ready and you'll be in and out like I was in twenty minutes or so if
you are thorough in your preparation.

Good luck and research, research, research. Google this and look for
the checklists of how other people have done this procedure. I highly
recommend a thorough checklist.

Hi Coucked

Just reading a lot about importing. There is a glider currently in Switzerland that I want to import... wonder if I could ask you some basic questions if you might be able to advise/?

I am based in the UK

Many thanks
E26.

On Friday, 21 August 2015 13:46:07 UTC+2, wrote:
Hi Coucked

Just reading a lot about importing. There is a glider currently in Switzerland that I want to import... wonder if I could ask you some basic questions if you might be able to advise/?

I am based in the UK

Many thanks
E26.

Importing to the UK is a piece of cake, and if you need help, just ask. i am based in Zurich, and have exported a few gliders in the last 5 years.

Cheers