Importing a 2nd hand aircraft to Aus

[NinjaNate]

Hi All

 

I have a query that I'd be interested in getting some discussion going on:

 

- What is involved in RAA registering a 2nd hand aircraft that you import to Australia?

 

Given this question is probably too vague to discuss meaningfully, let's assume a few specifics:

 

-a factory built aircraft whose spec's fit within our regs (ie. Wt and speed etc) and

 

-we have RAA reg'd/flying examples of here in Oz already reg'd (e.g. CTSW, Foxbat etc)

 

What is the necassary process to go through? What are the approx costs and hurdles? Does anyone have any experience with bringing a 2nd hand aircraft into Australia?...What was this process like for you? How long did it take you? Any recommendations and advice (assume an inspection visit and flight as a given).. what would be your concerns on bringing in a foreign registered aircraft?

 

 

[old man emu]

Necessary Processes:

 

1. Finding an experienced shipper in the foreign country to dismantle and pack the plane into a container so that it is not damaged in the packing or transport. (Relatively easy to find someone if coming from the USA.)

 

2. Liaison with Australian Customs to ensure that all necessary taxes and fees are paid before you take delivery of the container here.

 

3. Liaison with AQIS to ensure that the plane is free from exotic flora and fauna.

 

From purchase to delivery might take about 3 months, allowing for time to dismantle and pack; transport across the water; Customs and AQIS, providing your paperwork is absolutely complete and correct in every way; transport from wharf to airfield.

 

Planes are coming in from overseas, especially the USA every week. It is hard to estimate a price for the import, but I don't think that you will get much change out of $20K for the process.

 

You will also have to add the fee for a qualified person to travel to the plane and thoroughly inspect it before you make the contract to purchase. And be prepared to accept the word of the qualified person if they tell you that the plane is crap. You might be out around $5000 to get that information, but you will save many times that amount in the long run.

 

I wouldn't be embarking on this without the nod from RAA that, all things being acceptable, the plane can go on the RAA register.

 

OME

 

 

[NinjaNate]

Necessary Processes:1. Finding an experienced shipper in the foreign country to dismantle and pack the plane into a container so that it is not damaged in the packing or transport. (Relatively easy to find someone if coming from the USA.)

2. Liaison with Australian Customs to ensure that all necessary taxes and fees are paid before you take delivery of the container here.

 

3. Liaison with AQIS to ensure that the plane is free from exotic flora and fauna.

 

From purchase to delivery might take about 3 months, allowing for time to dismantle and pack; transport across the water; Customs and AQIS, providing your paperwork is absolutely complete and correct in every way; transport from wharf to airfield.

 

Planes are coming in from overseas, especially the USA every week. It is hard to estimate a price for the import, but I don't think that you will get much change out of $20K for the process.

 

You will also have to add the fee for a qualified person to travel to the plane and thoroughly inspect it before you make the contract to purchase. And be prepared to accept the word of the qualified person if they tell you that the plane is crap. You might be out around $5000 to get that information, but you will save many times that amount in the long run.

 

I wouldn't be embarking on this without the nod from RAA that, all things being acceptable, the plane can go on the RAA register.

 

OME

Thanks OME for the insite! I totally agree on the last point about getting a qualified pre-purchase inspection opinion.

Did you bring a plane in from the US?

 

 

[Riley]

Thanks OME for the insite! I totally agree on the last point about getting a qualified pre-purchase inspection opinion.Did you bring a plane in from the US?

Beware NjN. I paid royally for a prepurchase inspection on a flying & registered experimental in Florida done by a AIME referred by my Aeronca friend in the local area of purchase. Excerpts from report: "almost like new", " I would buy this myself", etc, etc, No photos- my bad, but I had a jillion from the vendor. Based on the glowing report I consumated the purchase and also contracted the same guy to dis-assemble and pack the aircraft into a container (having given specific instructions on some essential basics). Outcome - container arrived with A/C having 'slipped its moorings and sculling about inside' (fortunately a smooth crossing and no serious damage), no dis-assembly notes, no photos or identification of matching components and almost 18 months of serious shopwork to get the machine to where I was confident to test fly it. Not that I'm ever likely to import another aircraft from anywhere but, were it to happen, I reckon the best money anyone could spend would be to travel to the sales location and inspect the machine personally (perhaps in company with a qualified aviation person). Unfortunately not all aviation personell are as straight-up and honest as the rest of us. Good luck with your searching.

 

 

[NinjaNate]

Beware NjN. I paid royally for a prepurchase inspection on a flying & registered experimental in Florida done by a AIME referred by my Aeronca friend in the local area of purchase. Excerpts from report: "almost like new", " I would buy this myself", etc, etc, No photos- my bad, but I had a jillion from the vendor. Based on the glowing report I consumated the purchase and also contracted the same guy to dis-assemble and pack the aircraft into a container (having given specific instructions on some essential basics). Outcome - container arrived with A/C having 'slipped its moorings and sculling about inside' (fortunately a smooth crossing and no serious damage), no dis-assembly notes, no photos or identification of matching components and almost 18 months of serious shopwork to get the machine to where I was confident to test fly it. Not that I'm ever likely to import another aircraft from anywhere but, were it to happen, I reckon the best money anyone could spend would be to travel to the sales location and inspect the machine personally (perhaps in company with a qualified aviation person). Unfortunately not all aviation personell are as straight-up and honest as the rest of us. Good luck with your searching.

Oh my God Riley. I can't imagine what that would have felt like to open the container door and see chaos inside. You poor thing! Wise words of advice .. thanks! I absolutely agree on the merits of going there to personally inspect. Travel is fairly cheap these days - I take it as a given that I will go and inspect the aircraft alongside an "expert".

What sort of aircraft did you bring in? How did you go on reg'd it with RAA?

 

 

[Riley]

Oh my God Riley. I can't imagine what that would have felt like to open the container door and see chaos inside. You poor thing! Wise words of advice .. thanks! I absolutely agree on the merits of going there to personally inspect. Travel is fairly cheap these days - I take it as a given that I will go and inspect the aircraft alongside an "expert".What sort of aircraft did you bring in? How did you go on reg'd it with RAA?

Apart from some scuffed dope on the empennage extremities, there wasn't any significant damage suffered by the A/C or wings due to 'roaming' around in the container and the 'chaos' of incorrect repairs, aviation non-compliance and absolute BS in lead-up correspondence didn't become evident untill we cleared Customs and got the project home. Now a happily registered RAA cat 19 experimental, the radial-engined Celebrity biplane attracts more favourable comment on it's appearance (3/4 scale Stearman) than what it does for it's useability. Life is such a learning curve (but, Gawd, that radial sounds nice!) cheers

 

 

[old man emu]

I totally agree on the last point about getting a qualified pre-purchase inspection opinion. Did you bring a plane in from the US?

Riley got done like a lot of people do by relying on the competency (honesty) of a stranger. When I said that it would cost about $5000 to send a qualified person from Australia, that is the very reason why that expense is justified. That person should be the person who will reassemble the plane back here, or supervise the reassembly and registration.

 

A qualified person from Australia will have dealt with importing planes before and will know who to get to disassemble and crate the plane.

 

I haven't imported any planes of my own, but worked for a business that dealt with importing planes and getting them on the GA register. Everything is the same for both RAA and GA in relation to getting a plane ready to fly - it's just some variation in the paperwork.

 

OME

 

 

[Bruce]

Riley got done like a lot of people do by relying on the competency (honesty) of a stranger. When I said that it would cost about $5000 to send a qualified person from Australia, that is the very reason why that expense is justified. That person should be the person who will reassemble the plane back here, or supervise the reassembly and registration.A qualified person from Australia will have dealt with importing planes before and will know who to get to disassemble and crate the plane.

 

I haven't imported any planes of my own, but worked for a business that dealt with importing planes and getting them on the GA register. Everything is the same for both RAA and GA in relation to getting a plane ready to fly - it's just some variation in the paperwork.

 

OME

And after you have done all that you have to get past AQIS on arrival. If the aircraft is new from a known manufacturer with a track record, the aircraft in container will smoothly pass through the clearing process. If, however the aircraft is second hand, the container will have to be completely unstuffed in a quarantine approved facility, inspected for, mud, grass, seeds and insects. The container is then stuffed again, not necessarily to your high standards and loaded on a truck for delivery. I always try to be there and supervise the unload, reload and fasten down for the final delivery. Take note also of what is happening with Classic car imports where brakes and engines are being pulled apart on arrival to remove brake linings and gaskets containing asbestos!

 

 

[rickshaw8]

Hi AllI have a query that I'd be interested in getting some discussion going on:

 

- What is involved in RAA registering a 2nd hand aircraft that you import to Australia?

 

Given this question is probably too vague to discuss meaningfully, let's assume a few specifics:

 

-a factory built aircraft whose spec's fit within our regs (ie. Wt and speed etc) and

 

-we have RAA reg'd/flying examples of here in Oz already reg'd (e.g. CTSW, Foxbat etc)

 

What is the necassary process to go through? What are the approx costs and hurdles? Does anyone have any experience with bringing a 2nd hand aircraft into Australia?...What was this process like for you? How long did it take you? Any recommendations and advice (assume an inspection visit and flight as a given).. what would be your concerns on bringing in a foreign registered aircraft?

We regu"ar

 

Hi AllI have a query that I'd be interested in getting some discussion going on:

 

- What is involved in RAA registering a 2nd hand aircraft that you import to Australia?

 

Given this question is probably too vague to discuss meaningfully, let's assume a few specifics:

 

-a factory built aircraft whose spec's fit within our regs (ie. Wt and speed etc) and

 

-we have RAA reg'd/flying examples of here in Oz already reg'd (e.g. CTSW, Foxbat etc)

 

What is the necassary process to go through? What are the approx costs and hurdles? Does anyone have any experience with bringing a 2nd hand aircraft into Australia?...What was this process like for you? How long did it take you? Any recommendations and advice (assume an inspection visit and flight as a given).. what would be your concerns on bringing in a foreign reSsgistered aircraft? [/quote

 

Ensure it is correctly removed from US register before export. The pacific is a wild ocean

 

A pitts we put on the Au register had recorded 9g during voyage