I should probably buy this C-182

[David MacRay]

What’s with European taildragger pricing? The other day I saw an airworthy Auster for about $15k.

They heard about the nightmares to import them so they know they aren’t going to get the ridiculous Canadian prices for them?

[Nark]

Serious question:

Is it that prohibitive to buy down here in the US and import?

Seems like your dollar goes a lot further here for aircraft.

I also think in large most owners in Canada suffer from the $$ invested = direct increase in airframe value.

[Slick Goodlin]

Is it that prohibitive to buy down here in the US and import?

The approval processes for things that happen to an airplane over the years are different between countries. A good example is we don’t have 337(?) forms up here so you either have to find/create a STC or undo it.

I don’t mind jumping through hoops for a crazy deal, but it does have to be worth it.

[Colonel]

Depending upon the aircraft, you probably want to budget a year of downtime and $50,000 for an import.

That's quite a hit. And during that downtime, expect to do serious damage to the engine because of internal corrosion.

Some aircraft are nearly impossible to import to Canada. And I'm not talking modifications. I know
of a Pitts that TC reviewed a wing repair on, and said that the 337 didn't have enough information. The
shop doesn't exist any more, so that can't be done.

I guess you could fly the aircraft to Afton and have Aviat tear it to pieces and rebuild it with a DAR signing
it off as airworthy, basically super-ceding the wing repair. Even simply replacing the wings with new wouldn't
be good enough, because of the possibility of fuselage damage.

No, that airplane needed to be completely disassembled, rebuilt and re-certified from scratch.

Not everyone has that kind of spare dough.

[Slick Goodlin]

I know
of a Pitts that TC reviewed a wing repair on, and said that the 337 didn't have enough information. The
shop doesn't exist any more, so that can't be done.

That reminds me of two things: one a Tiger Moth wing that failed a pre-cover inspection because a new wing spar was laminated instead of solid. Never mind that it was laminated in accordance with an original DH drawing that was in hand at the time of inspection, the inspector had never seen it done that way on a Moth before so it was no bueno. Probably stronger that way too.

The other was an imported glider that had had a repair done decades ago but the mechanic forgot to sign the log entry. The easiest solution given by TC was to get him to sign it, except he’d been dead for years. Second best was to get the manufacturer to sign off on it but they’re long gone too. It’s flying now so there must have been some resolution but it wasn’t easy.

Of course a thread like this teases out the horror stories and there are surely planes that come into the country easily too. Those stories are boring and quickly forgotten. Maybe the big take away here is that importing an airplane to Canada is like buying a reverse lottery ticket. It may or may not get really expensive really fast and that has to temper any purchasing decisions.

[Colonel]

I’ve never bet on being lucky.

Some people sail through import, and more power to them.

A friend of mine bought a new Super-D and you would have thought that should be quick and easy, but TC seemed to take pride in making that difficult. I have no idea why they do that.

[Nark]

Holy smokes, a can of worms indeed.

Finally a reason as to why a POS Mooney that is at best worth (subjective) $35k down here is selling for $55k+. There’s no supply.


Also, Canada needs a 337 process.

Case in point: for my ADS-b solution, I snipped and spliced in to my rear position light. All I needed to do was snip the + and attach the ground. Boom, LED was installed. Open the app, configure the ADS-b.

ADS-b compliant (978 at least).
Required a 337, sure. But an absolute waste of an STC to splice a wire.

[Squaretail]

Weirdest 337 I saw to be removed on an import? An external loudspeaker mounted on a 206 on amphibs. Plane came from Alaska, previous owner apparently had it to ward off boaters. Had a siren, and a handset so you could yell at people through it.

[Colonel]

You don't like this?