Importing a plane that needs an engine rebuild.

[David MacRay]

Can a guy buy a plane from the US&A? Import it, register it, then have the engine rebuilt in YYC or some other Canadian shop? Or buy a rebuilt engine and import it also?

What are going to be potential issues? Anything that may be as bad as getting married.?

[cgzro]

Of course, every imported plane needs an engine rebuild at some time anyway, could be next week or in 10 years but you can't escape it ;(


However its not a good idea to buy a plane that needs an immediate rebuild or fabric work etc. A far better approach is to buy one that has just had the engine or fabric / prop etc. work a few years ago, that way you will be paying about 50% of what it cost the owner. Much better deal.

[David MacRay]

I'm not going to do it but, there is a 1983 Piper Warrior for sale for just under twenty thousand dollars US in Ohio. It has just over 4000 hours tt and looks pretty good. The ad says it needs paint and an engine rebuild. The paint looks ok though obviously it is  30 years old.

My thought is with a nice polish and some wrenching I could have that plane for around $50 000 us with a zero time fresh engine. Instead of paying more for an older plane with more TTSN & time on the engine. It is not unusual to see planes from the 60s for more than $50k us. They don't look much different than this one.

These guys sell zero time engines for $19k us. https://www.pennyanaero.com/Piper-PA-28 ... D3G-53.php

I am just wondering how wrong I am?


Here is a nice one with zero time prop and engine but, it has 9430 TT and it is in Florida. Could be salty.

http://www.controller.com/listings/airc ... warrior-ii

[David MacRay]

This is why I'm confused. Here is another one, older, obviously a trainer, almost twenty thousand hours. Same price as the one that made me start the thread. It's a nice enough plane but much much more worn.

https://www.pennyanaero.com/Piper-PA-28 ... D3G-53.php

To be honest I am too chicken to try to import a plane. If I can get the funds or a loan for one I will likely look fo a Canadian registered plane. I don't want anything Transport Canada could use to flag me as a trouble maker.

[Colonel]

[quote] I don't want anything Transport Canada could use to flag me as a trouble maker.[/quote]

I truly hope that remark was made in jest.

If it wasn't, quite a rant might follow.

I might have to point out that the Canadian
government, despite how the government
acts, and what people think, [b]doesn't actually
own the entire fucking country[/b].  They are
supposed to administrate for the fucking
[b]BENEFIT[/b] of the citizens - [b]NOT THEMSELVES[/b].

Canadian citizens are [b]NOT[/b] subservient to a
tyrannical fascist state, and [b]SHOULD NOT[/b] live in
fear of retribution, as you do.

I might also point out that Transport, despite their
obnoxious swagger, doesn't actually fucking own
aviation and all the airplanes in Canada.

Those bureaucrats with all the fucking attitude
[i]actually work for the goddamned citizens of the
country[/i] - not the other way 'round.

When good, decent, honest citizens fear their
government, well, it reminds me of 1930's
Germany. 

Got a star of David sewed to your jacket yet?

[img width=500 height=451]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... rn_JMW.jpg[/img]

[David MacRay]

It was mostly in jest. I do have a habit of trying to do things that would promote a, "That guy is a nice pilot that tries to follow the rules. Let him fly." image.

I would hate to have to answer to the Coca-Cola company.

[David MacRay]

I think a person who was willing to do their homework, could import a plane and keep Transport happy with the event.

[cgzro]

Having just had an engine rebuilt by pennyanearo let me stay they are a very good company to deal with however they are not cheap and the won't cut any corners.


The prices that is quoted is assuming ALL the bits and pieces are reusable. If parts are found not reusable then the prices starts to go up and can do so quite dramatically if the case or crank are not ok to reuse.


Usually when you look at an inexpensive plane (irrespective of if its in Canada or US) you find that every hose, tube, wire in the plane is in need of replacement and the engine/prop needs overhaul and the instruments are all in poor shape. The cost of doing all of those things quickly becomes more than the purchase price of the plane. For example hoses can set you back 5K, instruments even basic can set you back 10k, wiring .. well that can be a nightmare of labour costs and the engine like I said, a 25K overhaul can quickly become 35k and then you need to factor in 4-5k for removal, shipping and re-install.


Its much cheaper to buy a plane that is close to what you want than to try to restore it to what you want. Of course if you enjoy doing the work yourself and are handy and perhaps its in the OM category then you could perhaps do it cheaper. Otherwise buy the most you can afford because you'll be spending that money anyway.


Importation just adds another wrinkle because all the work needs to be acceptable to transport and that can be a bit of a nightmare if there was work done by field approvals or if parts from similar but not identical types were installed so much homework is required to check the paperwork when you import to avoid any surprises. I.e. 337's, major repairs etc. all should be scrutinized to ensure they are ok with TC.

[David MacRay]

That was kind of how my idea got legs.

There was one plane that had a "field rebuilt engine." OK swell, then the possibility arises that something that was fine with the FAA is not done to Transport Canadas higher standard. Next thing, I am about to buy a veggie lovers pizza and Transport phones to tell me I better fix my plane. ~insert debit machine sound~

I'm just being Gavin from Kids In The Hall but, I am curious about these things.

I would like to get a nice go-for job at an airplane fixing shop and see how things work in the real world.