Importing partially built plane from Canada into USA?

[gshearer]

Got a good lead on a partially completed (about 1/2 done) plane in Canada & wondering about the difficulty of purchasing it and bringing it across the border into the US where I live to finish it. Since this is just a partially built plane it is not registered anywhere. Anyone know if there would be paperwork, taxes, duties, etc., involved in bringing it south across the Canadian border into the USA?

thx

[Bdflies]

I can respond to your question, with some qualifications. Around 2001, I bought a Murphy Moose fast build kit. That kit was manufactured in Canada. I had absolutely no issues related to crossing the border. No customs problems or unusual tax consequences. I can't speak to any changes that may have occurred, since that time. But, I wouldn't think buying a partially built project would be different from buying anything else from Canada.
Are you looking at a kit built, or scratch built? If scratch, just be sure to get the original plans. If kit, be sure to get a clean bill of sale, in addition to the original sale documents.

Bill

[Chris In Milwaukee]

I'll ask this in the comments section to keep from derailing the thread. What became of your Moose?

[Bdflies]

I had the Glasair, for the 'Speed Fix' and wanted something for slow. So, I started the Moose. As life evolved, we bought some acreage that allowed a 2000' airstrip. Glasair couldn't dream of working from this strip and Moose was just begun. I got tired of watching friends fly to and from my strip... Sold the Glasair and bought a Husky. Realized the Husky did everything I wanted at less fuss than the Moose would be. Sold the Moose. Understand it made first flight about two years ago.

Love your new picture! Mine is gonna change, very soon...

Bill

[Chris In Milwaukee]

Thanks! My mom tells me it's her favorite picture of me. :-) My wife thinks it's me looking across the airport toward my next airplane purchase!

Can't wait to see your plane fly. For that matter, I can't wait for mine to fly one day, too!

[JimParker256]

Just make sure you have all the receipts for everything that makes up the "sale", and you will need as much documentation about the build itself as the current owner has available. You still have to prove it was at least 51% amateur built. There was a recent "Ask The DAR" column in KitPlanes where Mel Asbury addressed this topic. I gave mine away, but someone here may still have it...

[Chris In Milwaukee]

There was a recent "Ask The DAR" column in KitPlanes where Mel Asbury addressed this topic.

Here's the text of that question from March 2017 issue:

Question: How do you import an Experimental airplane into the United States? Is there a simple list of the things you need to do to make this happen? It seems the info is a bit scattered. Most of what I can find simply says deregister here, register there, send in the bill of sale to the FAA, and slap on the new registration. Nowhere can I find the info regarding a DAR inspection, and/or other proof of E/A-B status. If you can point me in the right direction, I'd be grateful.

Answer: A Special Airworthiness Certificate issued to an Experimental/ Amateur-Built aircraft is a U.S. thing. When an Amateur-Built aircraft is brought into the U.S., it will not have a valid Airworthiness Certificate. To obtain a valid Airworthiness Certificate, it must be inspected and issued a Special Airworthiness Certificate in the Experimental category for the purpose of "operating Amateur-Built aircraft."

The requirements for the issuance of the airworthiness certificate are listed in FAA Order 8130.2H, Section 9, particularly paragraphs 454 & 455.

There are no provisions for "importing" an Amateur-Built aircraft from another country.

Under this order, the applicant must show, and the inspector must find, that the aircraft meets the requirements for the Airworthiness Certificate. Among these requirements is to show proof of the major portion rule, commonly known as the 51% rule.

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Copyright 2017 Kitplanes. No animals were harmed during the copy and paste of this passage. Drink Wisconsinbly. Contents may be hot. Keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at al times.

[JimParker256]

Yep - that's the one! Thanks!
PS - Mel Asbury is in my EAA chapter, and he's our local DAR. Kind of cool to know someone who is publishing stuff on a regular basis!

[Chris In Milwaukee]

That's very cool. Celebrity!

[Zzz]

Don't overthink it. It's not an airplane. It's a collection of steel tubing and some other stuff. Only your dedication and magic are going to make it deserving of an airworthiness certificate. How much was already complete, not unlike a quick-build kit, is your business only.

[JimParker256]

ZZZ is correct. How much YOU personally build is irrelevant. But how much of the "build" was by an "amateur" is vitally important, thus the need for documentation of the build. A buddy imported a CH-750 from Canada that was completed just as the builder lost his medical. Everything was well-documented (kit purchase receipt, logs and pictures of the build, etc.). It was no problem at all to get the airworthiness certificate here in the US, but it required a complete inspection by a DAR (coincidentally, done by Mel Asbury...) in order to get it.