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RV9 - Potential Import from Canada?? Ideas? Opinions?

BrianHOU

Member
Recently decided to come back to flying and everyone on this site has been super cool and I've got some folks I may ride with this month and it's been great.

Have been looking for an RV9 and found one in Canada, started talking to the broker for the guy - it's an inexpensive VFR platform that's fine, basic stuff and is still flying on weekends, decent cold compression - it's fine, we might move forward with an inspection.

Pricewise, it's at the low end of the market. ($60K) Perhaps owing to steam gauges and (minor?) damage history to nosewheel (rebuilt after ballooned landing and a prop strike, replaced, engine checked).

By contrast well-equipped IFR platforms (which I want eventually) seem to be 85-95K. So that's a pretty big range, low-end VFR 60K - high end IFR 95K

So the question is how hard is it to export a plane out of Canada (now that we can't go there, obviously harder) and import it into the US? Is it worth it to save 20,000 on a plane that's been damaged.

My understanding from talking to a few people is the import inspection is like the mother of all annuals, you hope to obtain an experimental amateur built status and it's not a given. So...is it worth it? The headache...?

I might be willing to do it to save 25K on the price of an airplane...

Is it worth messing with to try to get a plane out of Canada - the broker doesn't want to use escrow, which I'm completely not comfortable with - he thinks I should just wire HIM the money...the whole thing is beginning to make me scratch my head.

I've never bought a plane, I've been out of aviation for 10 years...I don't want to make a mess of it just coming back into the industry.

I'm actually ASKING for people to weigh in so that I can get a lot of ideas on this so I'm not missing anything...I need some other voices besides the ones in my head that keep saying I'm wasting my time. Any thoughts? Any importers?

Isn't 60K really low? Is it a scam? It's on Trade-A-Plane, but I don't think they're screening ads...And the broker who doesn't want to use escrow?

No money or documents have been exchanged yet...

Anyone? Please feel free to enlighten me.

Thanks for the advice...
 
Especially if you are willing to pay the escrow fees, there's no reason that a seller should not be OK with using an escrow...

If your gut tells you to run, you better get running.
 
Don't buy it unless you can use escrow PERIOD!
There is a fair RV9a in the Ottawa area for sale also straight VFR.
Was the engine torn down by a reputable shop if not walk away from it, no dont do that run as fast as you can.
 
Walk away. The unwillingness to use escrow is screaming at you. Period....end of discussion.

Now, for getting an airplane from Canada, I've done it and it is completely doable but, to do it with minimal hassle, takes some cooperation from the seller and a fair amount of FAA paperwork and DAR expense. There are definite steps that must be done in order for it to go through cleanly. If you get serious on a Canadian plane, PM me your contact info and I can walk you through the process.
 
<SNIP> the broker doesn't want to use escrow, which I'm completely not comfortable with - he thinks I should just wire HIM the money...the whole thing is beginning to make me scratch my head. <SNIP>

"Danger Will Robinson, ........ DANGER" Running shoes sound appropriate to me....
 
I wouldn't run away yet...escrow is not commonly used in Canada, and quite frankly, if I were selling, I would also be reluctant to use an uncommon method of financing to someone from outside the country.

Typical sale here is make a deposit, have it inspected. If you're satisfied to complete the purchase, do the paperwork, pay the balance and fly away, if you're not, you may get your deposit back, you may not. Depends on the seller.

No different than selling a boat, car etc. The only time escrow is commonly used is in real estate, not typically in a private sale of a 'vehicle' of any sort.
 
I wouldn't run away yet...escrow is not commonly used in Canada, and quite frankly, if I were selling, I would also be reluctant to use an uncommon method of financing to someone from outside the country.

Typical sale here is make a deposit, have it inspected. If you're satisfied to complete the purchase, do the paperwork, pay the balance and fly away, if you're not, you may get your deposit back, you may not. Depends on the seller.

No different than selling a boat, car etc. The only time escrow is commonly used is in real estate, not typically in a private sale of a 'vehicle' of any sort.

Well - the broker said that abt five or six times but it sounded pretty nutty...I'm glad you chimed in - thanks.
 
Travel restrictions

We have Covid related travel restrictions here also and it is generally not possible to travel to another state, let alone across international borders.

So think about how you would get into and out of Canada to inspect the plane. Even if you buy it sight unseen, there will still be another trip to go and fetch it. If you've been away from flying for 10 years then you are going to need to get current first. Or if you get somebody else, like maybe the owner, to relocate it for you, then that needs to be part of the negotiation. By the time you add up all the expenses for fuel, commercial flights, hotels and food etc. it could be another $3-5K on top of the purchase.

It would be much simpler to buy something closer to home, even if it takes a few more months of looking. Sorry I don't mean to discourage you but there are some extra logistical challenges to factor in at the moment!
 
I know of two aircraft sold to the US from Nova Scotia in the last few months. It can be done in COVID times.
 
Canada

Just a data point. We used escrow when we bought in Canada and the seller never even mentioned anything to the contrary.
 
No apologies required...that's just a reality we're all having to live with.

We've addressed some of these issues in our negotiations...but yeah, it IS complicated...

There are a couple other planes I've looked at and the more expensive options might make sense at this point after looking at the numbers with the accountant who's doing my business taxes.

Apparently the tax laws were changed under Trump to include a provision for aircraft and other equipment used for business called "bonus depreciation" that lets you deduct all the depreciation in the first year.

So it turns out, maybe the less expensive plane ISN'T the best plan and tying myself in knots trying to get it out of canada isn't necessary.

So the search continues...

Thanks for sharing your thoughts...

Brian
 
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