Well guys, I'm certainly not looking in the near future, I'm looking into where I want to take my flying in the next few years as far as aircraft selection so I can future plan.

Given how much cheaper aircraft are in the states, I'm looking at getting an aircraft from over there, and shipping it over. Im looking at either a j3 or a champ at this stage. Before I start throwing out the little bits Of knowledge I have collected about this subject, I thought I would see what collected knowledge there is about it out there on the topic, and if theres any advice/help anyone thinks they could offer?

If you find a plane in or around the Idaho area, Shaun Tubbs at Performance Air at Caldwell, Idaho has many experiences disassembling and shipping aircraft all over the world.

Not sure about paperwork. But it's pretty easy for anybody to do. Just ship in an over seas container.

Laurie Sexton is an Aussie who does this work. Very talented. I visit with him on occasion in Hervey Bay and Honolulu. He may be in PNG right now.

Send him an email:

[email protected]

Or...

[email protected]

You are very welcome to be my guest here, in the US, while working projects.

A bloke told me it is best to try and get a plane from near LA as that is where they ship from. Apparently it costs a small fortune to fright a plane there on the main land. Anyone heard anything about that?

If and when you purchase an airplane in the States, I will fly it to the west coast and deposit it where you wish.

And for this service I will charge you absolutely zero.

Let me and other BCP'ers know how we can help you in your quest.

Portland has a port. Not sure if it's the final launching point for intl freight or not, but I have a kiwi friend who recently shipped his gyrocopter to NZ from here.

I have no international experience and little domestic but, here are my thoughts...

A sea container will require trucking on both ends regardless of seaport and the aircraft can be loaded almost anywhere a truck can get to. In Australia it can be trucked almost anywhere. But, most people truck as close to the seaport as possible.

West Coast ports: Seattle, San Fran, LA, San Diego are typical and the closer you assemble/reassemble the aircraft the less for trucking. Brissy and Sydney are your best location for Aussie seaports. Truck to a local hangar, reassemble and fly to Cape Byron.

In Honolulu the trucking was only $200 from Honolulu Harbor to PHNL (5 miles). We brought (2) aircraft in a 40' sea container.

Shipping, logistics, and time are going to be very expensive. I would budget about $20-50K for the travel, shipping, insurance, taxes, assembly, packing and paper work. Make sure to have extra strength aspirin for the headaches you may possibly encounter.

We have a place near LA you can stay if you like, car included and would be glad to have you as our guest.

I got hired two years in a row by a guy who needed a crane to pick up a (loaded full) all aluminum high dollar horse trailer, and stick it in a 40' container, that was being shipped to Australia I remember him saying that the resale profit on the horse trailer paid for the shipping. Plus he crammed it full of stuff that he could buy cheaper stateside. He had been doing this for some years, he had some kind of job there, but got back to the states often. I remember him saying NO all aluminum horse trailers were available in Oz, and he sold the ones he brought back before he even got there!

courierguy wrote:I got hired two years in a row by a guy who needed a crane to pick up a (loaded full) all aluminum high dollar horse trailer, and stick it in a 40' container, that was being shipped to Australia I remember him saying that the resale profit on the horse trailer paid for the shipping. Plus he crammed it full of stuff that he could buy cheaper stateside. He had been doing this for some years, he had some kind of job there, but got back to the states often. I remember him saying NO all aluminum horse trailers were available in Oz, and he sold the ones he brought back before he even got there!

Australia has gigantic aluminum plants. The largest plant in the world is in Bundenburg. The plants may out produce the entire production of Europe alone.

Everything is made of aluminum vs steel compared to the US. I am surprised by your customers statement. I would have never guessed that.

There is a saying in the boat business that Aussies and Kiwis are the best aluminum fabricators. Which is true from what I saw there.

I do remember him acting like he was "cutting a fat hog", also that there was a big time aluminum trailer manufacturer right close by, In Soda Springs Idaho, so he was getting a pretty good deal. By now I'm sure someone wised up in Oz and has filled the need, it sounded like a good racket like it lasted. The last time he used me was maybe 12 years ago.

courierguy wrote:I do remember him acting like he was "cutting a fat hog", also that there was a big time aluminum trailer manufacturer right close by, In Soda Springs Idaho, so he was getting a pretty good deal. By now I'm sure someone wised up in Oz and has filled the need, it sounded like a good racket like it lasted. The last time he used me was maybe 12 years ago.

Shipping to Australian is very (very) expensive and time consuming. It is off route and in the Southern Hemisphere.

An interesting point is that Australia makes zero cars and light trucks. That last Holden (GM) facility closed last year. 99% come from Asia and 1% from others sources.

As a horsemen i can vouch for the steel trailer thing personally as i have all steel horse crates and trailers to. Its because most people over here who have large horse trailers, or floats as we call them, are bushys, so by having steel there tougher for our roads ( and believe me when i say are roads can get fricking rough out west! I remember being in the states as a kid being warned of the rough roads. And my mum and i looking at each other thinking where?) plus by having steel trailers, we all gave the gear around to mend them! Not only that most large trailers are built by the owners, but then again we also tend to choose trucks over large floats anyway.

The market that leaves for the aluminium trailers is limited, but the stiif upper lip hoyty toyty eventers and dressage riders with more money than sence. The sort that pay 20 grand for a horse for there kids first as oppose to 500 bucks for a paddock horse like they should. And have asphalt drive ways and x5 bmws. Not the mighty landcruiser that this country lives on

Im considering the option of getting an investor in and brining over a couple, use the profits from the second to pay for the shipping costs. A j3 over here in good but not perfect condition will sell for about 70 000 plus. A show room nick one 90 000. Im seeing them ocer there for between 25000 and 35000 for amazing birds so should be an oppertunity there for somone to make a buck.

Anyone want to sell a super cub, there selling at up to 200 000 over here! And very very rare to

DrifterDriver wrote:Im considering the option of getting an investor in and brining over a couple, use the profits from the second to pay for the shipping costs. A j3 over here in good but not perfect condition will sell for about 70 000 plus. A show room nick one 90 000. Im seeing them ocer there for between 25000 and 35000 for amazing birds so should be an oppertunity there for somone to make a buck.

Anyone want to sell a super cub, there selling at up to 200 000 over here! And very very rare to

Random ideas...

If the registration is changed to a "V" number is there a large tax? Incidently I was told aircraft parts have zero tax. Buy a project aircraft in AU at a low price then, assemble with imported parts of high value... You pay zero import tax vs a high value flying aircraft? Just saying. May not work but, an interesting idea I read about.

If the "N" number is kept, it must be maintained by a US A&P and may retain a transit status, I was told by Mr. Sexton. This would allow me (a Yank) to keep a US aircraft if it was signed off airworthy by a licensed US A&P under US CFR 14. Just fly it to PNG every so often to keep transit status and renew my EBT.

I guess a Jabiru is not what you need right now?

Im looking at one i can put under a 19 registration as oppose to a vh registration (recreational registration) so brining it in on our rego isnt to hard. This said I'm also looking into doing my US ppl so looking into the idea of keeping it on N numbers to.

If i could pass it off as a glider theres no tax! That would be handy!

Ever consider buying and building a kit? Kitfox, Rans, Highlander, etc? Sounds like it could be a viable option for you.

Like mentioned above. Containers are shipped all over the U.S.

Amoth has a terminal in Nampa, ID and run daily up to Seattle. Don't be sold just on SoCal.

Good luck on your search.

Thats my way up option, right now im balancing options, its as much my love for the classic types that is urging me toward this, but if it proved to be unviable kits are the abswer. Issue with kits is finding the time to build. Also keep in mind the extra cost of kits over here, a highlander kit with engind over here is upwards of 100 grand. The kitfox isnt to bad, but even the s7 kit with engine is around 40

I would concentrate on finding the plane you want. Then figure out the shipping later. Shipping is the easy part.

Also, I believe any global moving company (United, Atlas, Bekins, etc) can ship the plane, too. To make even more worth while. You can fill that container up with other stuff if you like. Just a food for thought.

I.ve shipped single Maules and two planes and floats etc in 40ft containers to Hawaii, OZ, NZ, Vanu Atu, Phillipines etc. Some routes go via other countries.
On the West coast I use Oakland airport and the trucking to or from the airport of packing or unpacking is not very expensive at all.
From East coast I have shipped from New Orleans, Savannah, Florida etc to Europe or Africa and some across the Pacific via the Panama Canal.
I use Kamino International to find me a ship as that is their business and there are very different freight rates according to the passage time.
Say, 10 days or two months or whatever is available can cut freight in half sometimes.
I always request wood floor containers rather than metal floor.
A well disassembled plane with all parts and fasteners carefully bagged and labels makes for a quick re assembly.
There is the cost of an FAA designee Export Certificate inspection too. If the plane has been annualled within 30 days of it , that can suffice but serial numbers etc must still be qualified.