Zorg wrote:
What’s the rule for airplanes travelling in a trailer across the border?
I would assume the very same as for aircrafts flying: If you drive the trailer through an official “entry point” (which almost all roads that pass the border are) there is no problem. If you’d, however, cross the border somewhere in the woods (like on an unpaved road with a trailer or a non-customs airport), it’s your very own responsibility to report to the next customs office asap.
Not only as a pilot I would love a world without borders and customs – for surely good reasons, however, Switzerland and the EU decided that they do not want to have a customs union. That unfortunately imply for us pilots on both sides of the border, that there is significant complexity and risk if we cross it – esp. if we do so outside of designated customs airports.
In the case that leads to this discussion, many unfortunate events came together – from unclear messages in the AIP to a pilot that did not think about calling the customs office. A high price this pilot has to pay to remind us on a surprisingly simple learning: If we are not absolutely sure that it is not required, a call to the customs office responsible for the destination airfield should be a mandatory part of the preparation for a flight across a customs border.
Maybe few exceptions to that, when I went on gliding expedition to the Alps, there was no requirement to file FPs or let know FR/CH Customs under some Letter of Agreement when using local club gliders between France/Switzerland, there was always a big question if you end up in a field land out as they can’t send tug aircraft for aerotow retrieves but I believe it was always ok to go for ground retrieves, I recall I heard any horror stories on VAT or fines in that world….
Called the German customs to ask about glider-in-trailer scenario. The answer:
So it seems it’s the same procedure as for bringing parts to Germany for maintenance (very funny German customs terminology “zur Nachveredelung”).
What’s strange / inconsistent about this is that when flying with same aeroplane into Germany, then it seems like no such customs processing is necessary, nor a “security deposit”.
What an utterly stupid answer (not you, Zorg, but customs)
How long does the glider have to stop mid-air to do the customs processing? When cricling the Matterhorn in a helicopter or aircraft three times, how long does it take on each of the six border crossings between Switzerland and Italy to do this paperwork?
In both scenarios, the aircraft is crossing the border perfectly legally (presuming they do a flight plan or no flight plan is required under local regulations) without intent of landing in the other county. If then, by accident, they land in a country different from the one they left, they will not have the paperwork to be driven back to where they came from by road.
There might be a misunderstanding. My above post covers the scenario of taking an aeroplane in a trailer (i.e., on the road) from Switzerland into Germany — no flying involved on the border crossing. Your interpretation is highly humorous indeed. :)
But I follow your sentiment, and this procedure is unpractical, a hassle, and inconsistent with doing same trip in the air where no such procedure seems to apply.
Zorg wrote:
What’s strange / inconsistent about this is that when flying with same aeroplane into Germany, then it seems like no such customs processing is necessary, nor a “security deposit”.
The only requirement to fly Swiss club gliders to Germany without landing for FAI distance records was a “Letter of Laisser passer” by Swiss customs (not even pre-filed flight plan or German customs notification but you need to make RT contact before crossing borders), I need to check this in details but I never recalled anyone did a land out on a task over Germany nor if those “Swiss club gliders” have paid 2*VAT when I was there, but surely someone did land out in Germany, it is a normal risk when trying to break a distance record…
Obviously load of Swiss champions managed their 750km task badges, I doubt you can do this without going abroad 
“A friend” has passed the German-Swiss border a few times with his aeroplane in trailer in blissful ignorance of the aforementioned customs regulations, without any issues. I like to believe that most glider pilots just pass the border without stopping and providing a “security deposit”, without any issues doing so.
However, the main topic of this thread and similar cases raise a certain level of concern and FUD of having a really bad time at the border one very unlucky day …
Zorg wrote:
Called the German customs to ask about glider-in-trailer scenario. The answer:When you cross the border from Switzerland into Germany (I guess EU in general), you have to declare it to the customs.
They will do customs processing “for temporary usage” (“zur vorübergehenden Verwendung”) and issue some paperwork.
A “security deposit” will have to be paid, which is dependent on the customs rate and the value of the aeroplane.
This “security deposit” can be paid in cash or credit card and is refundable in full upon re-export of the aeroplane back to Switzerland.
So it seems it’s the same procedure as for bringing parts to Germany for maintenance (very funny German customs terminology “zur Nachveredelung”).What’s strange / inconsistent about this is that when flying with same aeroplane into Germany, then it seems like no such customs processing is necessary, nor a “security deposit”.
Digging around on the official EU customs tariff website, it appears that the so-called “third-country duty” is 0% for aircraft with an empty weight below 2000kg — so is the “tariff preference” for goods from Switzerland, see screenshots below. Would this mean that while the general customs procedure outlined above applies, the effective “security deposit” (and import duty when actually importing) is in fact nil? (This would reconcile the fact that an aeroplane entering the EU via air is not subject to a “security deposit”.)
I don’t claim to understand much of the EU customs regulations for aircraft on this page (which is the source of the screenshots), so I am not sure whether I’m even looking at the right place. Can someone with more experience shed some light into this please?
I wouldn’t be surprised that the security deposit is not nil because you also have to make security deposit for VAT, too, not only customs duty.
Anyway, in my understanding, when the aircraft flies over the border for a normal travel (not to be repaired, etc), it is a means of transport of people (a vehicle) and you have the right to use a vehicle for your legal travel without having to put a security deposit for the vehicle.
When your glider is on a trailer, it is a general “goods”, not a vehicle being used for transport of people.
The tariff you took is the one “for civilan use”. In the past, it required actually applying for it specifically and getting prior authorisation for. Now, you only have to show an ICAO-compliant registration certificate.
