diamondaviators.net

I've been waiting to join this group as a member since I placed an order for a DA40 NG in November last year. At 57, I am filling a lifelong dream of flying and just got my license last month. I was initially quoted a June or July delivery - then August/September, October, end of December, and now sometime in January. Is this typical for Diamond or did I chose the wrong reseller?

Congrats on your new license Stephen!!

The DA40 will be worth the wait!! Its an awesome platform to have have fun in (along with getting your instrument rating???) !!

I thought I waited a long time... Ordered my DA40 in December, 2000. Took delivery in October, 2001. During that interval, Diamond had to get it certificated by the FAA. I still own it > 18 years later, and love it. I guess sometimes it pays to be an early adopter.

Thanks for the encouragement. Yes, IFR rating is next.
I’ll keep reminding myself - good things come to those who wait.

Congratulations on the PPL; you're going to love the DA40NG! With a plane on order Chris should make you a full member of the forum, try sending him a PM.

You probably picked the wrong reseller as there is a lot of gamesmanship in the Diamond distribution model. Who was your reseller?

When I ordered in August 2018 I was told by one reseller that it would be about a year to take delivery. I contacted others and found a reseller that places orders on speculation and they had a plane available in about five months; my plane was ready in late January.

It sounds like you ordered through someone who had no orders in the pipeline so you got the full factory wait. That said, 15months is pretty crazy! The Diamond factory is running at max since they have received a number of very large orders from flight schools / training academies.

Your next challenge will be to get it from London, ON to KSAV. You need to navigate customs to bring the plane into the U.S. which requires a bunch of paperwork. And the you also have to follow all the procedures for immigration to bring yourself into the country via private plane. It will be very cold in London and you'll want an instrument rated pilot in the right seat. If your reseller is not helping you with taking delivery and getting the plane home, come back here and start asking for help as there are people here who have lots of experience with that process.

Boatguy wrote: ↑Wed Jan 01, 2020 9:55 pm Your next challenge will be to get it from London, ON to KSAV. You need to navigate customs to bring the plane into the U.S. which requires a bunch of paperwork. And the you also have to follow all the procedures for immigration to bring yourself into the country via private plane. It will be very cold in London and you'll want an instrument rated pilot in the right seat. If your reseller is not helping you with taking delivery and getting the plane home, come back here and start asking for help as there are people here who have lots of experience with that process.

When we picked our plane up in London Diamond handed us the paperwork we needed for the plane. Showed it at Port Huron customs and away we went. Do they not do that any more?

As far as getting yourself back, it was admittedly simpler back then (May '02). Now it's somewhat more complicated, but those of us that live near the Canadian border find it no big deal. Passport(s)+eAPIS+flight plan+customs - big nothing. eAPIS is the only new thing since then.

There are several of us on the DAN who have new DA40NGs and can help answer many of your questions as they come up. You're going to love the plane! I recommend planning a couple of days for the delivery (weather can extend this) and requesting a factory tour. Did you get your PPL in a DA40/G1000 airplane?

It appears the factory is busy with orders. I see this as a good thing. Back after the great recession, starting in October of 2008, the next following few years Diamond was barely hanging on and many of us thought our planes would become orphans. That said, it is worth the wait and you will enjoy your new aircraft. Welcome to the Diamond family.

Russ, Rich, Paul, and Don, thank you for your encouragement. The company I placed my order will delivery the plane to me in Savannah via a CFI who will fly with me to help me get oriented to the plane. They also have offered to orient my local CFI for my IFR training. This will be the first NG in this area. I trained on a g1000 DA40, so I'm hoping for an easy transition.
The plane I trained on, and the only DA40 available in Savannah, was sold about a month before I was ready for my check ride. I finished my training in Charleston, but I am not keen on driving back up to Charleston (4 hr round trip) for an afternoon of pleasure flying. That contributes to my impatience.

Back when we got 40XE we made the purchase IIRC late November 2001 and picked it up May 8, 2002. But at that time Diamond had just started building in Canada and was only producing the DA40 and 20 without too many differences in options. It's serial number 208, which makes it the 8th air frame of this genre from the London plant.

Fortunately for me, I was busy with work and it was Winter most of that time, so the wait was tolerable.