US ratings & N reg

[500e]

October 5, 2010


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AOPA says a new regime of rules proposed by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) "has potentially devastating implications for the U.S. general aviation manufacturers and for the U.S. flight training industry." EASA intends to adopt a wide-ranging series of amendments to rules that appear to particularly affect those holding U.S. pilot certificates and aircraft registered in the U.S. but resident in Europe. "It would render FAA pilot certificates and instrument ratings issued to pilots living and operating in Europe (including U.S. citizens based in and flying in Europe) effectively worthless, requiring them to essentially start over and retrain and recertify," AOPA spokesman Chris Dancy told AVweb. "It would also eliminate any advantage to owning and operating an N-number-registered aircraft in Europe."

There are an estimated 10,000 pilots in Europe flying under U.S. certificates. Many of them got their training in the U.S. and a lot of flight schools cater specifically to European students. U.S. manufacturers will be hit from two directions. The rules will make U.S.-built aircraft "more difficult and expensive to own and operate," and therefore less attractive in Europe, a key market for most U.S. manufacturers, Dancy said. "And on that side of the Atlantic, it could mean a glut of N-number-registered aircraft being dumped on the market, further depressing used aircraft sales." AOPA has contacted members of Congress, the FAA and Department of Transportation to make sure they're aware of the issue. It's also supporting European aviation groups in their attempts to stop the action.

[500e]

EUROPEAN PILOT RULING DELAYED European pilots flying under FAA certificates and with N-registered aircraft have a couple of months of breathing room in which to press their case against proposed rule changes they believe will seriously damage general aviation in Europe. A conciliation committee between the European Union Commission and the national governments has delayed until December a decision on rule changes put forth by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The rules would have essentially eliminated the long-standing practice of thousands of pilots maintaining and operating GA aircraft under American regulations. The meeting was held in private and there are no transcripts or minutes available to the public, but the delay itself is seen as a hopeful sign.

[Earl of Rochester]

The proposal may be delayed but the outcome is, I think, inevitable. EASA increasingly views continential 'N' reg ops as an infraction of their influence to impose standards and will, ultimately, do what they can to curb the practice.

What I suspect is that for private and corporate 'N' reg aircraft and their FAA certified crews there will be a time limit after which registration of both aircraft and crews in the normally domiciled domain of the aircraft shall be required.

EoR

[nouseforaname]

I suppose we wont know until there is some ruling made on this subject but I wonder if this would be an option...

Re-register your N reg a/c in the IOM for your M-REG. The IOM register accepts the FAA ticketed pilots. Maybe this will change with the ruling who knows.....

[darrenphughes]

That would make sense, so it's not gonna happen!!

[nouseforaname]

yeh exactly. Anything straight forward and simple just wouldn't do!:ugh:

[RVDT]

Re-register your N reg a/c in the IOM for your M-REG. The IOM register accepts the FAA ticketed pilots. Maybe this will change with the ruling who knows.....

You will not be on the IOM register as it is at their discretion as follows - high quality private and corporate jets and high quality twin turbine-engine helicopters

Don't blame EASA as I think they are being prompted by the FAA to help clean things up.
Read the new FAR 47 in its entirety, it has always been a legal wrangle to qualify as a "U.S. citizen" under the FAR's.

[500e]

RVDT
So you think the series of FAAs seminars in the UK, & I believe Europe were a fishing trip,?? if so there will be a fair no of units returning to the US as $\£ makes it cost effective, arranging to ship one as we speak, it will depress sales of new & pre owned machines in the US.
Bet the US manufacturers & dealers will love that, I appreciate EASA would like to see general aviation go away.

[s1lverback]

Maybe I am misunderstanding, so please spell it out if I am.

I can understand the limitation on aircraft registration for those used in commercial ops, but privately owned/operated units doesn't make sense to me.

Further, even if you had to re-register the aircraft, under current ICAO (incl CAA) regs, FAA licenses (PPL at least) as ICAO member states are recognised by CAA and allow you to fly G-Reg in the UK with your FAA PPL. In fact DGAC will allow you to fly G-reg in France (with FAA PPL) as long as it is not a commercial flight or under IMC (I have the letter laminated in my flightbag and onboard the ac :) )

Is this restricted to CPL/ATPL ops or all including PPL?..effectively they will be saying that ICAO licenses are worthless unless they are European issued.

'They' go through cycles of this, then realise it is too much effort and give up. I hope that is true in this case, else I will have to draw a line under aviation and return to paying my mortgage.

[RVDT]

Of course all "N" registered aircraft operating permanently outside the US comply as follows here (http://v-raptor.com/?p=245) don't they?

[s1lverback]

Yes you can - correct - but you cannot use a FAA IR in a G reg aircraft which is pretty much the only reason why anybody gets a FAA cert - in conjunction with a N reg aircraft in Europe.
Simply using a FAA cert in a non N reg aircraft in Europe really achieves nothing. In fact you cannot use a FAA cert in France to fly a F reg - if you are a EU resident.

I know, but I use my FAA PPL Rotorcraft to fly G-Reg in VFR, which DGAC also allow me to do in France.

I have no intention to fly choppers IFR...I do have fixed wing IR MEL/SEL on FAA also and fly N-reg aircraft..so see that would pose an issue if the IR were not allowed.

[RVDT]

So Cal App,

My post was to the thread in general and just because it follows your post does not indicate that it is a comment on your post.

If I was commenting on your post I would quote it. :)

[500e]

IAOPA’s newsletter from October 2010 http://www.iaopa.eu/mediaServlet/f_1001723_current.html

IAOPA’s newsletter from November 2010 http://www.iaopa.eu/mediaServlet/f_1001730_current.html



Jan Brill from ‘Pilot und Flugzeug’ in Germany has also written a useful feature, which can be found at: FLYER Forums • View topic - Euro regulation and safety (http://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=66409)



IAOPA’s letter to the European Commission can be found at: IAOPA letter on Third Country Licenses.

To summarise, if you have an N-registered aircraft and hold an FAA license then these proposals (which seem to be solely politically-motivated and not based on any safety implication) will directly affect you.



The contents of the opinion were only made available with very short notice but IAOPA, as well as many other pilot groups and aviation organisations, lobbied hard to get the decision set aside until there had been enough time to assess the impact properly. This lobbying was successful, in that the decision was set aside until December 2010.



If you feel strongly about these proposals and the impact that they will have on you, then the very best thing you can do is to make your voice heard as soon as possible. The more people that voice their concerns, the more chance there is of these EASA proposals being looked at sensibly. As we are doing, we would suggest that you write to your national Members of European Parliament, especially those in the Transport Committee.

A list with the contact details for Members of European Parliament can be found at: Contact details of Members of the European Parliament.

And with contact details for members of the Transport Committee at: Members of the EP Transport Committee .

We would urge you to keep yourself informed, and to subscribe to the IAOPA Europe newsletter at Welcome - IAOPA Europe (http://www.iaopa.eu/contentServlet/)."
A handy link
Your MEPs : Constituencie (http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/public/geoSearch/zoneList.do;jsessionid=D4F47AD01C13D6F1BA4151E25996FB66.node 2?country=GB&language=EN)

One MEP has already made representations to the committee :ok: