In answer to your question xrayslpha the US register can be searched in the same way as the UK. It is only foreign based aircraft using a trust that hides the identity of the true owner.
I think for some operators the ability to hide behind a Delaware trust is more important than the cost saving on maintenance. A lot of high end private jet aircraft are actually owned by brass plate companies in places such as the Cayman Islands.
The rules for N registration are simple.
A person may not “N” Register an Aircraft on the FAA Registry in the United States unless the aircraft is (a) owned by a citizen of the US, including US “citizen corporations”; (b) owned a lawfully admitted permanent resident of the US; or, (c) owned by a non-citizen corporation when the corporation is organized under the laws of the US and the aircraft is based in, and primarily used in the US. See 49 U.S.C. 44102, 44103, and 14 CFR § 47.3 of the FAR. Essentially, any corporation which owns the Aircraft must be either a U.S. “citizen” corporation, or, if it is a foreign corporation, it has to qualify to do business in the US as well as use the aircraft primarily in the US.
In order to be considered a US citizen for FAA purposes, at least 2/3 of the Board of Directors and Officers must be citizens of the United States
The trusts get around this problem with a crafty bit of paperwork.
To qualify our non-citizen clients, the common stock shares are issued to a Voting Trustee who is also a US citizen. This Voting Trustee issues Certificates of Beneficial Stock Ownership to the actual non-citizen owner of the Delaware corporation. Once these conditions are met, the Delaware corporation is considered to be a “citizen” by the FAA, and the Aircraft is allowed to be registered on the U.S. Registry. (See 14 CFR §47.8 and related subsections of the FAR’s). Of course, to remain registered with the FAA, the Aircraft must also be maintained to the manufacturer’s and U.S. standards.
We assist our foreign clients by establishing a US citizen corporation or a trustee corporation to hold title to the aircraft on their behalf, thereby enabling the aircraft to be “N” Registered with the FAA. At the same time, our clients retain full operational control of the aircraft pursuant to executed and FAA recorded operating agreements. The trusts and corporate structures that we establish are all specifically approved by the FAA, and following the closing, our clients are free to fly worldwide.