Pursuant to 49 USC § 44101, an aircraft cannot be operated unless it is registered. Regardless of how one intends to operate an aircraft, there are stringent limitations on foreign ownership of U.S. registered aircraft.
49 USC § 44102 states that an aircraft may be registered only when it is owned by a citizen of the United States, an individual citizen of a foreign country lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States (“Resident Alien”) or a corporation not a citizen of the United States when the corporation is organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or a State, and the aircraft is based and primarily used in the United States.
FAR 47.2 defines “U.S. Citizen” as:
(1) An individual who is a citizen of the United States or one of its possessions;
(2) A partnership of which each member is such an individual;
(3) A corporation or association created or organized under the laws of the United States or of any State, Territory, or possession of the United States, of which the president and two-thirds or more of the board of directors and other managing officers thereof are such individuals and in which at least 75 percent of the voting interest is owned or controlled by persons who are citizens of the United States or of one of its possessions.