Ownership Cloaked in Secrecy
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Ownership Cloaked in Secrecy
One aircraft for every three people in a Texas town with no airport? (We're talking in excess of 1,000 aircraft!) I am not sure what to make of the story linked below, but something smells fishy.
- Ed
Onalaska, TX Airframe Registrations
- Ed
Onalaska, TX Airframe Registrations
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The U.S. government does a lot of these bogus registrations for the CIA 'torture taxis' and other agencies' civilian domestic surveillance aircraft.
For example: https://www.cjr.org/watchdog/how-buz...s-airspace.php
For example: https://www.cjr.org/watchdog/how-buz...s-airspace.php
Hardly anything fishy.
US Law requires that a non US Citizen or Entity cannot own an "N" Registered aircraft, and so they register them through a Trust. Check PPRuNe for all the reasons that people all over the World utilize US registrations for aircraft, including crew licensing, access to modifications, practical maintenance requirements, etc.
The story even gives you the name of the Company responsible and their website tells you everything they do. No mystery here, or why there are equally large numbers of the same status registered in Utah, Nevada, New York or Delaware.
https://agcorp.com/
US Law requires that a non US Citizen or Entity cannot own an "N" Registered aircraft, and so they register them through a Trust. Check PPRuNe for all the reasons that people all over the World utilize US registrations for aircraft, including crew licensing, access to modifications, practical maintenance requirements, etc.
The story even gives you the name of the Company responsible and their website tells you everything they do. No mystery here, or why there are equally large numbers of the same status registered in Utah, Nevada, New York or Delaware.
https://agcorp.com/
That’s interesting. I always thought Delaware was the jurisdiction of choice for corporations and trusts.
My first job in the oil industry in Canada, was working for a subsidiary of Chevron that was registered in Delaware.
My first job in the oil industry in Canada, was working for a subsidiary of Chevron that was registered in Delaware.
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Delaware has very favourable laws for taxation of corporate income and for ease of company formation and management. It also has very predictable business law. So it's a favourite for corporations which trade, have income, have shareholders, own complex assets, etc. For a company with few or no shareholders whose sole purpose is to own an aircraft, or for a trust, there are other places in the USA that are also favourable. Delaware is the firm favourite for "real companies", but plastic fake companies have several good homes to choose from.
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If your trying to track down ultimate beneficiaries, you may want to look at the Cape town Treaty for mobile assets for some clues. Registry: International Registry For Mobile Assets, provides information for a fee. However, be aware that aircraft are now potentially be considered a close formation flying "asset pool". Each engine, APU & the airframe can have separate ownership & mortgagee banks. Searching is possible by MSN and engine serial numbers.
FAR Part 47 has the basics but there are several other pieces of guidance on this matter through ACs or Orders. In addition to individual aircraft registration there are also Dealer Registrations which could show a number of aircraft under the same address.
As mentioned above, no spooky, black-bag stuff going on, rather a routine method to for non-citizens/corporations to "N" register an aircraft. In most cases, the entity listed in the aircraft registration listing is the legal agent for the actual owner.
And yes, some government entities use the same method. Anybody remember Air America or Southern Air Transport?
