Personally I’d still only really look at N reg stuff in Europe.
If you know your aircraft and like it, that could be worth a bit, vs having to start from an unknown spot.
I have heard that you can avoid the vat or import duty if you are bringing it over as your personal transportation.
Is there a way for you to first relocate and then decide? What I’m getting at here is:
- move to Cannes
- leave your baby hangared in the US
- check out the local rental scene and see how and if that works for you
- make sell / ferry decision
I’ve relocated internationally several times in my life and typically you end up shuttling between places for a bit anyway post-move. You could also arrange for a broker in the US in advance. If you end up flying her to France, then that’s a fab trip anyway if you go along, if not, you don’t have to be there for the ferry pilot to pick her up.
What I don’t know in this scenario is how the VAT exemption would work, i.e. if there is a time limit on that.
What I’m not passionate about is hassle.
The hassle in GA here is nearly all on the ground (especially if you can fly IFR) so this aspect depends on where you are based. Based on some Greek island is perhaps the worst case (I know a pilot who brought an A&P/IA to the beautiful Greek island once a year, paying him and his wife for a holiday; of course the A&P really hated that 
). In Cannes, it should work.
Sure if you can afford a TBM you can be 99% sure of getting there
A TBM should deliver a 98-99% despatch rate (as would most fully deiced pressurised planes with radar e.g. a 421C) but you will resent the costs of a TBM for a shorter trip on a nice day. Whereas a 182 might be €30, a TBM is likely to be €300, and often mandatory handling etc.
So it’s a case of matching the plane to the desired mission profile.
If your 182 worked for you in the US, it will work for you in Europe, for the same sort of trips.
buy something later on F-reg which will be (relatively) easy to take care of locally
The only way an F-reg would be “easier” is because you cannot freelance-engineer maintain it (currently, this is true above 1200kg, but really this is not ever going be an option for most even when legally possible, due to airport politics, almost total non availability of freelance EASA66 engineers, etc) so you have to use a company (Part M) and while this is “easy” it will cost you maybe 2x to 3x more than using a freelance A&P/IA and you are likely to get a substandard job. Been there, know it well. The going rate is €500-600 plus VAT for a 50hr check (oil, check plugs, basically, as you well know) and that’s obviously with no remedial work.
I am N-reg and would definitely not go back. I spent today in a rented hangar doing the Annual with the A&P/IA and we are working great together. Everything will be done to perfection. When I used a company I insisted on inspection covers left off so I could eyeball everything; they generally disliked that.
Flying in Europe works ok. Sure, many airports are off limits; usually due to silly costs. Opening hours are another thing. But as I say it depends on your mission profile. If you want to fly to see and visit scenic places, meet up with nice people (EuroGA fly-ins 
) etc, then you will be departing early morning anyway.
Buying a plane is often a can of worms. It’s ok if you have expertise, yourself or at your disposal, especially for the prebuy inspection. For the ferry cost I would bring mine over – assuming you like it and are not trying to get rid of it anyway.
If you’d stay in the US, would you sell? There’s your answer.
Is there a way for you to first relocate and then decide?
That’s not a bad idea. I have people here I could trust to take care of the sale and even to fly occasionally. Definitely worth thinking about.
If you’d stay in the US, would you sell?
For sure not. If I stayed here for the rest of my life I’d fly my plane until I decided to stop flying. But that’s the easy “do nothing” option, which always has its attractions. Moving my plane to France and dealing with all that entails is most definitely not a “do noting” option. And also, as others have said, the type of flying is different.
I read with great interest and pleasure Peter’s account of his trip to Montenegro. That sounds like a lot of fun, but it isn’t really “flying to get somewhere”, it’s more “flying for the pleasure of flying and incidentally ending up somewhere nice”. It’s also an excellent illustration of the difference between Europe and the US. If I was planning a 10-craft flyin to somewhere in the US, I wouldn’t even tell the destination airport, much less ask them, unless I could see that it had very limited parking. 50 craft, maybe.
Then keep it.
Or sell it and rent.
Buying something similar will probably cost you more time and money, and has many pitfalls. Unless you buy something new with warranty.
Flying in europe isn’t so bad. Especially france is pretty liberal (non towered fields etc..).
Setting up a trust isn’t a big hassle. And writing the check for the ferry pilot will be easily offset by the VAT import saving when you decide to sell it in europe in the future.
boscomantico wrote:
In Europe, flying somewhere is quite a bit more effort than just firing up FF and jumping into the plane.
But, is it?
From my experience, there are two things in parts of Europe that need special attention and are a major nuisance (mostly Germany):
On the other hand, the last time I landed at an unplanned airfield in Florida in the evening (thinking: Hey, it’s all better in the US, airfields don’t close…), I found myself and my friends locked into the airfield and we needed to involve the local sheriff to get us out. So not sure it’s THAT much different.
In terms of a standard flying trip and if you’re familiar with the airfield/s you intend to visit, I don’t see that much of a difference, except maybe firing up SkyDemon rather than FF…
I have no insights into some of the hard factors (situation in Cannes, ferry costs/VAT considerations). But consider one thing: In Europe anyway, it’s not really an aircraft buyers’ market at the moment and doesn’t look like it will be in the near future. Asking prices are pretty high.
Given your preference to avoid hassles and use of the airlines for travel, I’d consider selling the 182 and flying UL in France, maybe consider buying one of those. Based on what you’ve said, I suspect you would be quickly frustrated with the relatively intricate protocol, restrictions and oversight involved with European flying in your 182. The French UL scene seems to be much more like US GA in terms of its relative lack of complexity, weather is OK around Nice and distances in Europe tend to be shorter. I have never flown in France but I’ve done similar UL flying in Italy and enjoyed it. When in Rome (or elsewhere)….
If you are going to own a certified plane, an N-registered plane will be easier for you to maintain, not harder. If you can show a US permanent resident card I suspect nobody will take ‘local operator’ issues any further and (at least for a while) you can skip the EASA license when flying an N-registered plane.
@Peter, we are doing our Annuals on the same schedule. This afternoon with oil change etc and inspection completed I replaced some SCAT tubing and a couple of rubber isolated airframe mounts for the exhaust. I have some additional (mainly cosmetic) work planned over the next few months with parts already on hand but the maintenance basics are all in order and now I’ll put the plane back together for the time being. Three hundred dollar bills for the inspection and logbook entries this year, I don’t want my supervising IA to feel cheated
I’ve had a Lake and now a Twin Comanche based in LFMD and I either do maintenance myself or fly elsewhere as there aren’t any reliable solutions locally. Hangar space is available at 1000 Euros per month so I leave it on the apron for 150. The saving will repaint the aircraft regularly if necessary.
Send me a message if you need further local advice.
johnh wrote:
No, you can create a “non citizen corporation” which technically owns the aircraft. With a Green Card (which I have now but didn’t when I bought it) I could also own it personally, though I haven’t made that change. But most (60%?) of the flight time has to be within the US.
John – if you’re a green card holder you can register it in your own name, no need for the 60% rule. It says Permanent Alien, which you are. That said, if you’re planning on moving back to France and won’t be in the US, you might have to give the green card up. Which was perhaps what you were alluding to and I missed.
