I know of a similar story around an SR22 which got “stuck” but can’t post details (it was a transfer from non-EU to CH) because the guy prob99 is still on here and would be p1ssed off 
We have many similar threads on registrations – one search.
It is a difficult area because, once de-registered, it is in a legal limbo and cannot be moved unless you take the wings off and cart it out on a truck. So the company where it is sitting has got you bent over one of these
Don’t ask me how I know (from 2005, G to N). I am sure I posted it…
Thanks everyone! I just learnt that I should buy an EASA aircraft, and keep it in the same registration. That’s already a step forward!
It’s very difficult to find exactly what I want, that’s why I was already considering to buy it in USA or Canada, or even to buy anything independent of the condition and then restore it to the specs that I want. But I understand now that the bureaucracy and cost are totally not worth it. :(
So, this leaves me with 2 options:
1- I find something close to what I want, buy and keep it in the same registry and don’t do any mods (Diamond Super Dimona)
2- I open up my wallet and buy exactly what I want in the format of a new ULM (Phoenix U15)
Each day I am closer to just close my eyes and go with option 2, in spite of option 1 being much more rational! :(
So, in case I buy a certified aircraft in EASA country and keep the same registration, just changing the papers to my name, would not cost more than 1000Eur, depending on the country. Is this correct?
Thanks,
Joaquim
I’d say it’s not that bad. I bought a Europa (homebuilt) in the UK back in 2011 and put it on the dutch register which was VERY easy (in 2011, it changed for homebuilts in the meantime though…). It was really only paperwork and 3 months AOG.
Two years ago I decided to register the aircraft in Germany where I live and that took quite some efford and commitment but still only 6500 EUR altogether with quite some changes to the airframe, new noise certificate, flight testing etc. (remember it’s a homebuilt and regulation is national, so a few things were not acepted by the Luftfahrtbundesamt).
It’s beyond me, how moving a certified within EASA can then be such a hassle.
The reason is that mistakes are made, planes often have stuff installed for which there was no STC for that type, ADs are not actually complied with, and the importing CAA has a financial interest in detecting these because they have to pay their inspectors somehow.
The other view is that if the paperwork is right then the plane must be right. That is largely how European aviation certification works (authority vested in the company, etc) but everybody knows it doesn’t actually work properly. It’s not that unusual to buy a plane and spend 5 digits complying with ADs which were done but not actually done.
And everybody knows that if a maint company makes a big mistake, which might expose them to litigation from the customer, they are likely to say to him that if he continues to use them for the Annual, they will always sign it off 
And this happens across the board – from the smallest shops, all the way to the largest shops with a fanatical reputation. In fact it is the shops with the most fanatical reputation that do more mistakes. It’s like the old true story that the accountant most likely to get you into trouble with the Revenue is the one who has the smoothest relationship with the Inspector
However “deals” with the maintenance shop for signing off stuff wouldn’t prevent you from ACAM inspections…
They are almost nonexistent in GA.
Also you have to be super anally retarded to detect a lot of stuff.
If the discussion concerns homebuilts then it may well be a different story. Most of the comments here relate to certified aircraft.
Agree with the simplified options:
1) if non-EASA then leave on the original register, especially if N-reg.
2) if EASA then leave on the original register if at all possible.
I also know of a case of an SR22 moved from Guernsey to CH which I believe took over 6 months. Another case is a Tecnam light twin that started life as HB-reg, was sold into Germany and changed to D-reg and then bought back into CH. The change from D-reg back to HB-reg of an aircraft that was originally already on HB-reg was ….. let’s just say that when I asked the owner about it he just rolled his eyes. It was also, I believe, a 6-month process.
I did G to OE (EASA to EASA), took about 3 weeks.
N to D and a few others is fine too (FAA Export CofA by independent DAR is extortionately expensive in Europe / 6000€ for a piece of paper). G to EASA after Brexit is also ok. 9H is pretty popular. Reg transfers are done all the time and sometimes things go wrong, like exceptions to a rule.
Generally if the documentation of the aircraft is in order (which means the aircraft in reality conforms to the paperwork) then registration transfers and/or third country imports within/too EASA have improved by magnitudes compared to the previous custom national peculiarities.
E.g. BASA FAA/EASA bilateral Airworthiness acceptance or Part-ML AMP allowing indefinite on condition ops and also Pt. 21 allowing third country import for ML planes without recommendation for import ARC.
Interestingly, the last few planes I was involved with (ranging from 30k to 1200k) were N-reg and outright catastrophic. „Pencil whipped paper annual“ would have been an understatement. I hope they are not representative, though I fear something’s up.
In the end I bought a D-registered Stemme S10-VT :) I still did not get it delivered but it seems that the paperwork will be painless and cheap.
JFonseca wrote:
the paperwork will be painless and cheap.
It is and not expensive, if all airworthiness docs are valid….I went through the process last year from SE to D with the help from the CAMO for a TMG its paperwork. Just this week removed the radio license from the Swedish PTS after getting a bill ;-)
