Aircraft Registration Tips (Part one)

When you are preparing to register your aircraft there are quite a few regulations and rules to follow and some things you should avoid doing or be aware of. The aircraft certificate of registration is a document that must be renewed every three years. Yet, there are a few things that you might not be aware of until it is too late. Part 47 of the Aircraft Registration had certain guidelines that have been known to cause some pilots troubles in the past.

One of the first things to be aware of is that once the Aircraft Registration Application is submitted a second copy of the app has to be carried in your aircraft. This second copy acts as a temporary authority to operate but is only valid within the United States for 90 days. In days gone by having a second copy of your Aircraft Registration Application meant having a pink slip carbon copy of the paper. That changed in 2016 when the FAA started accepting printed digitally signed versions of the document.

Another thing to be aware of is that the FAR has strict limitations that state that the pink slink is valid for operation until the date that the application receives the CAR (Certificate of Aircraft Registration) or until the date that the FFA denies the application. You should also know that you can not (or really should not) operate an aircraft if you have an invalid or ineffective registration. This situation can result when there has been a transfer of ownership or 30 days has passed from the death of a person who was named on the certificate. Also, the registration of the aircraft much not be under the laws of a foreign country.

   There are certain events that will also render the cert invalid this includes the scrapping or destruction of the aircraft. It also concerns whether the citizenship of the individual or corporation owning the craft is in question. Lastly, there’s the factor of whether the cert is canceled, expired or revoked. Under the FAR 47.43 guidelines, a certificate is invalid if the aircraft is registered in a foreign country or the applicant is not the owner of the aircraft. It is also invalid if the owner is not qualified. If you are operating an aircraft with an invalid or ineffective certificate is can also have in airworthiness violations which can cause issues with your insurance provider.

Discussed in part two will be more reasons why you should pay attention to aircraft registration guidelines. If you are in need of registering your aircraft you can depend on the National Aviation Center to help you register your aircraft with ease. We have all of the documents you need all in one place and the best part is: We will double check your work! There’s nothing more frustrating than having your documents returned via mail and weeks of delay due to clerical errors. If you’d like to learn more about how the National Aviation Center can help you with submitting important documents you can view our Frequently Asked Questions section or email us at [email protected].