No, the FAA plane records are not, in fact, an old dusty building with rows and rows of filing cabinets full of aircraft documents. These records are actually a database with all the information about registered aircraft that has been submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration. When you register your aircraft with the FAA, you do it so that the Administration can keep track of that airplane flying around the national airspace and the person who owns and operates it. On top of that, this keeps a record of past and present claims of ownership over the airplane to make sure that its financial standing is always documented. Let’s talk about how you can register the aircraft with them and how you can access the records in search of relevant information related to the airplane.
Registering the Aircraft with the FAA
In order for your aircraft to appear on the FAA plane records, and for it to even be operable in the United States, you will need to register it with the FAA Aviation Administration. If you don’t know how this process works, it’s actually pretty simple. First of all, if you are purchasing it first hand from the manufacturer or a retailer, you will have to apply for an initial registration. This will be the form for those registering their aircraft for the first time. Now, if there was a previous owner, however, there needs to be a transfer of registration rather than a first-time one. This will require a different form altogether, so make sure that you are aware of what kind of registration you need to get before submitting a specific form. Having gone through either one of these processes, you should have your registration in order.
Consult the FAA Plane Records
Now, if what you’re looking to do is checking rather than joining the FAA plane records, then you will probably need to request an abstract. This document can come in useful in a variety of different situations, such as cross-checking data about the airplane during a purchase, learning about the previous owners’ standing in relation to the aircraft, and verifying any claims or mortgages attached to it. If you would like to request an abstract, you just need to submit the corresponding form (readily available here on our website for your convenience). There is nothing more reliable than the information provided by the database. Know that there might be some gaps in this abstract depending on when the aircraft was and wasn’t registered. These could be because it was left unrenewed for some time or it was registered in a different country, so keep that in mind.
Meet All Your FAA Registration Needs
Your aircraft registration is a very important document to keep in mind at all times in order to make sure that you are flying in order. Whether you need to file for initial registration or to consult the FAA plane records, filing aircraft documentation through our website is easier than ever. And, should you need any help filling out or submitting the forms, you can just give us a call at 1-800-357-0893 or email us at info@nationalaviationcenter.us. You can always rely on our team here at the National Aviation Center to help you take care of your civil aircraft register forms.