Acquiring an aircraft is quite an investment that you may do once (or a few times) in your life. Maintenance can suppose a good amount of money as well throughout the airplane’s lifespan. But supposing you are a plane enthusiast and want to get airborne, you might be wondering what do you need before you take flight. Are you required to apply for airplane registration?
According to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (also known as the Chicago Convention), all civil aircraft require airplane registration with a national aviation authority using procedures set by each country. In the case of the United States, this authority is the Federal Aviation Administration. An aircraft can only be registered once, in one jurisdiction, at a time.
Registration Number in the United States
In the US, the airplane registration number is commonly referred to as an “N” number, because all aircraft registered there have a number starting with the letter N. An alphanumeric system is used because of the large numbers of aircraft registered in the United States. An N-number begins with a run of one or more numeric digits, may end with one or two alphabetic letters, may only consist of one to five characters in total, and must start with a digit other than zero.
Requirements For Airplane Registration
To achieve airplane registration in the US, the aircraft must not be registered in another country and has to be owned by a US citizen or a corporation organized under federal or state law. If you meet these requirements, the next step is to fill the form AC 8050-1. You can find it on our website under the name ‘initial registration’ on the left side of the main page.
Getting On With The Paperwork
You must answer honestly every single question in the application form to apply for airplane registration. You have to provide your personal and aircraft information, as well as the data of all the applicants. Certify that:
- The aircraft is owned by the undersigned applicant who either is a US citizen (including corporations) or meets the aircraft registration citizenship requirements.
- The aircraft is not registered under the laws of any foreign country
- Legal evidence of ownership (bill of sale) is attached or has been filed with the Federal Aviation Administration.
The cost for the initial registration is $365. Proceed with trust, since our website is SSL encrypted to protect your information all the time.
Problems With The Application? Ask Us Out!
At The National Aviation Center, we are always ready to answer any question you may have. Feel free to contact us at any time for more information. We can help with all kinds of aircraft documentation and make things easier for you.