Unlike what the name might imply, the FAA aircraft records aren’t an old dusty building with filing cabinets after filing cabinets full of airplane documents. They are, however, a database with all the information about registered aircraft that has been submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration. After all, you register your aircraft for the Federal Aviation Administration to keep track of this aircraft that’s flying around the national airspace and whoever owns it, but also so that there is a record of past and present claims of ownership over the aircraft in question, making sure that its financial standing is well documented. Let’s talk about how you can register your aircraft and how you can access relevant information related to it.
FAA Aircraft Records
Registering your aircraft with the Federal Aviation Administration will, in turn, make sure it appears the FAA aircraft records. If you are unfamiliar with this process, you should know that it is actually very simple. If you are purchasing it firsthand from the manufacturer or a retailer, you will have to apply for initial registration. This will be the form for those registering their aircraft for the first time. 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. This will be very important if you want to make sure the registration process goes by smoothly.
Consulting the FAA for Records
If what you are trying to do is check rather than join the FAA aircraft records, you will want to request an abstract. This can come in useful in a variety of different situations, such as cross-checking information about the aircraft during a purchase, verifying any claims or mortgages associated with it, or simply learning about previous owners’ standing. In order to request an abstract, all you need to do is submit the corresponding form, which you can find near the lower end of our sidebar. 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. This could be because it was left unrenewed for some time or it was registered in a different country, so keep that in mind.
Always Keep Your Registration Updated
Are you looking to register your aircraft with the Federal Aviation Administration or to merely consult a specific aircraft’s registration? Either process is very easy when you have us at the National Aviation Center on your side. All relevant forms, including the one to consult the FAA aircraft records, are readily available for you on our sidebar. And, should you need some additional help with any of them, don’t worry. Use our website chat, fill out our contact form, or give us a call at 1-800-357-0893 and we’ll answer your questions in no time.