Aviators of all stripes, be they veteran pilots or novice plane enthusiasts, all have to start somewhere. For many, the dream of flying your own plane is one that develops early on, and you may have spent your childhood years gazing up at the sky in wonderment. As you got older, maybe you did the educational study necessary and obtained your pilot’s license from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Of course, to truly maximize the enjoyment of your hobby, you need to have your own plane. As purchasing an airplane is a sizable investment (there really is no ceiling on the costs of private aircraft), you need to do the necessary research to determine which make and model is best tailored to your needs. Once you purchase an aircraft, there is also a fair amount of paperwork to complete. Most importantly, you will need to register your airplane, and from time to time, you will also need to submit an FAA renewal
application. Fortunately, at the National Aviation Center, we can help.
The FAA is one of the largest and most important federal transportation agencies. The FAA can trace its roots back to essentially the advent of commercial air travel, and it has existed in its current iteration for roughly 70 years. If aviation is your pastime of choice, you will find yourself working with the FAA periodically. This is large because the FAA wears many hats: they issue pilot licenses, regulate air traffic control in U.S. skies, and maintain a registry of all aircraft owned and operated within the country. As a responsible plane owner, you have a responsibility to maintain current documentation with the FAA, and a failure to do so–such as allowing your registration to lapse–can result in a costly fine or a loss of your N-number.
What Is an FAA Renewal Application?
If you have recently purchased an aircraft, you are probably pretty anxious to get it out of the hangar and into the sky. It is important, however, that you do not take off without a valid FAA registration. Registration is obtained by completing Form AC 8050-1 – Aircraft Registration Application. This document will prompt you for some basic information about yourself, such as your name, address, and signature. You will also need to provide your airplane’s make, model, and serial number. Coupled with proof of ownership, this document can be submitted to the FAA’s office in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma for processing.
Once issued, an FAA registration is valid for a period of three years. Six months before your registration is set to expire, the FAA will send you a notice reminding you to process your renewal. This notice will include a special security code that must be added to your registration application. The FAA will send you another reminder at eight weeks out if you have not yet sent in your renewal.
Get Back in the Air Today!
Don’t let your renewal application keep you out of the sky–use our web forms to process your application online today. To learn more about some of the additional services we provide, take a moment to browse our helpful Frequently Asked Questions page.