If you have a passion for flight, owning your own plane is a great way to indulge in the luxury of cruising the skies on your own. It goes without saying, though, that owning and piloting an airplane is a considerable responsibility. For starters, getting your pilot’s license will require a lot of hard work and course study, combined with cockpit instruction. Once you have completed the licensing exam with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), you can also expect ongoing continuing education work to ensure that you are aligned with the latest safety best practices. Purchasing a plane also involves a bit more than just researching makes and models and closing a deal with a seller. When you purchase a plane, the onus is on you to register your aircraft with the FAA in a prompt manner. Should that registration lapse for any reason, you will also need to complete reinstate aircraft documents to get your plane’s paperwork back in good standing.
Your airplane’s registration is a cornerstone document with the FAA. Having a registration, which provides your airplane with its N-number, signifies that your airplane is acting in compliance with FAA rules and regulations. As the United States’ primary transportation agency for all things aviation-related, the FAA has a number of important jobs. In addition to maintaining a complete registry of all aircraft owned and operated in the United States, they also issue pilot licenses and monitor air traffic throughout the country. In your time as an aircraft owner or pilot, you will work with the FAA fairly regularly, and one of the most common interactions you will have is renewing your aircraft registration. If, for whatever reason, you forget to complete your renewal application in time, you run a risk of losing your N-number, and you will need to submit a re-registration document before you can get off the ground again.
When Do You Need to File a Reinstate Aircraft Document?
When you first come into possession of an aircraft, you need to submit a Form AC 8050-1 – Aircraft Registration Application with the FAA. This document, which calls for your name, address, and signature, in addition to your plane’s make, model, and serial number, will provide your plane with an N-number. You will need to renew your registration once every three years to keep it valid. The FAA sends out reminders (with a renewal security code) six months before your registration is set to expire. Should that notice become lost in the mail, or at the bottom of some paperwork on your desk, you will have to re-register your aircraft.
Fortunately, by working with us at the National Aviation Center, you can do this online. Simply select the “Re-register aircraft” option from our navigation menu, and you will be brought to a fillable form that you can process in just a matter of minutes.
Get Back in the Air ASAP – Work with Us!
Whether you need to re-register, de-register, or renew a plane’s registration, we can help. We have online forms for all of your FAA paperwork needs. To learn more, head on over to our Frequently Asked Questions page for additional information.