At my last annual (D reg mooney) the UK CAMO/Maintenance organisation renewed the ARC for its second year with them. Since Ive done a lot of the liason between the CAMO and the LBA (for example at the time of creation and getting approved the Maintenance program in the first year with them) and since the CAMO weren’t sure who needed a copy of the ARC piece of paper (the UK CAA apparently use an online system), I said Id investigate and get a copy of the ARC renewal to the LBA if needed.
I emailed a copy of it to the one chap in the LBA with whom Id been dealing but got no reply.
So my question, Presumably the LBA do want a copy of the ARC renewal? and if they do does any one know who to deal with or send it to or what the process is?
The LBA website is a bit impenetrable on this and ringing the LBA is ermmm a lottery to say the least.
thanks!
justin
Justin,you allready buy maintenance from a Part 145 firm and you are under the controlled environment of a CAMO.You allready applied and got an AMP signed by the LBA.
Therefore,your ARC can be extended or reissued by your UK based associates and a simple copy of this ,together with a letter from you,should be mailed (Registered) to the
Airworthiness Dpt of LBA. If this is not enough for them,then they might ask you to send them the whole pack of docs concerning the AD’s,Time limited components,Inspections,
etc.
Justin,
We should probably link up, as we also operate a D-reg Mooney in the UK and have our first annual coming up, so let me know if you figure out what they need.
Having just gone through a very painful process of changing the ownership after we bought the plane, I can wholly recognise your frustration….especially the part of no response to emails and generally you’re suppose to know what to do, so don’t ask any questions…
Michael
The fact that you did not get a response is not in itself a problem. LBA wants all kind of paperwork and usually you send it there they put it on file and it is done. You do not get a notification of receipt. But sometimes they have legal problems with email demanding letters or faxes. I would fax it there and forget about it. If they do not agree they will complain.
In the past they once wrote me a letter that my ARC was missing many month later. Apparently the CAMO forgot to send it. I mailed a copy and the problem was resolved. On the other hand we all know the story of Learjet D-CMMM which flew for many years without an ARC without anybody complaining at all ;-)
Finally the different departments of LBA operate at a very different pace. Complaining about the whole organization is in my opinion not fair. There are problems from time to time but then we must complain about the specific department.
One more question. What kind of paperwork did you get for your anual avionics check on the D-reg? We all know the German avionics shops charge rather high amounts for those checks. What did you pay in UK?
i found an email address [email protected] so well see what that does.
Sebastian,
My avionics annual was £120 I think. The maintenance outfit made up a similar form to the one that had been produced in the years before by the last german maintenance outfit.
Justin, keep us updated on the process. From what I know, your avionics check will be refused by LBA. The company has to perform it according to LBA rules (gold-plating on top of EASA), use the LBA provided form and has to be accredited by LBA.
Jesse will know more.
Achimha, I will have to share my experience on accreditation and forms from the LBA then :-)
The LBA refused to accept that our insurance broker had insured the plane. I tried to explain that wether the broker is a scam or not would be entirely my risk (and it is a pretty big well known broker, so it would be a very elaborate scheme in that case). The insurance was arranged on behalf of AIG and the LBA wanted to see the contract between AIG and my broker (in original, no less) and had little sympathy for my concerns that that would likely be very difficult for me to get my hands on. In the end, the broker kindly arranged for the head of the European aviation business at AIG to write a letter addressed directly to the lady at the LBA confirming that our plane is fully covered by AIG….next problem was of course that although the letter contained all the information needed in the form, AIG had not filled in the form. I suggested that she could just copy the information over…but no, it turned in to a long conversation of LBA: “I need the form”, Me: “but you have all the information”, LBA “but I need the form”, Me “what for?” LBA “it is a requirement, please ask AIG to send the form”…you get the drift !
We finally got AIG to sit down and fill out the silly form and the LBA lady is now happy and issued the CofA (though did a typo in in our company name (could not spell Aviation!), so here we go again…new form needed for change of ownership to correct the spelling, I’m not kidding)
I shall never again complain about the CAA, but I will look very carefully at the cost and hassle involved in a change to N-reg.
I tried to explain that wether the broker is a scam or not would be entirely my risk
Not quite. Valid insurance is a legal prerequisite for having an aircraft on the register. For this, a standard form exists which the brokers issue on behalf of the insurance companies. The CAAs have to know those brokers. In all fairness, if I pay money to an insurance broker, I expect them to provide whatever documentation the authorities need and do so promptly.
I tried to explain that wether the broker is a scam or not would be entirely my risk
For third-party insurance it isn’t.
