In the absence of a useful CAA engineer nearby, how do pilots manage their maintenance when on an ultra long distance journey.
At typical GA block speed going to Oshkosh and back, for example, is likely to need at least a remote (from a UK maintenance shop) inspection at 50 or 55 hours. Going further afield would require a 100 hour inspection, and in due course an annual and ARC renewal.
Have contacted one G reg earthrounder, and a prospective one, who might have some answers. Will also ask a couple of maintenance shops.
It would be interesting to know if this is relatively straightforward, for example your remote A&P might liaise with the UK shop and they sign off remotely?
You could check all EASA approved pt. 145 shops, there are many outside europe (e.g. many airliners going to china for heavychecks).
@Snoopy good point thanks
Canadian registration is fine for long distance as there are no requirements for any inspections for a privately owned and operated light aircraft (no 50 or 100hr).
Oil change falls under owner maintenance, so fill your boots!
Of course it would be prudent to make sure your aircraft is in tip top shape before any big over water legs or foreign lands, but this work is at the owner’s discretion. Also good to check that there are not any ADs with recurring inspections at a certain interval, etc.
I haven’t fully investigated, but I think the annual could be problematic if your trip is more than a year.
I found that locating FAA certified engineers outside of the USA has been fairly straightforward, but sometimes needed a bit of work and planning. Trying to find an EASA (or, soon, CAA) certified engineer would I think have been significantly harder. I had to fly one out from the NL to Kenya once to work on the F-reg 182 we were in.
OK have received a couple of data inputs. On EASA the 50 hour maintenance can be carried out, and signed by the owner. 100 hour maintenance the CAMO needs to sign off, and also the Annual/ARC. In the case of one earthrounder one of the sons of his UK CAMO helpfully was an engineer and lived in New Zealand, so the 100 hour was carried out there. This earthrounder had in fact got to NZ from Chile via Easter Island and French Polynesia, in an SEP. A testimony to his UK CAMO, and Wichita Kansas technology.
I believe some CAMOs will accept the work of a US A&P with whom they have worked before, alternatively they will have to fly out to carry the inspection and sign off.
It would appear that N reg is the ideal for ultra long distance touring! Most countries that don’t welcome N reg might be a bit off the beaten path in any event.
I believe some CAMOs will accept the work of a US A&P with whom they have worked before, alternatively they will have to fly out to carry the inspection and sign off.
One story – unverified by me, and quite old 
– about doing a long trip in a G-reg is here.
Nowadays, reports are that the UK CAMO sends a fax (or email ) to the maintenance company far away, authorising them to do the work. Often, the work is not just a routine service, though. On a long trip, things like a new alternator / new cylinder / etc are not uncommon. Obviously a lot of stuff is done off the books. And an Annual would be something else…
On EASA the 50 hour maintenance can be carried out, and signed by the owner
Yes, and one doesn’t need a PhD to work out that nobody apart from you will know if or when those checks were actually done, so the 10% max permitted leeway is moot 
On an N-reg these checks are totally optional (legally speaking; practically the oil has to be changed, etc) so you can be “more legal”.
Most countries that don’t welcome N reg might be a bit off the beaten path in any event.
My impression is that N is fine except in countries with obvious anti US hostility issues (Somalia?). In the 3rd World, required bribery of airport staff is a bigger issue and is very common, regardless of reg.
Peter wrote:
Nowadays, reports are that the UK CAMO sends a fax (or email ) to the maintenance company far away, authorising them to do the work. Often, the work is not just a routine service, though. On a long trip, things like a new alternator / new cylinder / etc are not uncommon. Obviously a lot of stuff is done off the books. And an Annual would be something else…
For “unplanned maintenance” an EASA part-145 can authorise an ICAO-licensed engineer to release limited work under the EASA part-145 approval. Whetehr it can be done for planned maintenance is questionable.
However, the 50hrs can be done by the pilot if so approved under his AMP so, and you can go quite far in 100hrs with a touring aircraft!
This is so obviously an area where US regulation is more pragmatic and evidence-based than ours; it would be surprising if the UK CAA is not already preparing to implement its avowed de-regulation policy by abolishing the statutory requirement for 50 and 100 hour inspections and ARCs for private light fixed-wing GA.
Our de-regulated <300 kg “SSDR” class is well-established, and their owners are not exactly swamping British morgues or the NHS.
Recalling Saatchi & Saatchi‘s “Labour isn’t working” advertising campaign in the late 1970s, perhaps the slogan after UK independence ought to be “De-regulation works”… no, wait, there was once a wrought iron sign a bit like that.
The CAA might but they can’t do it until out of the EU and some sort of treaty with EASA has been concluded.
I am staying put on the N-reg The marginal extra cost of holding the FAA papers is not significant. And yes if I wanted to do a very long trip it would be far easier. You do need to find an A&P/IA to sign off the Annual, however.
