Can one use N-registered craft in commercial operations within EASA jurisdiction?

That’s horrible…

I don’t know anything about parachuting ops, and nothing about the regs in Poland, but I think here in the UK the general principle is that paying for the “lift” is OK if all parachutists are members of a club. And the aircraft can then be N-reg or any other reg, and yes it is a private flight. If the pilot gets paid, he/she needs an EASA CPL, as well as a FAA CPL if the aircraft is N-reg.

I would be amazed if – Poland or anywhere else – you could just turn up at a parachuting operation, give them some money, and get a lift up, legally – unless it is under an AOC.

The owner of the plane can make as much money as he likes. Nothing stops me buying some plane and renting it to a flying club for $100000/hr.

The pilot probably can’t be paid in a pure “club” environment though… that’s a good point. I don’t know how that works in the real works because paradropping is pretty intensive work, going up 4 times per hour in some cases.

Parachute dropping and Glider towing is specifically designated as NOT being aerial work, so it’s private. I have flown an N reg Pawnee towing gliders when I was a gliding club member, in the UK, obviously no pay involved just helping as is usual in gliding

How is the operating cost of the aircraft funded? The money must come from the parachutists. I know this is looking at it from the UK angle again but surely they must all be members of a “club” of some sort? Otherwise (i.e. if anybody can just walk through the door and pay for a lift up) it is a paying passenger carrying operation which needs an AOC everywhere. The fact that the passengers all jump out and do not normally land at a destination is irrelevant.

I only know the situation in Germany: If it is done within a club (“Verein”) it must be non-profit on cost sharing basis, the pilot must not receive any payment, but can claim his expenses (travel, food, overnight). Many are happy with free food and drinks in the clubhouse and a couple of free jumps if they are parachutists themselves.

But there are also commercial skydiving outfits. They need an AOC for aerial work (which is much easier to get than a proper AOC for commercial air transport) and are allowed to make a profit with their operation (if they can…) and pay their pilots. Usually the aeroplanes have to be registered within EASAland, but for short periods the authorities can allow foreign registrations, e.g. If no suitable aircraft is available or while the aircraft is in the process of er-registration. While it is employed within the AOC but still under foreign registry, maintenance has to be done according the the regulations of the AOC state. Our company has operated an aircraft on N-reg for almost a year, but the OPS manager and the maintenance manager nearly drowned in the paperwork and swore they won’t do that again…

Peter, yes, it must be in a club environment. It is easy enough to sign up a new member for an “experience” or “taster” session. Until recently Gliding had to be done in a BGA club for practical purposes, as the BGA had delegated powers to grant C of A’s for gliders. It will all have changed nor EASA has come along I’m sure.

Actually I think in the UK parachuting dropping is aerial work (but not public transport)

But there was also a provision in Schedule 7 to allow a PPL to do it:

Under EU regulation (which is not yet in effect, coming in 2016), it becomes a non-commercial operation in some circumstances:

and there are corresponding provisions in the Aircrew Regulation (which is in effect) to allow it to be performed by PPLs.