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Moving G-reg to EASA-reg (and flying G-reg on EASA papers post-brexit)

So, with this hard Brexit coming towards us I have a question;

What does it take to re-register a G-reg acft to a D-reg, OO-reg,… any EASA-reg ? Assuming the Brexit end march 2019 means an immediate end to the UK’s EASA membership and a reregistration is done before this date.

Is it simply a paper exercise or is it a pretty expensive and complicated deal (like everything else in aviation) ?
I read about N-reg to EASA and vice-versa but I’d assume intra-EASA would be much easier ?

EBST, Belgium

This thread might be relevant.

The legal transfer is relatively easy but you cannot avoid the inspector for the accepting registry doing a thorough check of the whole thing. Let’s say the plane has a piece of avionics for which there is no EASA STC for that exact aircraft type, and it was installed in error because the installer didn’t read the STC properly, the accepting registry may well spot this, and then you may well be well and truly buggered. I am familiar with more than one example of this situation (not on my plane)… the solutions are all pretty bad, depending on what exactly it was.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Interesting thread, thanks Peter.

Something else; suppose the acft needs an engine + prop overhaul. Best to do this before or after the reg-change ? Again, intra-EASA.

EBST, Belgium

Some registry transfers mandate the engine within 12 years / 2k hrs or whatever… Otherwise, I can’t think of a particular reason.

On a more general note, I have always lost money by acting on fear And there are many G-regs based in mainland Europe. Even in the extremely unlikely event of the UK losing EASA certification, the existing G-regs are going to be 100% “EASA registered” at the time of brexit so nothing is likely to change.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Peter wrote:

Even in the extremely unlikely event of the UK losing EASA certification, the existing G-regs are going to be 100% “EASA registered” at the time of brexit so nothing is likely to change.

That’s certainly not the official stand. With a “hard Brexit”, all British EASA licenses and legalities will simply stop being valid in the eyes of EASA. All UK stuff becomes “third country” as of Mars 30 2019. See for instance here.

There are some UK planes, people with UK licenses or people using UK aviation related services in Norway, and they have since long issued warnings about this. Now that a “hard brexit” looks more and more certain, this isn’t acting on fear, but being realistic. Waiting past Mars 30 2019 is most likely to cause a real PITA for most people. But, gambling is gambling, you have to place your bets as best you can.

The elephant is the circulation
ENVA ENOP ENMO, Norway

Yes, if you can do it for 100 quid then do so. But if the transfer exposes 30k of expenditure? Bear in mind that you possibly cannot just go back because attention has been drawn

I knew a guy who got scared in 2005 (UK proposal to limit Ns to 90 days parking) went to G, then went back to N when the proposal was abandoned, spent well north of 10k, never finished his IR, and basically wasted the whole thing.

What is the worst case if you are stuck with a G in mainland Europe? Worth analysing. It does have an EASA CofA. What would concern me would be if the CofA expired just after Brexit.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Peter wrote:

On a more general note, I have always lost money by acting on fear

Peter has come up with some notable and worthwhile quotes including this and “The more you know the less you pay”.

For my part my plane is staying on the G-reg and if that means not flying in Europe then so be it – that will be a loss for both parties. I will be quite happy sticking to the UK for a while although I’d obviously prefer to fly abroad as well.

As a related aside the same applies for buying cars. I’ve bought four expensive German cars in the past few years and I’ll be quite happy to buy British, Japanese, South Korean or American cars in the future. That again will be a loss to the European car manufacturers (for sales) and for me (choice) but that’s the way it might be.

I will be quite happy sticking to the UK for a while although I’d obviously prefer to fly abroad as well.

Just for clarity – that will never happen because a UK issued license is good for a G-reg, VFR/IFR, worldwide. That is just ICAO.

The issue raised by the OP is for a G-reg kept outside the UK. The worst case scenario is that it would rank similarly to an N-reg, and be subject to some local long term parking regulations. These are rare in Europe but there are some – see here.

Another relevant thread is here. I don’t think there are any restrictions on keeping a G-reg from the UK point of view i.e. no UK passport, UK address, etc.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Indeed I think G-reg will become 3th country stuff just like N-reg. Maintenance organisations seem to share this view.

EBST, Belgium

That would be the worst case outcome, but only after the CofA has expired. Not on brexit date, AFAICS, because the CofA is still EASA compliant. The only way you can invalidate a CofA before it expires, de facto, is with an AD.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom
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