That is an absolutely astonishing story about life in Germany!
That is actually a very good case for flying say a G-reg or an N-reg, on FAA and UK issued papers. The German LBA can’t do anything about you then.
I am glad the UK doesn’t run such a system because here the tax people hit businessmen more or less randomly (the usual trigger for an “enquiry” is “being successful”) and you write the taxman a cheque for say £10k-50k to get him off your back. The alternative is to get a tax barrister for a hearing, say 10k/day. Been there and done that… The settlement doesn’t mean you admitted anything and both sides know it; the tax inspector just wants to reach a collection target for the year. But to an outsider it can look like you got done for underpaid tax.
There is this unspecified term trustiness (Zuverlässigkeit) in German law that allows authorities to put anything under it. The 5 years trustiness examination is “optional”. They can’t force you by law to provide it. However, if you don’t, they will not trust you anymore and will send you to Fürstenfeldbruck. 
You can find several court decision where pilots lost, usually based on the term trustiness which is unspecified and thus it’s up to the authorities to fill with their ill requirements. If you go to court you will fight for years and will usually lose.
Yes, I fly an N-reg but have a validated FAA PPL/IR. They hit me before I could change it. I also had a D-reg plane at that time. And now I’m done with that.
I spoke with customs in Luxembourg. Civil aircraft parts are free, only VAT. Before I do the trip I’ll confer with them to ensure I will have all required papers available.
But… “EASA” isn’t ever going to see any of this paperwork.
True, that is why I asked if this would be N or EASA. If EASA, it would be important to know not all are acceptable, will reply in other topic.
Some news on this topic. I don’t need to fly via Bergen/Norway to ELLX to get Luxembourg’s VAT rate. I can just land at Wick, get a T1 form, fly to ELLX and do the customs. Great!
Which also gives me the opportunity to rent the survival gear at Wick and return it there. Even greater! 
Glad to hear it. Andrew is a very helpful guy.
The 5 years trustiness examination is “optional”. They can’t force you by law to provide it. However, if you don’t, they will not trust you anymore and will send you to Fürstenfeldbruck.
What happens at Fuerstenfeldbruck, that encourages a pilot go for the ‘optional’ trustworthiness test? I am curious. This test really looks like the worst system one could imagine, and although this would be too debateable, it really doesn’t have that much bearing on 9/11 does it? It sounds like an excuse to add on lots of unnecessary state bureaucracy. I am surprised there wasn’t a massive German uprising among the population. In the German organisation I work for (though I am based in London), even the most trivial of change to absolutely anything requires approval from one of about 4 levels of ‘Workers Councils’. It looks like there is no council to protect pilots in Germany then….
Major part is the interview with a psychologist. You have to demonstrate insight that you did something wrong and that you actively work to change that. You can’t lie because they will notice it. Then you have to do some reaction and awareness tests on a computer and they check your blood and urine status on alcohol and drugs.
Believe me, this is a once in a pilot’s lifetime experience. You will never go there again…
