There’s no problem doing it legally, and lots of people do 
Peter wrote:
The NL CAA also requires a periodic altimeter etc check. Information varies on whether this must be done by a NL company or whether it can be done anywhere in Europe/EU. I have seen both cases working. Last I heard the EU option had disappeared and you again had to fly the plane back to the NL. But this was a while ago; more than a year I think. @europaxs – if you have the latest on this, it would be very useful.
I have a dutch mechanic/inspector anyway who also does the required representation for me (hence there was no need for me to investigate this issue any further) but my understanding is, that the static and instrument checks have to be done by an inspector with an appropriate “dutch approval”.
That’s a good solution. A bit like having a friend A&P/IA if N reg, which is priceless because it makes you independent.
But it doesn’t deal with the other stuff, which is host country dependent.
I think representation and paperwork isn’t much of an issue and all solvable somehow without high effort, independent of the country of basing.
It all melts down to the question wether the country where the homebuilt is intended to be based allows it (basing of foreign homebuilts) or not – at least for any insurance stuff or peace of mind of the owner
It all melts down to the question wether the country where the homebuilt is intended to be based allows it (basing of foreign homebuilts) or not – at least for any insurance stuff or peace of mind of the owner
I agree.
It depends on your attitude to risk, and to a degree on what sort of flying you are happy doing.
For example if you are hangared in a discreet hangar and pop up for a quick local every week or two, and then straight back in the hangar, and don’t upset anybody, and maybe take measures to avoid getting tracked by ATC and FR24 (in France you don’t need a transponder for VFR, AFAIK) then you can probably go on for ever.
And obviously if you move about a lot rather than staying in the same place all the time, that will work too – just like it works for tax 
That is how e.g. ferry flights of VFR-only planes get done, fully under IFR, all the way from the USA and into Europe. They don’t get authorisations. Those are done only for high visibility stuff e.g. record breaking flights Europe – South Africa.
How you deal with the insurance aspect is another matter. But if you are fairly sure you won’t cause a 3rd party claim, and can always afford to throw away the purchase price if you have a prang after the first 6 months, then you are fine.
I have looked at this myself and no way would I get enough value for the risk involved. Being well known doesn’t help too… And from watching certain types (of possible future interest to me) on FR24 it’s very obvious they are not stupid, have examined that equation too, and are minimising the exposure in various interesting ways
I was just looking into this stuff again for somebody else and, while this has been posted here before, the situation above comes down to somebody digging out and translating these French laws
referenced in this PDF (bottom of page 2).
I am not aware of anyone who has spent time on this and what is actually in there. I can’t speak any French and would not know where to look for this in any case, but I am sure the stuff is online.
Hi,
I haven’t read all the posts but I answer the first one:
Plan to buy used homebuilt airplane, registered in Netherlands (PH-)
Airplane to be stationed in France (and operated within Europe, including Switzerland)
I live in Switzerland
My questions are:May I keep the Dutch PH-registration?
Will I (as second owner of homebuilt) be able to do maintenance myself, or how does that work?
Is it a problem for the French authorities if I station a PH-reg in France, but live in Switzerland?
As a Swiss resident, do I have to import the plane into Switzerland, although it is stationed in France?
Any other issues which might arise?
I found a DGAC (our civil aviation authority) page about the topic:
http://www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/-Tout-sur-l-ULM,6594-.html
It says that a homebuilt microlight cannot be registered in France because they have no guarantee that it is compliant with the regulation. If the microlight had been built by its designer, the company would have showed that it is compliant with the regulation and you could then get a french registration.
To fly in France you don’t need to be F-registered if you’re EU or Swiss-registered. Your microlight simply needs to be authorized to do so in your country and you must have a valid pilot license in your country. You’re also limited to non commercial flights.
ref : http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/eli/arrete/2015/1/7/DEVA1401163A/jo/texte
I don’t know whether it’s a problem to station a PH aircraft in France. But according to what I read, if you can’t do it, The only solutions will be to station it in CH,or to buy a company-built second hand microlight, or to buy a second hand homebuilt built in France..
I hope this helps.
TThierry wrote:
homebuilt microlight
A homebuilt microlight is not the same as an homebuilt experimental aircraft.
Peter wrote:
I was just looking into this stuff again for somebody else and, while this has been posted here before, the situation above comes down to somebody digging out and translating these French laws
Thanks for this, Peter!
Here’s a quick paste of the mentioned articles. I’ll look into this more in the next days. I’m also expecting a response by the DGAC in this matter.
Code de l’aviation civile, Article D133-20:
Les aéronefs titulaires d’un document de navigabilité spécifique à la construction amateur et immatriculés dans un des Etats définis par arrêtés du ministre chargé de l’aviation civile sont autorisés à survoler le territoire français sans accord préalable délivré par les services de navigabilité français.
Le ministre chargé de l’aviation civile peut déterminer par arrêtés les Etats dont les aéronefs ressortissants seront titulaires de l’autorisation prévue au premier alinéa du présent article, dès lors que la réglementation servant de base à la délivrance du titre de navigabilité :
1. Aura été adressée à l’administration française compétente ;
2. Imposera la réalisation d’épreuves en vol, préalablement à la délivrance.
Code des transports, Article 6211-1:
Tout aéronef peut circuler librement au-dessus du territoire français. Toutefois, l’aéronef de nationalité étrangère ne peut circuler au-dessus du territoire français que si ce droit lui est accordé par une convention diplomatique ou s’il reçoit, à cet effet, une autorisation dans des conditions fixées par décret en Conseil d’Etat.
I think I found the relevant information for overflying [France]. Does anybody know whether that’s the same as “flying in France”, and even “basing an aircraft in France”?
On the general French government site that TThierry mentioned (thanks a lot!), there’s a subsection on foreign aircraft (or here in English). Now, the interesting part is the following section:
Cas particulier des aéronefs de construction amateur :
Sont autorisés à voler sur le territoire français sans validation préalable de leur titre de navigabilité les aéronefs de construction amateur immatriculés :
en Finlande (voir l’arrêté du 8 janvier 1986) ;
aux Pays-Bas (voir arrêté du 25 février 1986) ;
en Allemagne (voir l’arrêté du 1er juillet 1986) ;
en Belgique (voir l’arrêté du 10 août 1998) ;
au Royaume-Uni (voir ci-dessous) ;
en République d’Irlande (voir ci-dessous) ;
en Suisse (voir l’arrêté du 22 septembre 2014).
Pour les aéronefs de construction amateur originaires d’autres pays, une validation de leur titre de navigabilité doit être obtenue. Voir ci-dessus.
This means that amateur-built airplanes registered in the following countries are permitted to fly in France without validation of their airworthiness by French authorities: Finland, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, UK (with exceptions), Republic of Ireland (with exceptions), Switzerland.
However, “certain aircraft with permit-to-fly” (not clear whether all permit-to-fly aircraft are meant, or just a subset) that are registered in the UK and Republic of Ireland are limited to 28 consecutive calendar days. Amateur-built airplanes registered in other countries do require a validation of their airworthiness certificate by French authorities.
