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Buying homebuilt (basing in a different country)

Many thanks for finding that, @Zorg

UK (with exceptions)

What are the G-reg exceptions?

Even if this is just overflight, it is a useful data point because it could mean that a G-reg homebuilt doesn’t have to do anything to overfly France.

Basing a “foreign-reg” aircraft is bound to be more tricky than overflight, however.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

IIRC the UK-exceptions are the factory built orphan aircraft which need permission to enter France. Not sure though.

Last Edited by europaxs at 02 Feb 18:27
EDLE

Peter wrote:

What are the G-reg exceptions?

Hi @Peter,

By that I was referring to the last paragraph in that post, outlining 28-day stay restrictions for permit-to-fly aircraft registered in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Quoted again for convenience:

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.

As mentioned, the way it’s written in French doesn’t make it clear (for me) whether the rule applies to all permit-to-fly aircraft, or just a subset thereof.

The various dates given suggest that the French DGAC has over time come to (probably bilateral) recognition agreements for amateur-built aircraft with the CAAs of individual countries only. I’ll see if I can dig up some of these inter-CAA agreements out of curiosity.

LFHN, LSGP, LFHM

This [ local copy ] popped into my inbox recently… there was some legal change in France in 1998 which made it impossible to get some homebuilts onto the F-reg afterwards, resulting in the 6-month related difficulties. Google translate is not good enough but one chap seems to be saying there is a way, but doesn’t want to describe it openly. I have not dug into this any more but somebody interested can do so if it is relevant.

A number of people on that thread are on EuroGA too

Also it claims some F-reg Lancair 320s have IFR approval, which is really interesting. It shows the reg of one such – F-WOAH.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Peter wrote:

Maybe someone does but I have not heard of it.

…How about that some insurance companies will not issue the insurance, if you write that home base of the aircraft is somewhere else other than the registered country.
As well as UK LAA, on the Swedish EAA you have to write also the home base of the AC and if not in Sweden they may reserve the right not to issue the permit. There are some workarounds which is better not to be discussed on a public forum

ES?? - Sweden

The obvious workaround, much discussed here before, is to have someone acting as a mailbox in the country of registration.

The problem is that if there is an accident, the insurer may have a good reason to have a good dig-around. And 5 mins on plane spotter sites will reveal pretty obviously where it spends most of its time.

So I would definitely make a full disclosure to the insurer, regardless of what the State of registration CAA is told.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Peter wrote:

So I would definitely make a full disclosure to the insurer,

What I was trying to say is that the insurer from state A may refuse to issue the insurance, (for different reasons), since the AC it is on state A register and it has home base on state B. Alternately you have to pay a hefty premium. In regard to the workaround this may fall under ownership and percentage much easier than a mail box.

ES?? - Sweden

Sure; agreed.

I would not be surprised if some % of aircraft registered in country X and located in country Y are insured in country X with an insurer who would not ordinarily offer coverage for an aircraft permanently based in Y

What do people do when they claim? Well, hmmm, let’s look at some blindingly obvious options

  • claim that actually the aircraft does spend most of its time in X and just happened to fly to Y (will probably work unless they suspect something and start checking airport logs, and then you may need a forged journey log as well)
  • if flyable, fly back to X and claim there, saying it happened in X
  • if stuck in Y, claim from an address in X and hope the assessor doesn’t want to visit
  • move the aircraft via ground transport to X and claim, saying it happened in X

All this and much more has been done before – imaginative insurance claims are the world’s second oldest profession

Boring people (like me) prefer to sleep at night.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Whatever scenario you must provide your pilot logbook and the AC logbook immediately.
Do not forget that that aircraft accidents attract the media.
The situations above were used as a temporary situation until folk fixed the change from one registry to another one.
In regard to the insurers it is strange that on the policy document is written that AC is covered for flying all over Europe exclude Greenland and do not specify, the maximum duration of your AC outside registered country.
I like sleeping well during the nights too

ES?? - Sweden
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