Silvaire wrote:
It needs an FAA issued original copy of the airworthiness certificate to be displayed, and that may exist in the aircraft records
True, but if it is not available then a DAR will be needed to re-issue a duplicate.
Problem is there is a very real risk that the DAR may not consider the acft to be airworthy.
I think the key issue here is that the aircraft is on N-register, now, regardless of its sojourn into the world of Italian ultralights – an Italian Aero Club registration that can likely be forgotten if that’s convenient. To resume operations on its N-number, It needs an FAA issued original copy of the airworthiness certificate to be displayed, and that may exist in the aircraft records, and it needs a registration certificate issued by FAA in the current owners name, which requires a very simple bill of sale form sent to FAA. Then it needs a condition inspection logbook entry signed off by the original builder or any A&P.
I’d try to make contact with the original builder and/or last US owner, if they’re still with us.
Actually I didn’t – I got the magic letter from a Madame Klinka of the DGAC – but this is off topic here 
Peter wrote:
Well, you get my drift
The airworthiness authority for when the owner is the builder is the owner.
The airworthiness authority for when the owner is not the builder is an A&P.
So the DAR should just need an A&P to sign the thing off, and then the DAR can add his $2000 signature
In the certified system, the IA signs it off (usually at an Annual inspection) and then the DAR adds his $2000 signature…
That’s no longer the case – Only an “100 Hour” Inspection is required for application for a new AW Cert, including acft reg’d in the “Normal” Category.
Also, would it be relevant if the aircraft was never properly removed from the US reg and just placed on the Italian reg? In the certified system, you need an Export CofA (subject to some obscure exceptions e.g. a type provably originally built to US specs, which is how I did mine).
An “Export C of A” is NOT required is the acft in question has already had an FAA AW Cert issued to it in it’s past.
That’s why 9 times out of 10 an Export Cert is not required since 9 out of 10 legacy acft are US built. One of those exceptions of course is Socata, hence your need to obtain the Export Cert.
That’s a legitimate question and I don’t know the answer, but you could say the same thing about the FSDO if it was in the US.
Well, you get my drift
The airworthiness authority for when the owner is the builder is the owner.
The airworthiness authority for when the owner is not the builder is an A&P.
So the DAR should just need an A&P to sign the thing off, and then the DAR can add his $2000 signature
In the certified system, the IA signs it off (usually at an Annual inspection) and then the DAR adds his $2000 signature…
That’s if I understand it right.
Also, would it be relevant if the aircraft was never properly removed from the US reg and just placed on the Italian reg? In the certified system, you need an Export CofA (subject to some obscure exceptions e.g. a type provably originally built to US specs, which is how I did mine).
Peter wrote:
So that expired-N-reg Experimental plane could be basically worthless (depending on required corrective actions)?
However, what would be the DAR’s terms of reference for an Experimental ?
That’s a legitimate question and I don’t know the answer, but you could say the same thing about the FSDO if it was in the US.
So that expired-N-reg Experimental plane could be basically worthless (depending on required corrective actions)?
However, what would be the DAR’s terms of reference for an Experimental ?
Peter wrote:
Was that on a non-certified aircraft,
Does not really matter since a new AW Cert needs to be issued and outside the US that requires a DAR, no matter what Category the acft belongs to.
Silvaire wrote:
For this situation I think it would be necessary to get a new paper copy of the FAA airworthiness certificate
Correct, but …
The hitch is getting a “copy” of the AW Cert., outside of the US.
You need to have a DAR re-issue the duplicate AW Cert and that means he will need to see the acft and it’s logs.
If the acft is not in perfect airworthy condition then the DAR will give a list of discrepancies that will need to be dealt with before he will issue the duplicate AW Cert. Further, you will have to pay his fee which is typically about 2000€ plus travel .
Just last month I was contacted for a very similar situation: The owner changed tail number on an FAA reg’d plane based in Europe. He naively contacted a DAR to issue another AW Cert but since the acft was undergoing maintenance at the time the DAR gave the owner a very long and onerous list of discrepencies, took his fees and left. That acft hes been grounded for over 2 years.
