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Moving to Germany with airplanes - could use some advice

We will be relocating from the US to Germany this summer and would like to bring our FAA-registered aircraft (Pitts S2B & Bonanza A36). Any advice from the forum would be welcomed. Additionally, any information about available hangar space near Berlin would also be appreciated. Blue Skies!

Germany

If you bring one or both planes leave them on N-register, registered to your (any) US address, and fly them with FAA pilot certificates and medicals. You might now need a 2nd Class medical because 3rd Class and (particularly) Basic Med are locally invalid, depending on which and who you talk to. Nothing is clear and unambiguous. You’ll need radio licenses for pilots and plane, as you would to fly them to Canada or Mexico. That part’s an FAA paper exercise, negligible cost.

If you will be a German resident, your legal position will be become unclear because EASA now requires locally based “operators” (term ill defined) of N-registered aircraft to maintain a local pilot license in addition to FAA papers. Given that the planes will be registered to you personally (i.e not to a trust) at a US address, and your pilot certificates to the same address, I’d ignore that, staying completely disassociated from European licensing and registration. Show US passports, state driver’s licenses and aircraft registration if asked, all with the same US address.

Find an FAA A&P IA to do aircraft maintenance and annual inspections. Transponder and static system checks may be slightly more problematic every two years because of the need for an FAA repair station, but there are lots of N-registered aircraft in Germany. Insurance should not be a problem. Again, lots of other people doing the same thing.

If any of the above seems formidable or problematic, sell the planes or leave them in the US and rent in Germany, because you’ll have plenty of similar issues to deal with elsewhere, not just with aircraft. (I’m half of a dual nationality family, or actually triple, with some experience) There are rental aircraft on N-register here and there.

You asked for advice and you got it, as the saying goes

Last Edited by Silvaire at 13 Feb 03:10

If you like contact to many aviators and like vintage aircraft, I’d take a look at Bienenfarm EDOI (Homepage)

The most used GA IFR airfield is Schönhagen EDAZ (Homepage)

Or you can take a look at Strausberg EDAY (Homepage)

I don’t know about the companies in Berlin, but ACG in EDFQ has the best rpeutation for maintaining NReg in Germany (Homepage)

mh
Aufwind GmbH
EKPB, Germany

We operate an n-reg Mooney in Germany for years without a problem. Feel free to contact me (or any of the other forum members doing similar things)!

Silvaire wrote:

If you will be a German resident, your legal position will be become unclear because EASA now requires locally based “operators” (term ill defined) of N-registered aircraft to maintain a local pilot license in addition to FAA papers. Given that the planes will be registered to you personally (i.e not to a trust) at a US address, and your pilot certificates to the same address, I’d ignore that, staying completely disassociated from European licensing and registration. Show US passports, state driver’s licenses and aircraft registration if asked, all with the same US address.

As long as you keep your US address I think Silvaire is right. That should not be a problem.

Silvaire wrote:

Find an FAA A&P IA to do aircraft maintenance and annual inspections. Transponder and static system checks may be slightly more problematic every two years because of the need for an FAA repair station, but there are lots of N-registered aircraft in Germany. Insurance should not be a problem. Again, lots of other people doing the same thing.

Really not an issue, many FAA A&P (even with IA) in Germany. As mh says, ACG is really good, we’re there as well. For the static check, you can fly e.g. to Straubing, they will do it while you have a coffee.

EDFM (Mannheim), Germany

Hello Jill, As someone who did what you are proposing. My suggestion is to bring a large bank account dedicated to aircraft expenditure. There are some fine shops to bring your plane that are FAA shops but usually not near where you might be based unless your lucky to have moved near one where you live.. I fly 2 hrs to get to my shops which are in EDMS and EDMV. In the US I paid “0” Zero taxes on labor and parts. In EU prepare to pay 19% of the bill in VAT. Ouch! It can be done but there will be difficulties and frustrations here in Europe.
By the way I was warned by multiple pilots. If I was not retired it would be practically impossible. By the way speaking of money keeping your plane N reg will save you lots in maintenance bill.

Otherwise being plugged into EuroGa will keep you well informed about European flying.

KHTO, LHTL

@Jill

In short: maintenance will not be any big problem if you are in Germany. Hundreds, if not a few thousand N-regs here…

What always is the bigger challenge for Americans like you, starting flying in Europe, is the flying side of it (in terms of rules, procedures, infrastructure, etc.)
Many things are different here. Man are arguably a bit “worse”, but in no way all of them.
Bascially, apart from the actual flying, you will have to start from scratch and learn everything anew.
If you are ready and willing to do that, i.e. take on a new “adventure”, then you’re good.
If you expect to just jump in the airplane and think that the rules, procedures and habits all be more or less like in the states, it will end up in huge frustration. We have had some people here on the forum of this type…
Don’t do the radio like you did in the US. Don’t do your preflight planning as you did in the US.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking of Europe as one big thing. It’s merely a collection of (in some ways) very different countries, and that also partially applies to aviation regulations and procedures.
And so on.
Don’t make the mistake of permanently asking yourself “geez, why can’t it be as simple as it is back home?” That’s useless, and the wrong approach.
Learn to play the game “the European way” and you can have big fun. But it needs a bit of effort, and most of all, open-mindedness.
I’d like to help you do that transition, but I’m a bit far away. Anyway, you can always ask questions.
For some distance training, you do worse than contact your fellow countryman @wleferrand, who, it seems, has coped quite well.

Be positive about it.

Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

By the way speaking of money keeping your plane N reg will save you lots in maintenance bill.

Nah, that’s not really true however. You can save costs by maintaining the a/c yourself and that is possible on any EASA register, aswell.

But since they are NReg and I assume they’re not going into an AOC, its eventually easier to keep them Nreg.

mh
Aufwind GmbH
EKPB, Germany

N is superior to ELA1 and much more than ELA2 ie over 1200kg.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

The Pitts is probably an experimental.

The elephant is the circulation
ENVA ENOP ENMO, Norway

N is superior to ELA1

What do you pay in maintenance paperwork, annual inspection and trust fees for an ELA1?

mh
Aufwind GmbH
EKPB, Germany
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