Importing an Aircraft

[jeb]

Our company maybe purchasing an airplane from a company in Europe. My question is once we get into the States will the aircraft have to be flown below 290 because we will not have US RVSM approval. The airplane will be US registered before it leaves Europe. Will we have to do the GMU flight before we can get approval?

 

[G100driver]

Our company maybe purchasing an airplane from a company in Europe. My question is once we get into the States will the aircraft have to be flown below 290 because we will not have US RVSM approval. The airplane will be US registered before it leaves Europe. Will we have to do the GMU flight before we can get approval?

Never done this, but will the registration number be European or US. If it is US get RVSM approval before you enter the states (Just paperwork).

When purchasing new from the factory you are give 6 months for HMU/GMU flight. Not sure if the same goes for transfer of ownership with an already approved RVSM airplane.

 

[G4G5]

http://www.ecacnav.com/content.asp?PageID=66

Check with your FSDO,they will give you the info you need. Before you call or visit do a data search on the current registration of your aircraft, to see if it currently is RVSM. Then bring the data with you to the FSDO. My FSDO had the above Eurocontrol web site on his computer so that he could verify the data over the phone. Some guys in the FSDO's have absolutely NO CLUE what you are talking about so make sure you find the RVSM avionics specialist. Otherwise you will waste days trying to jump through unnecessary rings of fire.

We just purchased a used aircraft (N registered), I went down to the FSDO and asked about RVSM. They told me that if the aircraft was current under RVSM they would transfer the data to the new registration as long as we were not doing any repaint or structural work that would effect the RVSM data.

I was instructed to contact the RVSM guru in Atlantic city. He told me that Europe was was ahead of us on this and that he would except any positive GMU check that I could find (since most are in Europe this should help you).

If you can't transfer in the RVSM data (assuming that your aircraft is RNAV and P-Rnav approved already )then plan on filing a flight plan over one of the approved GMU (Strumble) on the flt back to the US.

If this does not work ( a failed report) the you will need to contact Arinc or CSSI to do a HMU check. This is costly, you need to pay all the expenses and then the flt time on the aircraft.

I saved thousands by getting them to accept the previous owners data. Then at our convenience we did an over flight to update the data.

 

[jeb]

Importing Aircraft

Thanks for the reply, I left a message at our FSDO and I am still waiting for a call back. The guy we have to deal with is very slow at call backs. The airplane is RVSM certified and it will have a N Registration. One other problem we are having is getting our other pilot to school. No openings till July, thats correct. He is on a stand by list for the end of the month. Here is what a has been suggested, he can sit in on recurrent and get some sim time and do his three t/o and landings and be legal to fly back to the states. I thought I read somewhere that both pilots must have a type to fly in Europe? He has 6000 hrs so I don't want people to think we are putting someone with limited time. I have another pilot who will fly in his place if he can clear his schedule. He flys to Europe sveral times a year. The powers to be are meeting on the purchase of the airplane today so this could be a non issue if they pass on the aircraft.

 

[Diesel]

no type no fly in europe. For both pilots

 

[501261]

Thanks for the reply, I left a message at our FSDO and I am still waiting for a call back. The guy we have to deal with is very slow at call backs.

Mind if I ask which FSDO? I've been trying to get a call back since January on our RVSM renewal that's due in May. I wonder if there is a bigger problem or if we're both just dealing with the same FSDO.

 

[Diesel]

just call and speak to the supervisor.

 

[FL350]

You can get him an SIC type rating. It is just a BS piece of paper that allows non type rated pilots to fly in Europe. It is just a matter of taking an 8710 signed by the chief pilot down to the FSDO. This would get you by until you can get him to school.