The More You Know …

After initially expressing support for the FAA’s plan to extend the duration of U.S. aircraft registrations from three to seven years, the NBAA has called upon the agency to provide greater clarity on some elements of the amended process.

In a letter to the FAA, NBAA cited several advantages to moving expiration dates on current aircraft registrations to seven years after the date of issuance, including time and cost savings attributable to diminished paperwork and less frequent renewal fees.

The proposed FAA rule also extends—from 90-days to 12-months—the period that aircraft may be operated on temporary registration certificates issued whilst the full registration is processed by the agency’s Aircraft Registration Branch. Such an extension stands to ease current burdens on both FAA personnel and aircraft owners at a time when the registry’s backlog for processing documents may run as long as six-months. The measure would also “provide clarity and peace of mind to aircraft owners waiting on their permanent certificate of aircraft registration,” the NBAA set forth.

However, NBAA also cautioned that, as written, the FAA rule implies operators will not receive amended registration certificates with revised expiration dates. The cited omission could create potentially serious problems for international operators presenting registrations with expired dates during foreign ramp inspections.

Aircrew members who’ve hazarded trips to those parts of the world where bribery and grift supersede statute will be sympathetic to the warning, which the NBAA summarized thus: “A pathway is needed that allows operators traveling to a foreign destination to renew their certificate early so that they do not need to travel abroad with a certificate that appears expired in case of a ramp inspection.” The NBAA further posited that foreign inspectors are unlikely to be aware of the FAA registration changes.

The association also petitioned the FAA for additional details on other elements of the rule, including what, precisely, would constitute “inaccurate information” on submitted registration paperwork, additional guidance on how the FAA would determine information was incorrect, and how much time aircraft owners would be allotted to submit corrections.

 “NBAA fully supports the rule extending the duration of aircraft registration from three to seven years,” the comments concluded. “With the clarifications requested, the FAA can ensure a smooth implementation process.”

A full transcript of the NBAA’s letter to the FAA may be viewed at:https://nbaa.org/wp-content/uploads/flight-department-administration/aircraft-registration-transactions/NBAA-Comments-to-Increase-in-the-Duration-for-Aircraft-Registration.pdf

FMI: www.nbaa.org