De rode ridder
Senior Member
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2011
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In my ongoing effort to get my Piper Cub L-4J project legally going some day in the hopefully near future, I made all the efforts to find out a legal way to do this mostly on my own.
I went thru all the European CAA´s, FAA, etc. The conclusion is that although the FAA would be ideal, I learned that there is a lot of effort to prevent these aircraft from flying in Europe. Additionally, even if I found an A/P or IA in this country ( Germany), their motivation to pay me a visit now and then was far from enthusiastic, the least to say affordable. Easier if it would be Experimental you think? NO. In 2013, Germany banned, although only for several months, all N - registered exp. from flying. Will they do it again?
Since in several European countries, EU experimental does not exists, there are exemptions who make it possible to build or restore your own light aircraft. The EAA has European devisions but they are local and often bring a huge hassle if you like to restore an aircraft out of their country (Norway Experimental is for example non EU and you need an overflight permission that is often only valid for a limited time). I basically went thru all the pro´s and con´s of every country keeping in mind that one day I want to fly my L-4 across Europe and not around it
. EASA is now the big boss and every European country allows exceptions, although with at the end an EASA approved Permit to Fly issued by the local Country. It is an exception on the EASA rules for EASA certified aircraft. So called Annex 2 planes where every country has its own exceptions. If you want to get those airplanes in the air, it depends on the rules of the state of registry. Ultralights also need a permit. LSA is still on the EASA´s table, for over 5 years now and they still haven´t come to a conclusion.
To get such a Permit to fly, it is required when you restore a classic light airplane that you follow their building manual with all the required inspection intervals. Since the local CAA´s don´t have time to do that, they have a deal with a local association who does the work for them.
So back to the start and I went thru all the possible local permit to fly criteria.
The list is long but at the end some countries survived the test.
My question:
Is there anybody who knows if there is a country in Europe that will allow me to restore an aircraft myself (besides the interval inspections by their own inspectors) in a different EU country with the aim to base it in a different EU country?
From what I understood, Ireland is the only country I came up with.
The UK CAA for example does not allow the LAA to monitor an aircraft restoration taking place out of their country.
Please feel free to comment or PM me.
Not all to many Europeans over here that are dealing with the same problem.
I just think that I am living in the wrong part of the world when it comes to aviation.
I went thru all the European CAA´s, FAA, etc. The conclusion is that although the FAA would be ideal, I learned that there is a lot of effort to prevent these aircraft from flying in Europe. Additionally, even if I found an A/P or IA in this country ( Germany), their motivation to pay me a visit now and then was far from enthusiastic, the least to say affordable. Easier if it would be Experimental you think? NO. In 2013, Germany banned, although only for several months, all N - registered exp. from flying. Will they do it again?
Since in several European countries, EU experimental does not exists, there are exemptions who make it possible to build or restore your own light aircraft. The EAA has European devisions but they are local and often bring a huge hassle if you like to restore an aircraft out of their country (Norway Experimental is for example non EU and you need an overflight permission that is often only valid for a limited time). I basically went thru all the pro´s and con´s of every country keeping in mind that one day I want to fly my L-4 across Europe and not around it
. EASA is now the big boss and every European country allows exceptions, although with at the end an EASA approved Permit to Fly issued by the local Country. It is an exception on the EASA rules for EASA certified aircraft. So called Annex 2 planes where every country has its own exceptions. If you want to get those airplanes in the air, it depends on the rules of the state of registry. Ultralights also need a permit. LSA is still on the EASA´s table, for over 5 years now and they still haven´t come to a conclusion.To get such a Permit to fly, it is required when you restore a classic light airplane that you follow their building manual with all the required inspection intervals. Since the local CAA´s don´t have time to do that, they have a deal with a local association who does the work for them.
So back to the start and I went thru all the possible local permit to fly criteria.
The list is long but at the end some countries survived the test.
My question:
Is there anybody who knows if there is a country in Europe that will allow me to restore an aircraft myself (besides the interval inspections by their own inspectors) in a different EU country with the aim to base it in a different EU country?
From what I understood, Ireland is the only country I came up with.
The UK CAA for example does not allow the LAA to monitor an aircraft restoration taking place out of their country.
Please feel free to comment or PM me.
Not all to many Europeans over here that are dealing with the same problem.
I just think that I am living in the wrong part of the world when it comes to aviation.
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