Balloon Sense

Balloon Owner Registration Responsibilities

Aircraft Owner Responsibilities
You, as an aircraft owner, are assuming responsibilities similar to those you have if you own an automobile. Owning an automobile usually means that you must register it in your state of residence and obtain license plates. As the registered owner of an aircraft, you are responsible for:

Having a current Airworthiness Certificate and Certificate of Aircraft Registration in your aircraft.
Maintaining your aircraft in an airworthy condition including compliance with all applicable Airworthiness Directives.
Assuring that maintenance is properly recorded.
Keeping abreast of current regulations concerning the operation and maintenance of your aircraft.
Notifying the Civil Aviation Registry immediately of any change of permanent mailing address, of the sale or export of your aircraft, or of the loss of your eligibility to register an aircraft. (FAR Section 47.41.)
Having a current FCC Radio Station License, if equipped with radios.

Some states require that your automobile be inspected periodically to assure that it is in safe operation condition. Your aircraft shall be inspected in accordance with an annual inspection or with one of the inspection programs outlined in FAR Section 91.409, in order to maintain a current Airworthiness Certificate.

Aircraft Registration
An aircraft is eligible for registration in the United States only if it is owned by:

A U.S. citizen. A U.S. citizen by definition of FAR Section 47.2 can be an individual, or partnership where each individual is a U.S. citizen, or a corporation organized under the laws of the United States, State, Territory or possession of the United States of which the president and two-thirds of the board of directors are U.S. citizens and 75 percent of the voting interest is owned or controlled by U.S. citizens;
A resident alien;
A corporation (other than classified as a U.S. citizen), lawfully organized and doing business under the laws of the United Sates or of any state thereof, if the aircraft is based and used primarily in the United States; or
A government entity (federal, state, or local).

The aircraft may not be registered in a foreign country during the period it is registered in the United States. If you purchase an aircraft, you must apply for a Certificate of Aircraft Registration from the Civil Aviation Registry before it may be operated. Do not depend on a bank, loan company, aircraft dealer, or anyone else to submit the application for registration. Do it yourself (in the name of the owner, not in the name of the bank or the mortgage holder).

You can help make sure your aircraft is properly registered by verifying that the aircraft description entered on the Aircraft Registration Application and Aircraft Bill of Sale (or equivalent) is identical to the data inscribed on the aircraft manufacturer’s data plate. The data plate is permanently affixed to the aircraft fuselage by the manufacturer. This quick and simple check should help avoid delays in the issuance of the AC Form 8050-3, Certificate of Aircraft Registration.

Aircraft Previously Registered in the US
You should immediately submit evidence of ownership, an Aircraft Registration Application, and a $5 registration fee to the Federal Aviation Administration, Civil Aviation Registry, AFS-750, Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center, P.O. Box 25504, Oklahoma City, OK 73125. Fees required for aircraft registration may be paid by check or money order made payable to the Treasury of the United States.

A bill of sale form that meets the FAA’s requirements for evidence of ownership is AC Form 8050-2, Aircraft Bill of Sale, which may be obtained from the nearest Flight Standards District Office. The form includes an information and instruction sheet. If a conditional sales contract is the evidence of ownership, an additional $5 fee is required for recording. For FAA registration, the bill of sale need not be notarized.

The Aircraft Registration Application includes an information and instruction sheet. Submit the white and green copies to the Civil Aviation Registry; keep the pink copy in our aircraft as evidence of application for registration until you receive your Certificate of Aircraft Registration. The pink copy is good for 90 days and is only legal in the United States.

If there is a break in the chain of ownership of the aircraft, i.e., if it is not being purchased from the last registered owner, you are required to submit conveyances to complete the chain of ownership, through all intervening owners, including yourself, to the Civil Aviation Registry.

Aircraft Previously Registered in a Foreign Country
If you are contemplating purchasing an aircraft registered in a foreign country, contact the local FSDO for certification assistance and the Civil Aviation Registry at (405) 954-3116 for registration assistance.

Certificate of Aircraft Registration
A Certificate of Aircraft Registration should be in the aircraft before an Airworthiness Certificate can be issued. The Certificate of Aircraft Registration becomes invalid, as described in FAR Section 47.41 when:

The aircraft becomes registered under the laws of a foreign country:
The registration of the aircraft is canceled at the written request of the holder of the certificate;
The aircraft is totally destroyed or scrapped;
The holder of the certificate loses his or her U.S. citizenship or status as an alien without becoming a U.S. citizen;
The ownership of the aircraft is transferred; or
Thirty days have elapsed since the death of the holder of the certificate.

When an aircraft is destroyed, scrapped, or sold, the owner shall notify the FAA by filling in the back of the Certificate of Aircraft Registration and mailing it to: FAA, Civil Aviation Registry, AFS-750, P.O. Box 25504, Oklahoma City, OK 73125.

The U.S. registration and nationality marking should be removed from an aircraft before it is delivered to a purchaser who is not eligible to register it in the United States. The endorsed Certificate of Aircraft Registration should be forwarded to the Civil Aviation Registry.

A dealer’s aircraft registration certificate is another form of registration. It is valid only for flights within the United States by the manufacturer or a dealer for flight testing or demonstration for sale. It should be removed by the dealer when the aircraft is sold.

The certificate of registration serves as conclusive evidence of nationality but is not a title and is not evidence of ownership in any proceeding in which ownership is at issue.

Change of Address
The Aircraft Registration Application may also be used to report a change of address by the aircraft owner (or in a letter stating all the necessary information). The FAA issues a revised certificate at no charge. If the certificate is lost, destroyed, or mutilated, a replacement certificate may be obtained at the written request of the holder. Send the request and $2 (check or money order payable to the Treasury of the United States) to: Federal Aviation Administration, Civil Aviation Registry, AFS-750, P.O. Box 25504, Oklahoma, City, OK 73125.

The request should describe the aircraft by make, model, serial number, and registration number. If operation of the aircraft is necessary before receipt of the duplicate certificate, the Civil Aviation Registry may, if requested, send temporary authority by fax. Include in your request your full address, fax number, and a telephone number where you can be reached.

Registration of Amateur-Built Aircraft
AC Form 8050-88, Identification Number Assignment and Registration of Amateur- Built Aircraft, is sued by the Civil Aviation Registry to notify you of action taken on your application for registration of amateur-built aircraft. The reverse side of AC Form 8050- 88 is an Affidavit of Ownership for an amateur-built aircraft. You many designate an aircraft serial number of your choice at this time. This becomes the official aircraft serial number. Submit AC Form 8050-88 along with AC Form 8050-1 to register your aircraft. If you have not reserved a special N number, the Civil Aviation Registry assigns a number at this time.

Special Registration Number (N-Number)
A U.S. Identification number of your choice may be reserved, if available. This number may not exceed five characters in addition to the prefix letter "N." All of the five characters may be number (N12345) or four number and one suffix letter (N1234A) or one to three numbers and or two suffix letters (N123AB) may be used.

In your written request, list up to five numbers in order of preference in the event the first choice is not available; also include a $10 fee. If your request is approved, you are notified that the number has been reserved for one year. You are also informed that this reservation may be extended on a yearly basis for a $10 renewal fee.

When you are ready to place the number on your aircraft to the Civil Aviation Registry. Permission to place the special number on your aircraft is given on AC Form 8050-64, Assignment of Special Registration Numbers. When the number is place on your aircraft, sign and return the original to the Civil Aviation Registry with five days.

The duplicate of AC Form 8050-64, together with your Airworthiness Certificate, should be presented to an Aviation Safety Inspector within ten days from placing the new registration number on your aircraft. The inspector will issue a revised Airworthiness Certificate showing the new registration number. The old registration certificate and the duplicate AC Form 8050-64 should be carried in the aircraft until the new registration certificate is received.

How to Report Stolen Aircraft or Aircraft Equipment

Immediately notify the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction at the site of the theft, giving all available information. Request that such information be entered into the computer system of the National Crime Information Center of the FBI, and have the law officer taking the report notify the nearest FAA Flight Service Station. The Flight Service Station then issues a nationwide stolen aircraft alert. Note: Flight Service Stations are prohibited from issuing stolen aircraft alerts based solely on notification of theft by the owner-the report must be made by the law enforcement officer handling the case.
Notify the Aviation Crime Prevention Institute (ACPI), P.O. Box 30, Hagerstown, MD 21741, telephone 1-800-969-5473, fax (301) 791-9791, giving all available information. ACPI will send notices of the theft to appropriate industry contacts and embassies if applicable.
Notify your insurance company or agent, as appropriate. Additionally, owners/operators are encouraged to keep separate records of serial numbers for powerplants, avionics, and other installed items. Report these serial numbers at the same time the aircraft is reported stolen.

Additional Information
FAR Part 47 specifies the requirement for registering aircraft. For information concerning FAR Part 47 contact the FAA, Civil Registry, AFS-750, P.O. Box 25504, Oklahoma City, OK 73125. Telephone (405) 954-3116 for registration information and (405) 954-4206 for N-Number information.

State registration of aircraft is required in approximately 60 percent of the states. Check for your state’s requirements.

Every balloon owner should be aware of the information above. This material is excerpted from Advisory Circular 20-5G, Plane Sense. The AC is a general aviation information publication of the FAA and may be obtained free of charge from: U.S. Department of Transportation, Property Use and Storage Section, M-483.7, Washington, DC 20590.

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