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Shipping RV 12 in container to Europe

dabney

Well Known Member
Friend
I have been doing some research here on the forums and elsewhere about the rules for flying an EAB Light Sport airplane RV12 in Europe.

I'm also looking into procedures for shipping it in a container to a port of entry in Europe.

Has anyone already done this who can provide some advice or direction??
 
RV shipping to Europe

Did you encounter any difficulty exporting it as far as paperwork when it arrived there or difficulty flying around Europe.
 
Amateur built experimentals in Europe are subject to national regulation, so the rules will depend on which country it is to be based and registered.

Assuming it meets the requirements for a national permit to fly, then there is reasonable freedom to visit other countries within Europe.

Shipping should not be a problem for an RV-12 as the wings are easily removable. There are several companies in California experienced in containering and shipping aircraft. I've used Skyview in Tracy.

You could do it yourself, but you need to be very thorough in immobilising everything and mindful of regulations like using only approved timber
 
Did you encounter any difficulty exporting it as far as paperwork when it arrived there or difficulty flying around Europe.

I sold my RV-8, never flew it in Europe.

Yours is a question for EAA or AOPA if you want a definitive answer.
 
Did you encounter any difficulty exporting it as far as paperwork when it arrived there or difficulty flying around Europe.

Europe doesn't recognise Light Sport aircraft as "certified", so you will need approval from whichever countries you want to operate in individually. If you fly on your US registration you will be limited to one 30 day period per year in any one country. Staying any longer will require the aircraft to be approved under local regulations for non-certified aircraft in the country you will be based in, all countries are different.

Most countries require the aircraft to be amateur built, and for you to prove that it was. In general factory built LSAs cannot be certified. In the UK it can take 4 to 6 months to obtain approval to fly, and can cost £1000. Once approved it is possible to fly around Europe without too much restriction, although some countries (Spain & Portugal) require permission in advance. Be aware that a radio that will tune to 8.33kHz frequencies is required and a UAT transponder is useless.

Pete
 
Better still, buy my brand new RV12, I will ferry it to your European location and then you can enjoy it immediately :D

Simply sell when you return home ;)
 
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