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Is all of FAA sick with virus?

A

Aluminum

Well Known Member
Reserved an N-number on March 18th. Charged my credit card, then nothing. Telephone goes to "All circuits are busy" message, like calling Africa in the '80s.

That's one bad cough. Is here anything this virus can't do.

</rant>
 
I reserved my N number about 4 or 5 months ago. They charged my credit card and then I got a letter in the mail about 6 weeks later.
 
I have reserved N numbers in the past, paid for them, only to receive a post card later saying the number was not available and to apply for a refund. I think what happens is that when someone reserves a number it is not immediately removed from the database, which allows another party to attempt to reserve it. Maybe they have fixed this.
Good Luck!
 
Jpm757 said:
I have reserved N numbers in the past, paid for them, only to receive a post card later saying the number was not available and to apply for a refund. I think what happens is that when someone reserves a number it is not immediately removed from the database, which allows another party to attempt to reserve it. Maybe they have fixed this.
Good Luck!
Click to expand...

A search here will get you more specifics but in essence when you reserve online it goes into a pile in order received and until they reach your request there could be other requests for the same number ahead of yours. That's why even though it's "available" online in reality until the paperwork gets to the employee and he checks and assigns it to someone then updates it online, it's anyone's number.
 
I just reserved an n-number and the turn around time was 5 weeks. The last one I reserved before that was 4 weeks.
 
Did I mention how valuable the psychological support on this forum is. Thank you all, I shall wait and wait some more.

(Six weeks indeed. Are there tours offered of the stone tablet vaults? Perhaps the shortage of PPE impacted the etching process.)
 
Not sure what effect current conditions have had on their staffing, but I called the registration branch last Thursday at 3:40 pm eastern time. I hung up at 5:00 while still on hold listening to music.
 
RV10Pilot said:
Your n-number registration will show up online before you get the post card in the mail.
Click to expand...

Yup, been checking that too. Nada.

My problem is, until I know the number is mine I dare not send in the registration paperwork. Last time it took them two months to mail it back to me because I forgot to sign in all the right places, and this was before all the "staffing problems". If the DMV were this efficient we'd all be commuting on skateboards.
 
Aluminum said:
If the DMV were this efficient we'd all be commuting on skateboards.
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Uh, have you had to deal with the CA DMV in person within the last year? It's a disaster. Only hope is to go on-line exactly 90 days before when you want to be there, and get one of the few appointments available.
 
Aluminum said:
Yup, been checking that too. Nada.

My problem is, until I know the number is mine I dare not send in the registration paperwork. Last time it took them two months to mail it back to me because I forgot to sign in all the right places, and this was before all the "staffing problems". If the DMV were this efficient we'd all be commuting on skateboards.
Click to expand...

Dan,
Once you have secured your N number, you may want to spend $60 or so and have a title service handle all of the paperwork including Bill of sale, registration and amateur built forms. They check everything over and literally walk the documents through OKC. Money well spent in my book, no hassles, they won't submit the paperwork unless it is correct. I have had good luck using Insured Aircraft Title Service.
 
BobTurner said:
Uh, have you had to deal with the CA DMV in person within the last year? It's a disaster. Only hope is to go on-line exactly 90 days before when you want to be there, and get one of the few appointments available.
Click to expand...

As I matter of fact I just got my RealID five months ago. Took all of 20 minutes, super-smooth. I did get an appointment, and uploaded the required documents online. There are regional differences in how well the offices are run, I imagine.

Contrast this with four out of five interactions with my FSDO ending up in total bureaucratic disasters. This is not counting Oklahoma or DPE interactions, which were only about 60% unproductive all told. It's like a test of grit--hard to imagine there's an actual defensible function to these rituals. Everything they need to keep me honest I could provide in about two minutes on a web form, fine upstanding citizen and all. Hope they catch all those hardened criminals who fly homebuilts.
 
Jpm757 said:
Dan,
Once you have secured your N number, you may want to spend $60 or so and have a title service handle all of the paperwork including Bill of sale, registration and amateur built forms. They check everything over and literally walk the documents through OKC. Money well spent in my book, no hassles, they won't submit the paperwork unless it is correct. I have had good luck using Insured Aircraft Title Service.
Click to expand...

Interesting, never knew this was an option.

Thanks!
 
Jpm757 said:
Dan,
Once you have secured your N number, you may want to spend $60 or so and have a title service handle all of the paperwork including Bill of sale, registration and amateur built forms. They check everything over and literally walk the documents through OKC. Money well spent in my book, no hassles, they won't submit the paperwork unless it is correct. I have had good luck using Insured Aircraft Title Service.
Click to expand...

IATS is great, except as of about two weeks ago, nobody is allowed to walk into the FAA registration office, due to COVID-19. Maybe that has changed by now, but probably not...
 
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