What is the required equipment for IFR in an RV in France? If someone wanted to sell and export an RV from the US to France and be IFR capable in France What are the requirements?
Thanks, Larry
It is possible to own a aircraft in France that was built in another country if the airplane remains registered in another country and can be maintained to that country's standards. For example the airplane could be built in the Netherlands and retain it's Netherlands registration while being owned and flown in France. I know of one case where this was true, and I flew with the owner in his Netherlands registered RV-4. There are N-registered airplanes in France, and you can also find US AI qualified mechanics in France who can do the annual inspections. Not the best situation, but it works.
Do I *also* need to conform to any EU or French regulations on maintenance?
So this is the situation I'm anticipating in the not-too-distant future. I'm the US registered owner of a US-registered RV-7A which I built and for which I hold the Repairman's Certificate. When I move to France, I can ship the plane over. What are the rules and limitations under which I then operate? Since I'm a US pilot in a US plane, I get that it's legal to fly it in any ICAO country (as long as you abide by their rules). So it looks like day/VFR only, which is okay (not ideal, but okay). What about maintenance? I presume I'm operating under the US rules for annual condition inspection to stay legal, right? Do I *also* need to conform to any EU or French regulations on maintenance?
Most countries issue a *special* Certificate of Airworthiness for an Amateur Built. This is a non-ICAO-standard certificate and therefore you can not fly your experimental to "any ICAO country".
For all the trouble the FAA is...I'm surely blessed to not have to deal with this this lunacy.
I really do feel for you lads...even with thousands of hours of EU flying experience, I can't imagine the EAB bureaucracy one must endure.
When I started to undertake building in Switzerland, I thought that the rules looked very complex and difficult. They are more complex than in the US and some other countries, but what they do is lay out a process to follow that is simply good practice. Lots of inspections, keeping a paper trail of what you do, more inspections, and a very formal test flight process that's very similar to what the EAA has in their test cards. And in fact, the testing process was fun, and gives you some structure that helps you learn your aircraft. My 15 min climb test at max performance was cool - I had to keep asking for another few thousand feet of clearance from the controllers until they finally said - "Just keep climbing as you need - BTW, what are you flying?" Covid-19 meant there were very few aircraft flying at any altitude.For all the trouble the FAA is...I'm surely blessed to not have to deal with this this lunacy.
I really do feel for you lads...even with thousands of hours of EU flying experience, I can't imagine the EAB bureaucracy one must endure.