More time granted for aircraft already registered but awaiting inspection 

01/23/08 - FAA’s senior staff arrived for the annual mid-winter EAA/FAA summit meeting at the EAA Aviation Center in concert with official approval of EAA’s exemption request for the transition of ultralights and two-place machines to the Experimental-Light-Sport Aircraft (E-LSA) category after the January 31 deadline.

The exemption allows aircraft owners who have submitted their aircraft registration (n-number) application to the FAA Aircraft Registration Branch and had it entered into the FAA system on or before January 31, 2008, to complete the process, including issuance of an airworthiness certificate, beyond the deadline.

“EAA is very pleased that FAA saw the necessity of this exemption to meet the backlog of applications to the E-LSA category,” said Earl Lawrence, EAA’s vice president of government and industry programs. “Our good working relationship with FAA allowed us to understand exactly what these aircraft owners needed, what the FAA would allow within a request, and the time-essential nature of this exemption approval.”

The exemption provides additional time for those already registered but awaiting inspection, and also provides relief for those facing certification issues beyond their control (i.e., severe weather preventing DAR travel, shortage of critical flight safety components from manufacturers, etc.) to complete the certification process beyond the deadline.

To be able to take advantage of the exemption, registration applications must be received by FAA on or before January 31, 2008. If you have not yet submitted your registration there is very little time left to work with. At this point, the only way to get your application into the system in time would be to work through one of the aircraft title companies listed here.

You’ll also need an original FAA Form 8050-1, Application For Aircraft Registration. You can get this form from your area FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) or Manufacturing Inspection District Office (MIDO). Contact info for your area FSDO or MIDO can be found here.

You will also need an FAA Form 8050-88A, Light Sport Affidavit of Ownership, which you can download from here.

EAA will soon be posting specific instructions on how to take advantage of the exemption. If you have further questions, please contact EAA Aviation Services at 877-359-1232.