Registration
Generally, an FAA registered, internationally-operated aircraft may not be legally registered in the name of a corporation that does not qualify as a citizen of the USA. However, the Federal Aviation Regulations allow for two methods by which non-USA citizens can enjoy the benefits of owning an aircraft registered with the FAA: the voting trust and the ownership trust.
If, after consultation, you prefer the voting trust arrangement, we can help you select a USA citizen as the sole director and officer of a domestic (USA) corporation and place the shares (subject to the terms of a Voting Trust Agreement) of the corporation in the care of a trustee (pursuant to the terms of a Voting Trust Agreement) who is also a USA citizen. Thus the corporation qualifies to legally register an aircraft with the FAA, even when the aircraft is solely operated internationally.
Likewise, you may elect to register the aircraft in the name of a trustee via an Ownership Trust, a trust document between you and the trustee, a USA citizen (corporation or individual), which provides for aircraft ownership in the name of the trustee.
Many individuals are under the impression that registration of an aircraft in the name of a corporation will result in reduced liability exposure arising from aircraft ownership. This is not necessarily true where the shareholder pilots the aircraft. Furthermore, the FAA might deem aircraft operation by an aircraft-holding corporation as "commercial" in certain circumstances. This may result in FAA enforcement action(s) against the pilot(s) and/or operator and/or nullify insurance coverage.
Aircraft De-registration
Sometimes, clients would prefer to remove an aircraft from the United States registry to register it in another country. We can provide legal assistance both in the de-registration of the aircraft in the U.S. and in smoothing the way for re-registration in the country selected.
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