N Number change - lesson

[GraemeSmith]

Heads up.

When you have waded your way through the process and got to the simple line in the AC8050 form that authorizes the change and then says:

"Apply for a new Airworthiness Certificate at your Flight Standards District Office"

And you call the FSDO for an appointment (as you have to take in your old certificate). Don't believe the person who tells you "Just bring in your Airworthiness Certificate and a copy of the AC8050 that authorized the number change".

For an EXPERIMENTAL-AB you ALSO need to take in:

- You Operating Limitations - so they can be reissued with the new N Number. So this is also an opportunity to change test flight area if you need to.
- Your Aircraft logbook that shows the date of the last Condition Inspection and that the plane is current on that Inspection. Because they need to see the plane is currently airworthy AND Inspector will make a logbook entry.

--

I lucked out a little this morning. The FSDO were apologetic about not being clear, is going to prep the paperwork and an Aviation Inspector is going to deliver it to my FBO on Friday - where I will meet him with the Logbook (which I did not have with me at the time).

The rest of the airport is not going to be so happy...…. "I'll do some ramp checks while I am there..."

Yes - I have warned everyone!

[Rynoth]

The rest of the airport is not going to be so happy...…. "I'll do some ramp checks while I am there..."

Yes - I have warned everyone!

Hah, bringing the heat! Was nice of him to tell you that though.

[Sonerai13]

You Operating Limitations - so they can be reissued with the new N Number.

If you read the operating limitations you will find an item that says "These operating limitations are a part of FAA Form 8130-7 and must be carried in the aircraft at all times."

Form 8130-7 is the Special Airworthiness Certificate. So when they say "bring your airworthiness certificate", that includes the operating limitations. (Yes, they should have made that more clear, but if your FAA inspector or DAR did their job and explained that to you in the first place, you'd have known.)

This is made way more obvious on the new form, since the airworthiness certificate is not a separate piece of paper. It is actually printed at the top of the first page of the operating limitations, so they can't be separated.

[GraemeSmith]

Yeah. I'd actually brought AROW with me so the Operating Limatations were less of a issue. I had them with me. The aircraft maintenance logbook was the kicker.