Importing An Aircraft Without STC's For Additional Equipment
by Michael
(NJ)
I will be importing an aircraft from Poland and would like to have the factory install additional equipment such as an autopilot and engine monitor.
Unfortunately due to the fact that the aircraft type is relatively unknown in the U.S. it does not carry the required STC's for the stuff I would like to put in.
Is there some sort of field approval or certification process that can be done at the factory to legally equip my aircraft with the equipment I want prior to import?
ANSWER: Your question raises a few questions of my own.
1. Are there other aircraft of this type in the U.S. now?
2 Is the equipment being installed optional equipment provided by the manufacturer?
3. If not, are there EASA STC's for the equipment you want to install?
4. What type of FAA airworthiness certification will you apply for once the aircraft is in the U.S.?
Without knowing the answers to these questions, It will be difficult to answer yours. However, I will offer the following comments and links to other information that might help you.
Before you purchase an aircraft manufactured in another country, you need to make sure that a U.S. Type Certificate exists for that aircraft. Without that, it can not be issued a standard airworthiness certificate in the U.S.
Click on the “Reference Links” tab and then the link to the FAA’s Type Certificate Data Sheet (TCDS) database where you can search by aircraft type.
If there is a TCDS for the aircraft you should read through that document, and pay special attention to the notes section. There you will find special import requirements if there are any.
You should also request an Export Certificate of Airworthiness from Poland which should indicate that the aircraft meets its U.S. type design.
Another document that would be worth reading is the bilateral agreement between the U.S. and Poland. You can find a copy of the agreement by clicking on the link on the Reference Links page, and then the bilateral listings link on the FAA’s website.
After reviewing the above-mentioned documents, if your question was not answered, please click on the post comments link on this page to continue the dialog.
