FAA Registration

[HighWing]

I don't know if this will work for everyone, but my approach to having a previously owned kit registered with no bill of sale trail at all, was based on a guy's post to another discussion group years ago. He simply checked the box - assembled from miscellaneous parts. I did the same and was prepared to show all that I had contributed hoping it would be sufficiently miscellaneous, but the question was never asked. I guess, I would use the Kitfox Aircraft letter as a first choice if I were to do it again. It did cause a bit of uncertainty. One thing I would definitely do if I were to do it again would be to register it much sooner, maybe six months or so before completion.
Lowell

[MotReklaw]

My buddy and I bought a partial built kit from the estate of an 84 year old gentleman in Kingman AZ. He had a revocable living trust (no will) with his daughter as administrator. She wrote us an AC bill of sale as the administrator. The FFA would not accept it. They wanted a notarized Will naming her as administrator. We went through over six months of gov bureaucrats and were told something different by three different workers. Finally, a lady in OK told us there was a document on the FAA website that the daughter could fill out , get notarized and the FAA would accept it.
According to the FAA the man was en testate, or however it's spelled.
If I had it to do over again I would follow Lowell's method.

[avidflyer]

Super old thread, but I'm researching this topic as I'm about to register a Sky Star Kitfox with no bill of sale. The form you are referring to is called an Heir at Law form. I went through this with a Kitfox 3 where the owner had died and I was buying it from his wife. Once that form was filled out, it was no problem. I'm just responding to this thread, so incase anyone else sees it, they will know what form to look for. JImChuk

PS, the DAR I'm working with says the assembled from parts option can get quite complicated. Perhaps rules have been tightened up on that.

[Jerrytex]

My interaction with the FAA went smoothly years ago. Here recently, it's been a different story. Like you mentioned, I selected "built from parts" since I did not have a bill of sale for the kit. I sent in my PPWK in along the kitfox letter, and kitfox form printed from their site. They sent it back stating that the wording on the bill of sale was wrong and told me what to write. I was confused since I did not send in a bill of sale. Apparently they considered the kitfox letter and the kitfox form..... the bill of sale. They sent it back to me and followed up with a phone call (I could obviously tell they knew they made a mistake) telling me to remove the statement that I was told to write originally. I did as they said, sent it back and got my registration card a few weeks later. Yay! Confetti, champagne!

FFWD to my DAR inspection about 2 weeks ago. Everything good to go. Got my AWC. My DAR said that my plane was the best built airplane he has ever seen and said that I could probably be the head a boss at NASA with my building skills. (I made the last statement up.... I don't want to work for NASA)

Happy day, Yay! .....confetti and champagne....AWC in hand!

Yesterday I get an email from the FAA saying my AWC application was denied. Grrrrr!!! Very frustrated. I called the DAR and he is trying to figure out what the FAA did or is doing that caused this. Obviously a PPWK issue with the FAA since he (DAR) would be the one to issue a Denial letter for an unsafe plane and he did not.

So needless to say, it's hit or miss with the FAA. I am wondering if my debacle is because I selected "built from parts" and the FAA is basically saying, no, it's a kit, because you have a bill of sale....albeit, one that they basically created.... but technically, there is now a bill of sale.

Hope yours goes more smoothly.

[avidflyer]

I talked with my DAR yesterday, and he said to call the registrations office. Said I will have to wait for someone to talk to me, but get their direction on how to go. Well I've called several times this morning, and when I finally get to the point of being able to ask to talk to someone, it says they are overloaded and to call back at another time. They don't even put me on hold. They are currently processing registrations from December 8. Wow, unbelievable. JImChuk

[Dave S]

Jerry,

Sorry for your bad luck with getting your plane's paperwork through. Often it takes quite a bit more work to unsnaggle something once there have been questions. Certainly work with your DAR who is in a good position to determine what the question is.

Avidflyer's comments are right on - reasonably, the FAA needs to have an adequate explanation for the lack of a bill of sale. I had the same situation with the BOS missing due to the skystar bankruptcy but FAA had no problem with it because there was an explanation (and some paperwork about the bankruptcy).

I don't know if the "assembled from parts" is their continuing issue in your case or not; but, I do know that route has been been fairly controversial as the FAA has run into cases where someone was simply rebuilding a standard certificated aircraft and attempting to register it as an experimental, or some frankenplane of mixed lineage. FAA central is all about paperwork documentation and consistency - if something doesn't match it is treated as a denial. That famous old saying of Admiral Rickover to defense department employees probably applies to FAA employees too - "If you are going to sin, be sure you sin against god rather than the bureaucracy so you have some hope of being forgiven" - so there is often a lot of careful deliberation.

In any case, keep with your DAR I am sure that is your best route.

[avidflyer]

I was able to talk to the FAA later this morning, and it seems like it won't be too hard.... They want forms 8050-1, 8050-88, FAA bill of sale (preferred), letter and form from Kitfox explaining that Sky Star is out of business, and notarized letter explaining all, and why you can't produce a bill of sale from the kit manufacturer. Sounds easy. We shall see! :-) JImChuk

[klamath101]

Built from parts with bills of sale that state misc aircraft parts. It will no longer be a kitfox on paper.

[FoxHunter]

I just got the EAA guide and it gives a number for members to call if in my situation. I'm going to try the number to see what they say.