Does anyone know how to get an airworthiness certificate?

[TomMcNutt]

Does anybody know the current proccess to get a replacement A/W certificate??

Talked to three IA's and got many different answers.
---Send replacement application form to local local FISDO,---- Send to OK. city.

One IA says a annual most be completed prior to, another says a annual cant be completed with out a A/W in hand. Plane needs to be inspected by a DAR or the Feds? Another says no problem happens all the time and so on. Calling the FISDO only confused me more.

Here is the situation I am considering purchasing a completed project that was last annualed in 1998 the owner past away and the A/W was lost. Upon purchasing this plane should I combine the registration/ bill of sale ect and include application for a A/W certificate, send it all off at once the the Feds ? Or should I have the estate send and application in for the A/W cert. first and delay the purchase?

Seems to me the Feds would look at the situation and understand how a A/W could be lost in this case and it would be no big deal. Any thoughts??

It sound as though their process has changed recently as far as replacemen A/W certificates.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Here are my thoughts.

Without an Airworthiness Certificate the plane it is not airworthy. You knew that. In order for it to obtain an Airworthiness Certificate someone will have to show by inspection that the aircraft in it's current state meets the Type Certificate Data Sheet and any approved modification such as STCs and 337s.

I'm not sure but believe the FSDO would either have a FAA inspector do this or more likely they would designate an IA in FSDOs area to accomplish this.

This is a pretty simple question the FSDO should be able to answer with out a doubt as to the policy in place.

Should you buy it before it has an airworthiness certificate? The answer is it depends on lots of circumstances. But a conservative answer is NO.

[N2540V]

To get an airworthness certificate for an experimental from a FAA employee.
Is inspection of the aircraft, work quality, etc.
Not too much paper to inspect.
$1200.

Now, if they have to read through the logbook, checking 337's etc.
I have no idea.

[cessna170bdriver]

My airplane was missing the AW certificate when I bought it. I took all of the aircraft records (back to new) to the local FSDO (Nashville). An inspector took the stack of books and 337's to his office and came out 10-15 minutes later with a certificate. That was 25 years ago, so the rules may have changed.

At the time, I REALLY wanted THAT airplane, and didn't let a "minor detail" like an AW cert stand in my way. If I had known what I know now, I probably wouldn't have taken the chance on buying the airplane without it, and had the owner take care of it pre-purchase.

Miles

[ak2711c]

Every time I have done this the feds want to send their inspector for an extemely thorough conformity inspection. They typically nit pick the plane apart and make you do all kinds of unnessecary stuff but in the end I have always been successfull in getting it. It is usually a frustrating time consuming process but very doable.
Shawn

[wingnut]

You can hire a DAR to complete a conformity inspection. He can issue the Standard Airworthiness Certificate. Your local FSDO will have a list of DAR's in your area. Call a few to get prices. I paid $300 a few years ago to replace a lost cert. DAR's are not Fed employees, so they can charge what they want.

[Metal Master]

I have had to have many airworthiness certificates replaced over the years. I have gone the DAR route once or twice. Most of the time I have gotten the FAA maintenance inspector. My FAA (Principal Maintenance Inspector) at no direct cost. However I am working as my own IA, A&P. What is required is that the aircraft have a conformity inspection. That is that the aircraft meets it’s type certificate. This includes all AD’s be complied with and the aircraft meets the requirements of its type certificate. This could be that the inspector looks to see that all required placards are installed has the correct or properly installed STC’s and or properly installed equipment for example. Some FAA Airworthiness Inspectors are happy with a review of the records and that it has a current annual inspection (which can not be signed off with out an airworthiness certificate) and a walk around of the aircraft.
If you have an Annual inspection done and do not have an Airworthiness inspection you can have an annual inspection completed and have the annual signed off as un-airworthy stating that the annual is complete less the following discrepancy. (No Airworthiness Certificate).
If you have had an Annual done within the past year and have lost your airworthiness certificate (The aircraft can not be flown It is now un-airworthy). You only need to have the FAA rep or DAR be happy with the conformity as outlined above of the aircraft and he can issue a new airworthiness certificate.
Call you local FSDO and ask! They have always been cooperative with me on these issues with a minimum of fuss .

[Indopilot]

Just a note of interest that doesn't apply to this particular instance but is interesting none the less. There are aircraft that were built for export only in the U.S that you CAN NOT get an Airworthiness cert. for as they do not conform to U.S. regs. So some poor guy finds an A/C overseas buys it since it is such a deal and then finds out he is stuck

[Bill Hart]

What FSDO are you working with? This may really fall into the hands of an ACO not the FSDO.

But everyone here is correct. The airplane CAN NOT be considered airworthy with out the AW certificate. This is not a problem that time and money can't fix. If you have the time the FAA can come and do the conformity inspection however they are already over tasked and you will have to wait until they can get to you. If you would like to expedite things you can get a list of DAR’s in your area who can do the inspection for you. This will cost more than the FAA doing the inspection but in the long run it may be the more inexpensive way to go if you include time and nonsense of dealing with the FEDs.

Do your self a favor get all of this taken care of before you buy the airplane. While I don’t consider it a deal breaker you do not want to buy and an airplane that run’s the risk of not conforming to the Type Certificate because of someone’s work during the restoration.