US resident , no greencard, buying a glider in the US

On Sun, 25 Oct 2009 08:28:40 -0700, AK wrote:

On Oct 25, 2:01Â*am, Peter wrote:
I'm hoping to tap the voice of experience...

I've been thinking about buying a glider ever since I moved to the US,
its been 10 years now and I'm still waiting to get my Green card... yay
go USA... anyway... bitterness aside...

I know that I can't register an Aircraft on the US register unless its
owned by a US entity (person or corporation, majority),... or a
Greencard holder... bitter a little.

BUT...

Is there anything to stop me buying one and transferring it the the UK
register, but keeping it here and having my father (a UK based aircraft
inspector) come over and give it its annual airworthiness on the UK
register and fly it that way ?

What would be the process, would I have to get an export CofA and go
through all that rigmarole and then do the Uk equivalent to transfer
the registration, even thought he aircraft is not actually being
exported ?

And I would eventually (hopefully some decade soon) be reversing the
process once I get my Greencard.

Any other common means for a non-US citizen to own an aircraft legally
in the US. I don;t want to bend any rules and I'd rather not put a
$50-80K glider on teh register under someone elses name (and
effectively make them liable for any legal/tax issues), as well as have
to trust someone with that much of an asset that I'd have to basically
lose legal rights to to transfer to them legally.

Or should I pack up my stuff and head back to blighty... :-)

Peter

You can register a corporation and make the corporation own the glider.
A UK diplomat did that when he lived in the U.S. I bought my last glider
from him.

Strictly speaking, as far as I know, the corporation has to be majority
owned by Americans... so I'm no better off, the corporation and
therefore...other people... have to own and take liability for the
aircraft.. no better than a three way partnership with two americans, and
I'd have the downside of having to file corporate tax papers each year..

As far as I've seen the System can't be circumvented... I suppose thats
the idea anyway.

On Oct 25, 2:44*pm, Peter wrote:
On Sun, 25 Oct 2009 08:28:40 -0700, AK wrote:
On Oct 25, 2:01*am, Peter wrote:
I'm hoping to tap the voice of experience...

I've been thinking about buying a glider ever since I moved to the US,
its been 10 years now and I'm still waiting to get my Green card... yay
go USA... anyway... bitterness aside...

I know that I can't register an Aircraft on the US register unless its
owned by a US entity (person or corporation, majority),... or a
Greencard holder... bitter a little.

BUT...

Is there anything to stop me buying one and transferring it the the UK
register, but keeping it here and having my father (a UK based aircraft
inspector) come over and give it its annual airworthiness on the UK
register and fly it that way ?

What would be the process, would I have to get an export CofA and go
through all that rigmarole and then do the Uk equivalent to transfer
the registration, even thought he aircraft is not actually being
exported ?

And I would eventually (hopefully some decade soon) be reversing the
process once I get my Greencard.

Any other common means for a non-US citizen to own an aircraft legally
in the US. I don;t want to bend any rules and I'd rather not put a
$50-80K glider on teh register under someone elses name (and
effectively make them liable for any legal/tax issues), as well as have
to trust someone with that much of an asset that I'd have to basically
lose legal rights to to transfer to them legally.

Or should I pack up my stuff and head back to blighty... :-)

Peter

You can register a corporation and make the corporation own the glider.
A UK diplomat did that when he lived in the U.S. I bought my last glider
from him.

Strictly speaking, as far as I know, the corporation has to be majority
owned by Americans... so I'm no better off, the corporation and
therefore...other people... have to own and take liability for the
aircraft.. no better than a three way partnership with two americans, and
I'd have the downside of having to file corporate tax papers each year..

As far as I've seen the System can't be circumvented... I suppose thats
the idea anyway.

I told you I know a guy who did it. What type of corporation it was I
don't know. Go talk to a lawyer.

On Oct 25, 4:37*pm, AK wrote:
On Oct 25, 2:44*pm, Peter wrote:





On Sun, 25 Oct 2009 08:28:40 -0700, AK wrote:
On Oct 25, 2:01*am, Peter wrote:
I'm hoping to tap the voice of experience...

I've been thinking about buying a glider ever since I moved to the US,
its been 10 years now and I'm still waiting to get my Green card... yay
go USA... anyway... bitterness aside...

I know that I can't register an Aircraft on the US register unless its
owned by a US entity (person or corporation, majority),... or a
Greencard holder... bitter a little.

BUT...

Is there anything to stop me buying one and transferring it the the UK
register, but keeping it here and having my father (a UK based aircraft
inspector) come over and give it its annual airworthiness on the UK
register and fly it that way ?

What would be the process, would I have to get an export CofA and go
through all that rigmarole and then do the Uk equivalent to transfer
the registration, even thought he aircraft is not actually being
exported ?

And I would eventually (hopefully some decade soon) be reversing the
process once I get my Greencard.

Any other common means for a non-US citizen to own an aircraft legally
in the US. I don;t want to bend any rules and I'd rather not put a
$50-80K glider on teh register under someone elses name (and
effectively make them liable for any legal/tax issues), as well as have
to trust someone with that much of an asset that I'd have to basically
lose legal rights to to transfer to them legally.

Or should I pack up my stuff and head back to blighty... :-)

Peter

You can register a corporation and make the corporation own the glider.

Peter wrote:
On Sun, 25 Oct 2009 08:28:40 -0700, AK wrote:

On Oct 25, 2:01 am, Peter wrote:
....
I've been thinking about buying a glider ever since I moved to the US,
its been 10 years now and I'm still waiting to get my Green card... yay
go USA... anyway... bitterness aside...

I know that I can't register an Aircraft on the US register unless its
owned by a US entity (person or corporation, majority),... or a
Greencard holder... bitter a little.

BUT...

Is there anything to stop me buying one and transferring it the the UK
register, but keeping it here and having my father (a UK based aircraft
inspector) come over and give it its annual airworthiness on the UK
register and fly it that way ?

What would be the process, would I have to get an export CofA and go
through all that rigmarole and then do the Uk equivalent to transfer
the registration, even thought he aircraft is not actually being
exported ?

And I would eventually (hopefully some decade soon) be reversing the
process once I get my Greencard.

Any other common means for a non-US citizen to own an aircraft legally
in the US. I don;t want to bend any rules and I'd rather not put a
$50-80K glider on teh register under someone elses name (and
effectively make them liable for any legal/tax issues), as well as have
to trust someone with that much of an asset that I'd have to basically
lose legal rights to to transfer to them legally.

Or should I pack up my stuff and head back to blighty... :-)

Peter
You can register a corporation and make the corporation own the glider.
A UK diplomat did that when he lived in the U.S. I bought my last glider
from him.

Strictly speaking, as far as I know, the corporation has to be majority
owned by Americans... so I'm no better off, the corporation and
therefore...other people... have to own and take liability for the
aircraft.. no better than a three way partnership with two americans, and
I'd have the downside of having to file corporate tax papers each year..

As far as I've seen the System can't be circumvented... I suppose thats
the idea anyway.

It would be better if you listened a little more receptively.
AK (I think it was) wrote that you need a US corporation.
This indeed the case.
You responded, "It needs to be majority owned by Americans."
This is indeed the case.

So now, find a local lawyer in a one man shop, and ask him to set up a
corporation for you. The cost will be $200 or $300 on up. Let him
worry about the majority ownership versus the control of this aircraft.
Then register on the US register. There used to be an issue about the
station radio license for a foreign national, but I think this has now
gone away. Seek advice from an instructor in a busy school for the
loose ends re radio etc. I take it that you have acquired an FAA license
on the basis of a UK license? This is an allowable. Otherwise, you have
an FAA license ab initio, I suppose. Either way, it's not a big deal.
You can actually call the FAA licensing branch to ask for advice. Surprize!


Brian W