FAA Extending Aircraft Re-Registration Interval

I just got a new registration in the mail, nothing done on my part whatsoever. Good til ‘27. The weird part was it came in the mail in no envelope at all, just the actual card with all the info in plane sight (see what I did there?) for all to see.

 

It's good they decided to do it that way. Probably easier to just run them than to deal with requests one by one.

 

Isn't that always how they've done it, at least for the past decade or so?

 

Could be, I don’t recall that though

 

Mine was the normal 3 years, maybe I’ll get another one? I guess in the future they could just email them to us and let us keep an electronic copy or print it out. Save paper and stamps.

 

There isn’t even a reason anymore for printed certificates, registration, airworthiness, pilot or medical. All of that info is available online in seconds.

 

Yes there is!
It’s a ‘gotcha’ opportunity for the inspectors with law enforcement aspirations.

 

FIFY

 

Same here.

 

So last year I renewed. FAA sent a new card. Fast forward to last month… we discover the registration in the plane is expired. WTH? I had a new card. Scoured the plane, the logs, my office, everywhere. Can’t find it. I order a replacement. I got the replacement this week; expiration is 2029. Naturally two days later I found the missing card when a drawer came out of the hall desk and revealed the “stuff” that had fallen down behind it. That one expired in 2024 (or 25, don’t remember). So the replacement was $2 well spent.

 

...if you're in a location with Internet access.

 

Well, pretty much anwyhere that Joe Fizzdo is going to be doing ramp checks would have cell service. Or do they routinely go to remote fields that are off the grid?

 

Maybe in Alaska?

 

Curious, how does it ignore it? There's a number of FAA policy docs which specifically address the Privacy Act.

 

Same here..

 

For anybody that did not yet get their extended FAA Registration card, the FAA says that the registration is still valid. Assuming the FAA database actually does show the extended registration date.

"The duration of aircraft registration certificates has been extended up to 7 years. The Registry will be issuing revised certificates in batches based on the former expiration date. For verification purposes, even though the expiration date on the registration certificate may not match the expiration date in the FAA Aircraft Registration database, any registration certificate displaying an expiration date of January 31, 2023 or later is still valid. This applies to all foreign Civil Aviation Authorities or anyone else with a verification need."

 

Any idea what their schedule is? I have not yet received a new card, but the date has been extended on the website.

 

I have just gone to the registration website and printed out the current registration. The FAA have accepted the print out and suggested that it maybe what replaces the card.

https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberInquiry

 

Serious question (never been an aircraft owner) - other than for a new airplane, or change of possession of a used one, what important purpose does it serve to "re-register" at some interval? I'd think the important FAA interest is knowing who the owner is? If ownership doesn't change, what's the point? Other than "dead" N numbers on junked airplanes, which doesn't seem very pressing. . .

 

That was the pressing point, the FAA database was full of "dead" aircraft and out of date registrations clogging the system. They were able to purge a lot of old and dead registrations from the system, opening up more tail numbers to new aircraft and new owners. That I don't have a problem with, even paying a nominal fee isn't a problem. The biggest problem is their inability to process registrations in a reasonable timeline for one reason or many.

 

Maybe it has the same budget priority as the NOTAM system. . .

 

And let's face, $5 to process a registration? Barely covers the postage for the postcard reminder and the new registration. They could charge $20 and I don't think anyone would complain, $20 every 3 or now 7 years? The state charges more. Heck I pay $25 a year to register my 4-wheeler.

But if they are going to do that, they need an online system that automates the system, and for renewals should be an instant process with the ability to print your own registration.

 

Registration is a precursor to confiscation. Write your congress critter and demand a stop to this threat.