Thursday I was asked to do a pre-purchase inspection of a Challenger.  Are you available?- Yes.  Price? - agreed upon.  Then, based on this week's other problems (see last entry) I started asking more questions.

I asked for the N# of the aircraft, to request the EDRS (Electronic data retrieval system) of the aircraft.  This, which I didn't explain before...is the SAME record you would get by purchasing on the Registry website, only my access is electronically, within a day or two instead of a week or more to receive on a CD.

The aircraft is located in Cyprus.  This sounds good, I'm interested.  I am to do a complete records and physical inspection, the aircraft is suspect for corrosion and an inspection in the tail tank area.

The prospective buyer emails back- the aircraft is NOT N Registered.  It is M Registered. 

So my answer, in detail, is this.  You should request in your LOI (Letter of Intention- of purchase) and before your down payment...that the aircraft BE DELIVERED WITH AN EXPORT C OF A TO THE US.  Because the aircraft is not US manufactured, and is located on foreign soil, a C of A cannot be issued at its current location, and cannot be issued by me - or any FAA personnel, without an Export C of A from the existing country to the US. 

Another customer in South Africa is stuck with an aircraft they purchased that is French, but located and last registered in Togo, and trying to sell to a customer in West Africa...but cannot get a US C of A, only one from the importing country...if they agree to.

And this is just one little reason you should request a pre-purchase inspection....the aircraft airworthiness and registration files are a grand total of $6.00 per aircraft. 

Last week a geographic expansion I requested was denied, 1 of 2 for same owner in Sao Paulo, Brazil.  The aircraft denied was a Baron, which came up on the registry as on "Hold".  Notes were "cancelled/not assigned."

http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N898T. 

I advised my client, a middle-man who I had worked with before, of the status, and he believed that they may have had the registration number on hold and in work.  I advised him that the owner would have to ensure the registration process was complete before I could issue the C of A on the aircraft.

I was advised thru the Miami IFO who sent it to my advisor, that the registration was CANCELLED- due to SCRAP-Total Loss.  This information was located in the EDRS...but my mistake was I didn't do that research at the time of the Application for geographic Expansion...Usually when a registration is not CURRENT/ASSIGNED there is no file in the EDRS. 

So, you learn from mistakes.  My client said he knew the owner had bought the aircraft in a crate and had it shipped to Brazil.  He knew this all along, but hadn't advised me. 

The Miami IFO due to the nature of this aircraft, requested the last 2 years aircraft maintenance history and a list of all major repairs for the 2nd aircraft.  Still waiting for it a week later.  Hopefully the end buyer of the aircraft was an honest person who was hoodwinked...but in any case, the 2nd aircraft will get a complete and thorough inspection, as always. 

Next customer, I requested a written account of the condition of the aircraft...I usually have this on larger aircraft

So I had a call from a former client a couple of weeks ago, to do a ferry permit for a 767 in Florida.  I requested and received the Geographic Expansion from Orlando's FSDO to do the certification.  Then it is a waiting game for them to get the aircraft out of storage and presentable for my inspection.  One of the guys I know who was involved said the airplane did not hold a US Certificate of Airworthiness due to lack of storage procedures, and robbing parts.  You do not however need to have a C of A to get a ferry permit.

A few days go by and I hadn't heard anything about the schedule. I had reviewed the Airworthiness and Registration files I paid for, ready to go.  I got an email from the same guy who hired me, saying another guy had already been pursuing another DAR and he apologized that he didn't know that when he contacted me.  The other party worked with a DAR I've spoken to before...out of Texas.  Poor management on their part but no matter...the job was no longer mine. 

I did however drop a quick email to the other DAR hired and let him know, just in case he wasn't aware, that the aircraft had its C of A pulled by the FAA in Florida and why.  This led to more conversation...and by the end of Friday he called to say not only had Florida been involved, but also the Great Lakes Region...and forwarded me an email saying that no certification could be issued without their approval.

I contacted the guy who had hired me- who was working for the owner of the aircraft, and let him know that I knew the aircraft didn't have a C of A...that I would've contacted the Florida FSDO and worked with them on airworthiness issues and make sure they approved before issuing the ferry permit...and that if the aircraft is on any kind of watch it would probably flag when any DAR has to submit his Operating Limitations for approval.  I advised him to get the owner to work with the FAA to get a list of what had to be done to get them to OK the permit.

The rest of the story?  The letter of from Great Lakes stated that the aircraft had not been stored properly in the Florida humidity...there were mold spores bad enough that they called in OSHA who said the aircraft was not safe to ENTER without a full body suit and a respirator, various parts had been robbed and not documented so airworthiness would have to be determined.

I forwarded the letter from Great Lakes, and the Revocation of the C of A to my FAA advisor so that he could talk to the other offices.  I received a call back stating the project is dead in the water until Great Lakes says so.  The problem with this entire situation- there is no list published on the FAA website stating which aircraft the FAA has these issues with, and there was nothing in the Airworthiness file to notify any DAR that the C of A was pulled, or that there was a restriction from certification on that aircraft.  If I hadn't been told by a little bird...someone who I trust and who didn't want me to be at risk of not knowing about the C of A being pulled...I would never have known...the other DAR wouldn't have found out...and the ferry permit WOULD have been issued.  Notifications about problem aircraft are sent out by EMAIL.  This aircraft's C of A was pulled in MAY, no email has come out, and there is no way to research it except to call the Registry branch, and that only works if they've received the paperwork.  This is a poor system.

I've been working on this for ages but never seem to find the time to write the blogs...when you're working you're in the weeds, when you're off you're done with it minus the endless paperwork and filing and your advisor telling you that you misspelled a word.

So...I will enter a few backdated work posts, but first off, let me say I will split entries between work related and travel entries.  Work- what is relevant to the project at hand, what issues I come up with and solutions...and share that info here, you may find it interesting or of use, please feel free to comment or email with questions.  I have been a DAR since 2011 and have worked on everything from a Cessna 150 to a 747.  Travel, well, that is an added bonus to my job, I like to visit the area and get a feel for the place, the people, and the culture...and people usually like hearing about that too.  See photo galleries on the right for both, upper for work, lower for travel. 

In my previous lives, I worked my way through College of the Ozarks on small aircraft, antiques, flight school and charter, as a mechanic and working for the DOM.  My 1st paying job I was a mechanic and then QC Inspector on various turboprops, performing off-lease and conformity inspections for export, C of A and other mods, etc.  I worked a short stint on corporate jets in a Part 91 shop before landing a job in QC doing Inspections on new and used aircraft for a Delta feeder, including bridging workscopes, flight tests, and conformity.  I began doing delivery projects for a large airline and became a heavy inspector there until I started working as a DAR.  If you ever have a question about my experience just ask.  I'm cleared by the FAA to work on anything except helicopters, that is a case by case basis.

In the past year I've been to France, England, Egypt, UAE, Turks & Caicos, Puerto Rico, and Guadaloupe, and several bases in the US in Arizona, New York, Connecticut, Florida, Texas, Arkansas and my home base state of Georgia.  I have never (knock on wood) been denied a Geographic Expansion to work outside of my region.  I am at almost 2 years of being a DAR, and never looking back.