Club Homepage Forums Classified Ads Buy & Sell - Everything But Airplanes Ferry Pilot NJ to TX

Except for that bit about a Private Pilot not being able to pay any less than their pro rata share for fuel, oil, etc. In the case of zero passengers, that share is 100%.

I believe that, in several cases, the FAA has viewed gaining flight hours without having to pay for at least the fuel, etc., to be "compensation". Maybe you could get away with someone else letting you fly their plane, and pay for your fuel, if it was a local flight. Just maybe. But for a ferry flight?

Then there's the whole "commonality of purpose" thing. If someone here in Nashville wanted me to fly them to, say, Atlanta, and I wasn't already planning to go there anyway (that is, the only reason I was flying to Atlanta was to take my friend), then my understanding is that the FAA could bust my chops. And that's even if my friend and I split the costs rather than my friend paying for the whole shebang.

Of course, I'm no aviation lawyer, and you could well be right, Carl. But I would definately contact my local FSDO before agreeing to ferry a plane, just as a CYA tactic.

- Jeff

What happens with the airplane insurance after I buy it, would it be transfer to me or would I have to buy insurance for the ferry flight. (During the ferry flight, the airplane would still be registered to the previous owner at the FAA).

Gaining flight time is compensation? Maybe, if I'm working towards an endorsement! What if I already have the time, and can't pass a first class (or maybe a second class) medical? There'd be no point! Pro rata expense? That's news to me. I've never accepted a dime anyway!

Who can keep up with the regs! I'd never do anything like this without checking first, anyway!

The new owner will likely cancel his insurance policy the moment that the money is in the bank. So...I suspect that unless you don't pay him until delivery to Texas, you will need to have the aircraft insured...UNLESS...you choose to "self-insure" meaning take the risk of damage or liability claims. In the U.S. (you are in Mexico right?) Insurance is generally owned by the purchaser, not necessarily attached to a specific aircraft. So...when I hand over the cash to buy a plane, car, boat etc, I have it insured at that moment. Likewise, when it sells, I want the buyer to take the risk of his actions, not me, so the insurance comes off as soon as I have my dinari.

Do you have any idea of how much the insurance would cost just for the ferry flight to Texas? is it possible for the person flying the airplane to buy the insurance for me?

Thanks.

The best thing for you to do is to buy insurance that will start at the moment the ferry pilot picks it up. Like Jeff said, the owner most likely will cancel his policy as soon as the money changes hands; the plane is no longer his, why would he want to provide coverage for it.

Since you're in Mexico, you'll have to make sure that your insurance policy covers the ferry flight in the US. The ferry pilot needs to be included in your policy, either by specifying his name or by the clause "any qualified pilot flying the plane with owner's permission". I don't think you can find any agency that will sell a short-tem policy to cover only the ferry flight.

Sorry Carl, you're absolutely wrong. Ferrying an airplane not your own, requires a commercial license unless the private pilot ferry pilot pays the owner for the privilege. The FAA sees the flight time itself as compensation so unless the pp ferry pilot is paying the owner, the ferry pilot had better have commercial privileges on their ticket. Since the only reason for the flight is to reposition the aircraft, there is no commonality of purpose for "sharing expenses." There's probably some young commercial pilot out there who would do it for expenses but a private pilot would be breaking the rules. Sorry, but that's the way the rules are written. Of course you could disregard the rules and do it anyway, but then if there's an accident, good luck on getting any insurance payout (owner allowed improperly certificated pilot to operate aircraft in violation of CFR...) and the private pilot could kiss his ticket bye bye.

I doubt a token payment to the owner would work either as the FAA doesn't generally look kindly at such tactics to avoid certificate actions when the intent is to get around the rules.

The airplane would still have a US registration and "N" tail number, and it would fly only within the US during the ferry flight, so I guess I would have to buy insurance from a US company even if I am a Mexican citizen, am I correct? could the ferry pilot buy such insurance?

Thanks.

Oh, well!

Being wrong never stopped me from posting! Right?

(Now I KNOW I'm right!)

I think you should ask either AOPA Insurance Agency (you don't have to be an AOPA member) or a Mexican aviation insurance agency to see how it should be handle. As for the ferry pilot buying the insurance, it's kinda hard to do because he's not the owner of the plane.