British owners of N-registered aircraft are fighting a rearguard action against a government proposal to force the aircraft onto the UK register.

The Department for Transport launched the furore when it started a consultation period which ends on 28 October. The proposal says that aircraft based in the UK should come under the oversight of the CAA. N-registered aircraft are on the US register. The exact number of N-registered aircraft based in the UK isn't known. Many are registered to 'trusts' to comply with US regulations. However, any suggestion that N-reg aircraft are less safe because they are outside the direct control of the CAA is refuted strongly by the GA industry - and the DfT agrees! It says in its consultation document: "no significant safety issues have come to light in relation to aircraft registered on the US, Bermudan and Cayman Islands registers." The DfT document goes on to suggest that aircraft registered outside the UK would be limited to a maximum of 90 days a year in the UK.

The reasons why operators keep aircraft on a foreign register, usually the US, are many but include:

• the type may not be certified in the UK
• the aircraft may be fitted with additional equipment acceptable to the FAA but not approved by the CAA
• the pilot may have an FAA licence and Instrument Rating which can only be used fully in Europe when flying an N-reg aircraft.

The cost of introducing such a change will be immense, according to the GA industry. One company, Avcorps Registrations which specialises in the registration of aircraft on the US register for non-US citizens, says: "The cost to the industry beyond the immediate re-certification costs will be immense. Without a doubt these costs will run into many tens of millions of dollars." McAlpine Helicopters is aware of one UK operator with a US registered EC155 (ironically, European-built) that would require a minimum of £35,000 to convert to put on the UK register. Another wanted to include safety related equipment not approved by the CAA despite having an FAA STC (Supplementary Type Certificate), and so had to register his aircraft in the US.