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When I read articles or blogs online about GA flying in Europe I get the impression that it's not unusual for European GA pilots to have FAA licenses and fly N (US) registered aircraft.

I've never seen any numbers mentioned so I don't know how common this really is, whether they hold only FAA licenses or also European ones etc. But in general, as a European GA pilot, what is the benefit of operating an N-reg aircraft rather than a locally registered one?

Pondlife
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It's usually cheaper to go to the US and earn an FAA license and then fly N-registered aircraft in Europe than it is to get a European license. However, an N-registered aircraft needs to be maintained to FAA standards by FAA licensed mechanics.

markgz
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  • small detail: it's illegal in many EU countries to operate EU registered aircraft on a US license, hence the need to have US registered aircraft in Europe (and US licensed mechanics). – jwenting Sep 26 '14 at 01:56
  • Thanks for the answer, do you have any information or links on the relative costs? Do European pilots have specific costs that can be avoided via FAA licensing? – Pondlife Sep 29 '14 at 21:07