Ferry flight with an expired maintenance release
You have agreed to buy a Cessna 150 based at Christchurch. The aircraft has a valid Certificate of Airworthiness (C of A) and Certificate of Registration, but its maintenance release expired 10 days ago. You want to ferry it 1.5 hours to your home base for an annual inspection. The seller says, 'The C of A is valid, so you can fly it-just do not carry passengers.' The aircraft is day VFR equipped and the weather is fine. There is no special flight permit on board. The local maintenance organisation can inspect it, but cannot issue a maintenance release until next week. CAA's office is closed until Monday. You hold a PPL with a current medical. You must decide whether the flight can legally be made and what documents or approvals are needed.
1. Is the seller correct? Explain the relationship between the C of A and the maintenance release.
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The seller is not correct. The Certificate of Airworthiness and the maintenance release serve different purposes. The C of A attests that the aircraft type design and its individual condition met the applicable airworthiness requirements at the time it was issued; it does not replace the maintenance release. The maintenance release is the certification by an approved maintenance organisation or licensed engineer that the required maintenance and inspections have been completed and the aircraft is released to service. In normal operations, a current maintenance release is required for flight. The absence of passengers does not remove the requirement. Flying without it would be an unairworthy operation and could invalidate insurance and the pilot's privileges.
2. What lawful options exist to move the aircraft?
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Lawful options:
- Have the local maintenance organisation inspect the aircraft and issue a maintenance release at Christchurch. If they cannot do it until next week, wait.
- Apply to CAA for a special flight permit or ferry permit. The permit would normally specify day VFR, no passengers, a defined route, and any other conditions; it allows the flight to a maintenance base without a normal maintenance release. Do not fly until the permit is issued and on board.
- If the aircraft can be inspected and released by another approved organisation before the flight, that is also acceptable. There is no 'just fly it' option based on the C of A alone. The fact that CAA's office is closed until Monday means the pilot waits or uses a local release.
3. What documents should be on board during the ferry?
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On board for the ferry, keep at least:
- Certificate of Registration.
- Certificate of Airworthiness.
- The maintenance release, or the special flight permit/ferry permit and any conditions.
- Aircraft Flight Manual or approved flight manual data.
- Weight and balance data current for the ferry configuration.
- Pilot licence and current medical certificate.
- Any radio licence or authorisation required by the permit, and the aircraft tech log if the permit requires it. The ferry permit may add specific requirements, such as no passengers, day VFR only, or a specified route; those conditions must be complied with. The pilot should also confirm the aircraft insurance covers the ferry flight.