Pilots that are arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) need to be extra cautious following the arrest on their next FAA medical certificate application. Unlike many employment applications, the FAA asks pilots whether they have been arrested for driving under the influence. Even if a pilot is later found not [...]
Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, Congress introduced 100% bonus depreciation for pre-owned aircraft purchased for use in a “trade or business.” (Previously, bonus depreciation was available only for aircraft delivered new from the manufacturer.) The bonus depreciation percentage phases out over several years, decreasing in yearly 20-percentage-point chunks (80%-60%-40%, 20%) before [...]
Most aircraft owners are familiar with the FAA’s 2010 rule requiring aircraft to be re-registered with the FAA’s aircraft registry every three years, but few owners are aware of the extreme consequences for failing to re-register the aircraft prior the registration’s expiration date. The current backlog of work at the FAA’s aircraft registry means that [...]
As an Office Administrator at Aero Law Group, Meredith Clifford wears a lot of hats. First and foremost, she provides legal assistant support to the attorneys along with calendaring meetings; arranging local and international travel; various administrative tasks as well as overseeing the firm’s marketing efforts. At this time of year her main focus is [...]
In February 2020, a Gulfstream G500 aircraft suffered a hard landing. The approach and landing occurred at night during somewhat windy conditions. Upon investigation, Gulfstream determined that large, rapidly alternating control-stick movements by the pilot flying caused the flight control system (FCS) to enter angle-of-attack (AOA) limiting mode, resulting in the FCS automatically commanding downward [...]
Last month, Aero Law Group was pleased to welcome Rob Spitzer to our office as an of counsel attorney. Rob comes to the Aero Law Group with nearly ten years of experience working for the FAA as an enforcement attorney, and five years of experience representing airlines, pilots, mechanics, aircraft manufacturers, and other aviation industry [...]
When Aero Law Group attorney Cheryl Kringle is not advising the firm on internal legal and business affairs, she is busy serving on the Board of Trustees for Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center, “a community where horses transform the bodies, minds, and spirits of people with disabilities.” Cheryl became involved with the organization after gaining [...]
John Schmidt is a 35-year veteran in the aviation legal field, and has been a member of the Aero Law Group since 2004. In 2022 John will be celebrating his fourth anniversary as a shareholder. While his leadership responsibilities keep him busy, he spends most of his time representing clients around the world in their [...]
Many people who desire to purchase a private aircraft are interested in whether the purchase price and operating expenses may be deducted on their income-tax return. In other words, will Uncle Sam subsidize my purchase and use of an aircraft? The answer is: Possibly. Under current law, the only path to deducting aircraft expenses is [...]
In choosing the appropriate structure for your aircraft’s operations under Part 91, you need to consider FAA rules, state and federal tax laws and liability issues. This article focuses on the FAA’s general rule regarding taking compensation for flights under Part 91. In general, no compensation is permitted if an aircraft is being operated under [...]
