Many aircraft operators hire their pilots as “independent contractors” instead of as employees. This may save on administrative costs, but is there a downside? In short: yes. Most pilots are not properly classified as independent contractors. Although treating pilots as independent contractors is common practice in the aviation industry, revenue shortages have triggered government investigation [...]
In choosing the appropriate operator 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 concerns regarding operators of aircraft under Part 91. A common misconception that we frequently encounter is that the best operator for an aircraft [...]
For many years, the State of Oregon was a preferred location for closing new and used aircraft deliveries primarily because it had no sales tax. However, due to the enactment of Oregon House Bill 3427, after January 1, 2020, Oregon may no longer be the preferred location for new aircraft deliveries nor for deliveries of [...]
DENVER, COLORADO / USA - July 27, 2019: World War II era military airplanes on display and flying at the 2019 WarBird Auto Classic, a showcase event at the Colorado Air and Space Port. The opportunity to purchase a military aircraft or warbird is an exciting one. It is a chance to own [...]
1945 match identifying the Seattle Sky Ranch On a sunny day in Issaquah, Washington—roughly 12 miles from Aero Law Group’s office in Bellevue, WA—drivers along Interstate 90 can look up and see the sky busy with people taking flight. These days the summer skies are filled with paragliders, but decades ago new pilots [...]
Now that the United States is nearing its Election Day, aircraft owners and operators might seek to transport candidates for public office. Sponsoring a candidate’s flight raises competing compliance issues among federal and state campaign finance laws, aviation regulations, and federal tax laws. This article provides a primer regarding the overlap in regulations promulgated by [...]
The FAA has extended the NBAA Small Aircraft Exemption through March 31, 2022. This allows NBAA members who operate piston-powered airplanes, small airplanes (those with a gross weight of 12,500 pounds or less) and rotorcraft an exemption from FAR 91.501(a), which means, among other things, they may enter into agreements that are reserved for large [...]
In a previous article, we wrote about federal aviation excise tax relief under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) signed into law by President Trump on March 27, 2020. The CARES Act, however, contains additional tax provisions that may potentially benefit the business aviation sector, including provisions related to excess [...]
The Ka'anapali Airport memorial plaque was dedicated in 2010 -- twenty-four years after the airstrip closed. Here at Aero Law Group PC, we are airplane people that happen to be attorneys. One such airplane person on our team is attorney Amanda Kuehne, who joined Aero Law Group in 2017. Her practice includes representing [...]
Aircraft parked long term need special care. We hope you remain safe and healthy in the trying times. With the goal of sharing useful information during the pandemic, we offer the following message from one of our trusted aircraft appraisal colleagues, Joe Zulueta, of Aeronautical Systems Incorporated: The impact from the Covid-19 pandemic [...]
