To answer the OP's original question: Are you ready to register your aircraft? My answer is a Big NO! IMHO, as I have grown older and hopefully wiser, I see our country, the USA, has gone insane on so many levels. Someone gets hurt, make a law against it to protect the stupid. I think it is insane to register a plane or aircraft that may not make it through the maiden flight.
As an example of what could happen, a student pilot buddy of mine bought a built plane that was an EAA homebuilt kit that didn't have any of the original paperwork of the build or airworthiness certificate. Had pictures of the build by the original owner, who had died. He truly didn't know what he was buying. Myself, a retired ATP Jet Capt, and a buddy of mine, a Chief Mechanic of an Corporate Aviation Dept., with experience dealing with EAA planes, tried to help the student pilot out and help him get through the paperwork to certify the EAA Homebuilt. Even after the homebuilt passed an annual inspection, due to not having the original kit receipt, and other paperwork, the $20K plane couldn't be certified airworthy. It now sets in a trailer in the Florida sun rotting. I now fly planes that are worth over $10K each, of both jets and 40% plus bigger planes. I couldn't find a receipt for any of them if I had too, so, knowing how the FAA works, none of my planes would be certified to fly or register to fly. They would become expensive hanging models in my house. Then, what happens when a new plane has been registered, inspected, and crashes on the maiden? All of that paperwork and the registration fees, or what I call forced taxes for that certificate, would be totally a waste of time and energy. Heck, I flew jets for 20 years prior to retiring due to loosing my medical. I only saw 3 FAA guys on the ramp through out my career. The FAA will never be able to control this endeavor.
Guess what will be next, after passing the registration laws? We will all be required to take a medical examination. I lost my medical and can't even get a Sport Pilot Certificate, so this would mean that I wouldn't be able to fly toy models? INSANE!! And, don't think that they, the FAA and Government, won't go as far to somehow tie the model registration and model medical to our driver's license. So, if you have too many points or DUI's, you can no longer fly a toy model plane?
The other issue I see, is the online registration. Here in Florida, land of the grey hair, at least half of our club membership wouldn't be able to register, due to not having a computer, let alone, knowing how to operate it.
And, the 400 feet would kill jets, 25%+ bigger planes, and sail planes. I moved from St. Pete this past summer due to the reason that the Club's field was within 2.2 km of the center of St. Pete/Clearwater airport. Try to do a loop with a 200mph jet and stay under 400 feet. You will either not do it, or tear the wings off of it trying to do it, other then the Shockwave.
Another example of an insane law in our country, is not being able to drink liquor until the age of 21, due to MADD. Yet, these same young men and women that are between the ages of 18-21 can go off to the GD ME and die for our country, yet, can't go into any club, bar or restaurant to buy a beer or drink before they go off to serve our country. Insane!
Last edited by RCFlyerDan; 10-30-2015 at 01:48 PM.