FAA to TCCA transition
FAA to TCCA aircraft records transition
An FAA to TCCA records transition prepares an aircraft's records for placement on the Canadian register after a history under 14 CFR. It is run by or for the lessor, airline, or acquisition team ahead of the move. It bridges the AD status onto the airworthiness directive requirements that apply under the Canadian Aviation Regulations, tests FAA Form 8130-3 acceptance for installed components, and aligns the maintenance records with CAR recordkeeping expectations. You receive a bridged AD view for the Canadian set, a release-acceptance map, and a gap list against what the Canadian import draws on.
When this review is needed
- An N-registered aircraft is moving onto the Canadian register and the records have to satisfy CAR import expectations.
- An FAA export airworthiness approval has been issued and its statements need checking against the records.
- FAA Form 8130-3 releases are installed and their acceptance for Canadian registration needs confirming.
- AD status was tracked against the FAA directive set and has to be restated for the directives Transport Canada applies under the CARs.
The problem
The records were kept to satisfy 14 CFR, and the Canadian system reads them against the CARs. AD applicability under the Canadian rules can draw on the state-of-design directives plus any TCCA-issued ones, so the FAA status list does not transfer one-to-one. The maintenance recordkeeping the CARs expect differs from the FAA content, and the import draws on the export airworthiness approval the FAA issues. These gaps surface during the Canadian import work, by which point the aircraft is committed to a placement.
What gets reviewed
- AD status restated from the FAA directive set onto the directives applicable under the CARs
- FAA Form 8130-3 release acceptance for components remaining installed under Canadian registration
- Configuration and STC status against a TCCA-acceptable approval basis
- The FAA export airworthiness approval and the statements it carries to the importing side
- Maintenance records reconciled toward CAR recordkeeping expectations
- Time and cycle continuity across the change of register
Scope this review
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What gets validated
- Each FAA AD is mapped to its applicability under the CARs or shown to have no Canadian effect
- FAA Form 8130-3 releases meet the acceptance criteria the Canadian import applies
- Installed STCs carry an approval basis TCCA accepts or a path to Canadian acceptance is identified
- The FAA export airworthiness approval is present and its statements are addressed
- Maintenance records meet the content the CARs expect without unexplained gaps
- Life-limited part status and releases support the figures carried onto the Canadian register
Evidence normally required
- FAA AD status report from the outgoing register
- FAA export airworthiness approval if issued
- Component release certificates, including FAA Form 8130-3
- STC and modification status with FAA approval references
- Airframe, engine, and APU records showing time and cycle history
- The maintenance program the aircraft was operated under
Common discrepancies
- FAA ADs whose applicability under the CARs is unresolved against the Canadian directive picture
- TCCA-applied directives not tracked on the FAA side that become accomplishment items
- STCs approved by the FAA with no TCCA acceptance or acceptable equivalent
- An FAA export airworthiness approval carrying statements the Canadian side must address
- Maintenance records that fall short of the content the CARs expect
- Time and cycle figures that disagree between the FAA status report and the logbooks
What is at stake
An import held up on records keeps the aircraft off the Canadian register and out of revenue service. Directives that Transport Canada applies but that were not tracked on the FAA side can require accomplishment before the aircraft flies, and a release the Canadian side will not accept can force re-release or component replacement before the import closes.
How the work runs
Bridge the directives
Restate the FAA AD status onto the directives applicable under the CARs and resolve items whose Canadian applicability is unclear.
Test release acceptance
Check installed FAA Form 8130-3 releases against the acceptance criteria the Canadian import applies and flag the gaps.
Confirm the configuration
Examine STCs and modifications against a TCCA-acceptable approval basis and identify acceptance paths where needed.
Build the import gap list
Assemble the records gap list and AD view the Canadian import work will draw on.
What the buyer receives
Who uses the output
- Importing owners and lessors planning the Canadian placement
- Acquisition teams timing the import to the delivery date
- Records teams clearing items before the Canadian import work begins
How the work fits into the transaction or program
The transition review runs before the Canadian import work starts so AD bridging and release acceptance are settled while the FAA side can still produce or amend evidence. It pairs with the FAA export airworthiness approval and feeds the Canadian import package.
Start with a single asset
Start with a single tail and expand once the workflow is proven.
Aircraft-specific considerations
Type-design acceptance in Canada shapes the work. Where the type was certificated or accepted by TCCA on its own basis, the review confirms the configuration sits within that basis, and any FAA STC outside it is examined for a Canadian acceptance path.
Jurisdiction-specific considerations
Airworthiness directive applicability under the CARs draws on the state-of-design directives together with any issued by Transport Canada, so an FAA status list does not map one-to-one. An FAA STC has no Canadian standing until TCCA accepts it or an acceptable equivalent is shown.
Regulatory limits
The review reports records readiness for the Canadian register. It does not file the import, issue a Canadian certificate of airworthiness, determine directive applicability for Transport Canada, or replace the FAA export approval. Those acts stay with the authorities.
What this review does not cover
Specific to this review
- Directive applicability under the CARs draws on the state-of-design directives plus any TCCA-issued ones, so an FAA AD status list does not transfer one-to-one onto the Canadian register.
- Canadian maintenance recordkeeping is governed by the CARs (notably the CAR 571 and CAR 605 areas), which differ in content from the FAA records the aircraft was kept under.
- An FAA STC has no Canadian standing until TCCA accepts it, so modification-heavy airframes carry the configuration risk into the import.
Sources
Transport Canada. Canadian airworthiness, maintenance records (CAR 605/571), and Airworthiness Directive requirements (CAR 593).
U.S. Government (eCFR). Export airworthiness approval requirements and special requirements of an importing authority.
U.S. Government (eCFR). The legal basis for issuing and enforcing Airworthiness Directives on U.S.-registered products.
Federal Aviation Administration. Completion and use of FAA Form 8130-3, Authorized Release Certificate, for new and used parts.
International Civil Aviation Organization. International standards for the airworthiness of aircraft and the framework states use for type and continuing airworthiness.
Frequently asked questions
Relevant glossary terms
Related pages
Where this fits
Talk to an engineer who has done this work
We will walk through your current state, the records or evidence involved, and a scoped first engagement.
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