European ferry
Across Europe, planned around the weather, not the map.
Delivery, repositioning and maintenance runs anywhere in Europe, with more than 100 ferry flights flown so far. Customs, permits, handling and a written handover included.
One pilot, one plan, one invoice.
A European ferry looks simple on a map and rarely is. Three countries can mean three sets of rules, a customs border nobody expected, and a mountain range that decides the route on the day.
You deal with one person from quote to handover. The aircraft’s documents are checked before departure, the route is chosen around the forecast, and you get progress updates in the air and a written report on arrival, including anything the next pilot or maintenance organisation should know.
Typical jobs
What we are usually asked to move.
Delivery after purchase
Collected from the seller, flown to its new base, handed over with a written report. Often straight after a pre-purchase assessment.
To and from maintenance
Positioned to the shop that does the work, and back again once it is signed off, with the paperwork checked before the return leg.
Change of base
A permanent move to a new airfield or country, including the one-way legs nobody in the club wants to fly.
Out of storage
Aircraft that have been standing get a more careful look, a more conservative plan and a shorter first leg.
Dealer and broker deliveries
Repeat movements for sellers who need a pilot they can hand an aircraft and a set of keys to.
Return from a sale abroad
Bringing an aircraft that did not sell back to its home base, or onward to the next buyer.
Crossing borders
Where European ferries actually get complicated.
The flying is rarely the problem. These are the things that ground an aircraft on the wrong side of a border.
Customs, not just immigration
Schengen removes passport checks, not customs. Flights to or from the UK, Switzerland or Norway cross a customs border, and the aircraft’s VAT status can matter as much as the pilot’s passport.
The UK
Since Brexit, flights to and from the UK need a designated customs airport and an advance General Aviation Report. Filed in advance, checked on the day.
Permits to fly
An aircraft on a permit to fly needs acceptance from each state it enters or crosses. Some reply in days, some in weeks; the route follows what has been granted.
Non-EASA registrations
N-registered and other third-country aircraft fly in Europe under their own rules and limits. We check what applies to the registration and the flight before quoting.
What owners ask first.
Two to three weeks is comfortable for a European leg: enough for insurance confirmation, any permits and a realistic weather window. Shorter notice is often possible if the aircraft and its documents are ready.
Each ferry is quoted on its own: the pilot’s days, fuel, landing and handling fees, any permits, and the pilot’s travel to the aircraft and home again. You get it in writing before anything is booked.
The aircraft waits. Ferry flying has almost no legitimate schedule pressure, which makes pressing on an unforced error. How a weather day is handled is agreed at quote stage, so a slipped day is an inconvenience rather than an argument.
Normally the owner’s policy, extended to cover the ferry pilot and confirmed in writing before departure, along with any experience the insurer requires. We check this at enquiry, not at the aircraft.
Where the aircraft is equipped and certified for it, and the pilot’s ratings and currency cover it, yes. IFR often makes a European ferry more predictable. If not, the route and the weather plan are built around VFR.
Moving an aircraft in Europe?
Send the type, where it is now and where it needs to be. We reply with questions or a written quote within one working day.
- Aircraft type and registration
- From and to: airfield or town
- When it is ready, and how fixed the date is