03/18/2026
It comes up in conversations more than you'd expect. At the FBO, during a pre-buy, sometimes at a dinner table.
Owner trust. Non-citizen trust. FAA trust structure.
If you've been half-following those conversations and never quite asked the follow-up question, you're not alone. Most international aircraft owners didn't learn this at flight school.
The short version: a trust is how non-US citizens legally hold an N-number. The trustee holds the registration on paper. You retain full control of the aircraft, who flies it, where it goes, when it's sold.
Josh, our operations manager, says it's the question he answers most often: "People always assume the trust means giving something up. It's actually the opposite. It's what protects your ownership."
The longer version is on our website.
→ aerospacetrustmanagement.com