The An-2 can only be certified as an Experimental-Exhibition, Experimental-Research, or (possibly, but not accomplished yet) as a Restricted-Agricultural (crop duster) aircraft. Current FAA policy (apparantly at the direction of the state department) is that this fine aircraft will never be allowed to be certified in any way in which it can be used for commercial purposes in the USA involving passengers, cargo, or parachute jumping. As best we can understand, this policy is designed to protect Cessna, Piper, and Beech from market loss and applies to other Soviet designed aircraft as well. Some FAA inspectors will tell you that it is because the aircraft was never approved under FAR-23 procedures since it was designed prior to normalization of relations between the USA and former communist countries. However, close inspection of other FARs (part-21) reveals that such aircraft could be certified in the USA after passing a conformity check, which the FAA is not presently allowing for An-2s. [...] Since the experimental aircraft certification process and certificate issuance is all done at the local FSDO level of the FAA, the local inspector is the one that will decide what limits will be imposed. Unfortunately, there has been little consistancy in the certifications or inspectors. Some An-2s have been certified with permission to operate only with minimum crew (two pilots) and others with a full ship (two crew plus twelve passengers), or somewhere in between. Some have been restricted to operating only within 50 miles of the home airport, and others with limits up to 600 miles and pre-approved for a wide array of destination airports. We've heard at least one An-2 was certified with no travel restrictions but have not been able to identify this aircraft. You can typically expect VFR only operational limits, and absolutely no parachuting. To sum it up, your limits will depend on what you can arrange with the local FSDO inspector. Some are more tolerant and liberal than others.
