staralliance38 From United States of America, joined Jan 2008, 1445 posts, RR: 4 Posted (2 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 3362 times:
A DL 738 visting PHF caught my attention on Facebook. PHF's Facebook page posted photos of N3766 visiting the airport. But wait, isn't it short one number/letter?
rfields5421 From United States of America, joined Jul 2007, 6140 posts, RR: 25 Reply 2, posted (2 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 3321 times:
viajero From Mexico, joined Aug 2008, 119 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (2 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 3296 times:
It varies by country. Are you referring specifically to the U.S. or all registrations in general? In the U.S., the maximum is 6, however in Mexico it's 5. Panama uses 9 letters/digits, Russia uses 7 letters/digits, etc.
CitationJet From United States of America, joined Mar 2003, 2229 posts, RR: 3 Reply 4, posted (2 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 3291 times:
The requirement for "identification number" is found in 14 CFR 47.15(b):
"A U.S. identification number may not exceed five symbols in addition to the prefix letter "N". These symbols may be all numbers (N10000), one to four numbers and one suffix letter (N 1000A), or one to three numbers and two suffix letters (N 100AB). The letters "I" and "O" may not be used. The first zero in a number must always be preceded by at least one of the numbers 1 through 9."
How cool to be able to use the callsign "Citation 2", or "Gulfstream 1":
mtnwest1979 From United States of America, joined Nov 2005, 2118 posts, RR: 1 Reply 5, posted (2 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 3230 times:
Or N1KE for Nike's jet. One of my fav registrations.
71Zulu From United States of America, joined Aug 2006, 2736 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (2 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 3183 times:
gspflyer From United States of America, joined Jul 2010, 351 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (2 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 3158 times:
Quoting JBo (Reply 1): Much more common than you think.
Six figures is the MAXIMUM for aircraft registration numbers.
All of these are legal aircraft regs in the US, however most American carriers use the N123AB format. CO and XE have quite a few that are N12345, and AA has a couple N1234A. Most aircraft that use other formats are non-airline. I know that NASCAR drivers have their car number and initials in the reg. Examples are; Jeff Gordon (N24JG), and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (N8JR)
Going back to the original post, how many DL aircraft have the N1234 format? I know most DL regs are N123DL or N123DN.
I hope this isn't too far off-topic, but are the suffixes (ex: DL, DN, AN, AA, UA) somehow reserved by the airlines? Or could one purchase a private plane and use the reg. N999DL (assuming it isn't already in use)?
JBo From Sweden, joined Jan 2005, 2278 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (2 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 3113 times:
Quoting gspflyer (Reply 7): Going back to the original post, how many DL aircraft have the N1234 format? I know most DL regs are N123DL or N123DN.
I hope this isn't too far off-topic, but are the suffixes (ex: DL, DN, AN, AA, UA) somehow reserved by the airlines? Or could one purchase a private plane and use the reg. N999DL (assuming it isn't already in use)?
Airlines, like any other individual or organization, can reserve N-numbers or a bank of N-numbers from the FAA for a fee. These numbers are held for a certain amount of time and can be released for registration if the hold is not renewed.
But if a particular tail number is not reserved that follows a particular airline's registration pattern, then there is no stopping another individual from registering an aircraft with that tail number. This is particularly why you see some interruptions in an airline's tail numbering because a particular registration in that block may have already been in use.
I'd take the awe of understanding over the awe of ignorance any day.
rikkus67 From Canada, joined Jun 2000, 1461 posts, RR: 2 Reply 9, posted (2 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 3080 times:
Quoting gspflyer (Reply 7): Going back to the original post, how many DL aircraft have the N1234 format? I know most DL regs are N123DL or N123DN.
...also remember the Northwest integration into Delta. There are many variations of registrations brought about from previous mergers into NWA. For shiz and giggles, does anyone know how many variations that NWA had?
Cessna 172; King Air 100; Twin Otter; SAAB 340; Dash 7; Dash 8-100,-200,-300,-400; CRJ-200,700,900; ERJ-170; F-28; DC 9-
L1011 From United States of America, joined May 1999, 1583 posts, RR: 10 Reply 10, posted (2 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 3053 times:
Delta had an unusual registration on one of its 727s: N831L. It was a 727-2Q8, and I flew on it in 1991. It didn't fit in with their other 727 registrations.
MSPNWA From United States of America, joined Apr 2009, 1565 posts, RR: 4 Reply 11, posted (2 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 3031 times:
Quoting gspflyer (Reply 7): Going back to the original post, how many DL aircraft have the N1234 format? I know most DL regs are N123DL or N123DN.
There's a few dozen DL aircraft spread among the 738, 752, and 763 fleets that have 4 numbers. Most have a letter on the end, but some don't. There's even a couple planes that have 5 numbers.
Quoting rikkus67 (Reply 9): For shiz and giggles, does anyone know how many variations that NWA had?
In recent years all the variation was limited to the DC-93 fleet. And it included this after the "N":
-2 numbers, 1 letter
-3 numbers, 1 letter
-3 numbers, 2 letters
-4 numbers
-4 numbers, 1 letter
The rest of the fleet was the common 3 numbers, 2 letters, and it made it relatively simple to mentally catalog.
gspflyer From United States of America, joined Jul 2010, 351 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (2 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 10 hours ago) and read 2928 times:
Quoting rikkus67 (Reply 9): ...also remember the Northwest integration into Delta. There are many variations of registrations brought about from previous mergers into NWA.
Yes, there are quite a few birds with DL that have -NW regs and I believe a few -TW on 757's inherited from TWA, but as far as I know, the 738's were delivered new to DL.
WESTERN737800 From United States of America, joined Feb 2008, 684 posts, RR: 2 Reply 13, posted (2 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 10 hours ago) and read 2892 times:
Quoting L1011 (Reply 10): Delta had an unusual registration on one of its 727s: N831L. It was a 727-2Q8, and I flew on it in 1991. It didn't fit in with their other 727 registrations.
N831L was inherited during DL's merger with Western. DL usually keeps the reg on US registered aircraft they acquire used like N900PC, N394DL, the ex TW 757s, the ex ATA 757s, ect.
My question was the last post and never answered so let me ask it again:
Some years ago my wife's uncle bought a King Air C90 that was N18MB. This was re-registered to a South African number, would the old N number be returned to the "pot" and re-assigned?
This aircraft has seen some world travelling, it was bought in Wichita and flown to South Africa to become ZS-LTZ...
KGRB From United States of America, joined Sep 2010, 613 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (2 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 5 hours ago) and read 2773 times:
Don't forget about my favorite short reg., N9DC!
Quoting rikkus67 (Reply 9): For shiz and giggles, does anyone know how many variations that NWA had?
I'm probably missing some of them, but here are some of the ones that come to mind:
N___NW: newer Northwest originals
N___US: older Northwest originals
N___NC: originally North Central
N___RC: originally Republic
N___RW: originally AirWest/Hughes AirWest
N____U: unknown (Are these Southern?)
N____E: former Eastern DC-9s & 727s, picked up after their shutdown
N___NB: A319s
26point2 From United States of America, joined Mar 2010, 665 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (2 years 2 months 1 week 3 days ago) and read 2624 times:
Quoting andz (Reply 14): would the old N number be returned to the "pot" and re-assigned?
Yes. As a matter of fact recently the FAA enacted a new requirement to "re-Register" a tail number regularly (annually?) or the number is canceled. They are trying to get a handle on which numbers are active and which are not.
Did you here about John and Martha King's arrest at KSBA a few months back? A mistake but was a result of an N number from a long ago stolen aircraft identical to King's N number.
moose135 From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 2009 posts, RR: 12 Reply 17, posted (2 years 2 months 1 week 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 2580 times:
Quoting gspflyer (Reply 7): I hope this isn't too far off-topic, but are the suffixes (ex: DL, DN, AN, AA, UA) somehow reserved by the airlines? Or could one purchase a private plane and use the reg. N999DL (assuming it isn't already in use)?
Almost all JetBlue aircraft registrations end with JB. The few exections include A320s which were transferred to the German carrier Blue Wings. When they shut down last year, B6 got the aircraft back, but their original JB registrations had been taken, so they were registered with the same 3-digit number, but different letters at the end of the registration.
71Zulu From United States of America, joined Aug 2006, 2736 posts, RR: 0 Reply 18, posted (2 years 2 months 1 week 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 2544 times:
Quoting gspflyer (Reply 7): I hope this isn't too far off-topic, but are the suffixes (ex: DL, DN, AN, AA, UA) somehow reserved by the airlines?
They have to be specifically requested by reg number and paid for to be held; there is no blanket holding of numbers for airlines, ie: holding reg numbers ending in DL for Delta only.
Quoting gspflyer (Reply 7): Or could one purchase a private plane and use the reg. N999DL (assuming it isn't already in use)?
Absolutely. Except for some very low numbers, all are available to anyone on a first come first serve basis.
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