N-numbers without alphas

DFH65

DFH65

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DFH65
So still working on the BFR after a 20 year lay off. Yesterday was hour 4.5 we flew to a controlled airport as a refresher on controlled airspace and using the Garmin.

When I flew before I didn't go into controlled airspace much and admittedly this time I didn't sound much better on the radio than I did when I was first a student pilot.

I found I was having a really hard time telling when the controller was talking to me and I think some of it was the N-number of the plane I am flying has no alpha characters. Back in the day I flew 76Xray and 26Kilo but now the controller just says 532. Just not really ear catching.

On the bright side instructor says we need to spend a session or so polishing up my landings, do a little ground school work (this should not be an issue) and he should be able to sign me off. I also have a list of things I want him to review with me again before I feel ready. I had planned on 10 hours we are at 4.5 so I think I will be pretty close. :yesnod:
 
Most people want to get the BFR over with as quick as possible. Looks like you are taking your time to understand it all ,and make sure you are comfortable with your flying. Good luck.
 
Depending on the manufacturer, some used all numerical N numbers on certain years and did them sequentially. My old 421B was N41053 another one based nearby a few serial numbers earlier is N41041. :D
Good job on taking your time getting back into flying, a lot of small changes with airspace etc, and it's always good to spend that extra time with a GOOD CFI. :D
 
Sequential N-numbers can be done even without all-numeric registrations.

You can pretty much map Navion registration numbers to their serial numbers. The first few Navions where all numeric in the 9xxxx. They then went to 8xxxH and then 2XXXK (if you see a Navion ending in K, you can subtract 3100 from the numbers to get the serial number...my 5327K is S/N 2227). The range masters tend to be 2XXXT.

Cessna grabbed blocks without too much rhyme or reason. lots of 8081X on 172's and 170's. 714XX...etc..

The more you fly the same plane, the more you get accustomed to hearing your N number.

Good luck. I remember the 10 year hole in my log book too.
 
Yeah if you hear N735XX or N759XX it's a 182Q. :D

flyingron said:
Sequential N-numbers can be done even without all-numeric registrations.

You can pretty much map Navion registration numbers to their serial numbers. The first few Navions where all numeric in the 9xxxx. They then went to 8xxxH and then 2XXXK (if you see a Navion ending in K, you can subtract 3100 from the numbers to get the serial number...my 5327K is S/N 2227). The range masters tend to be 2XXXT.

Cessna grabbed blocks without too much rhyme or reason. lots of 8081X on 172's and 170's. 714XX...etc..

The more you fly the same plane, the more you get accustomed to hearing your N number.

Good luck. I remember the 10 year hole in my log book too.
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And, always remember..

N-1 through N-99 is reserved for the FAA. So , if you ever see or hear those call signs... Be on your best behavior.... And hope you didn't already screw up..:eek:
 
Training for the IFR around Corpus Christi with Ron Levy, we heard the opposite of the OP's situation.

We were 55WB. Heard on the same frequency 55WG and (something) (something)WB

Controller was sharp enough to pick up on this and improved his calls to be extra clear on who he was telling to do what.
 
I bought a plane with an all numeric N number and too thought it was gonna be a problem picking out my numbers amongst all the other numbers being thrown out by ATC...so much so that I started researching what it took to change the N number. In reality, it ended up being a non issue for me, but that is my N number that I own and now have etched in my subconscious. On a rental, I could see it being more of a challenge
 
Alphanumeric N-#'s just sound so much cooler. I feel like so much more of a badass using the "pilot alphabet"!
 
Lately, I've been thinking of reserving something ending in RR, just to see if some controller shows his/her sense of humor by broadcasting, "Cessna _ Romeo Romeo! where for art thou, Romeo?"
 
AggieMike88 said:
Lately, I've been thinking of reserving something ending in RR, just to see if some controller shows his/her sense of humor by broadcasting, "Cessna _ Romeo Romeo! where for art thou, Romeo?"
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Romeo is in Hotel with Juliet.
 
I just sold my T182T which was n51558, gotta admit not having an alpha character threw me for loop initially. Now 797S just rolls off the tongue.
 
I have had a couple of planes with 5 numbers and the controllers could really screw them up. How do they handle foreign planes with a string of letters? I would thing it would be very hard to remember letters.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Lately, I've been thinking of reserving something ending in RR, just to see if some controller shows his/her sense of humor by broadcasting, "Cessna _ Romeo Romeo! where for art thou, Romeo?"
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I've flown a Romeo Romeo - Ed Guthrie's Mooney - And it was the hardest N number to say quickly that I've ever flown! "Romeo" makes your mouth and tongue make a lot of motions that don't flow well together when you have to do it twice.

I have also spoken to a 310 pilot that was RR. He said that it's fun when the ATIS is J - "Romeo Romeo with Juliet" - But the best is exiting a runway onto taxiway J - "Ground, Romeo Romeo ON Juliet!" :rofl:
 
N801BH said:
And, always remember..

N-1 through N-99 is reserved for the FAA. So , if you ever see or hear those call signs... Be on your best behavior.... And hope you didn't already screw up..:eek:
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For the most part. I'm not sure they all belong to the FAA, but the government is a good shot. There are a few owned by Cessna and Gulfstream on that range but seem to be on lease to the government (NASA or the FAA).
 
I looked at a 421C that ended in EE, I thought Echo Echo was a neat tail number. It seems it was something like 333EE, even though that's not it, I am pretty sure the last two numbers were the same. :D
 
Used to have a Skymaster on field, N285. Got asked a lot for his full call sign. Reply was always November 285.
 
Norman said:
Used to have a Skymaster on field, N285. Got asked a lot for his full call sign. Reply was always November 285.
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Short N numbers always seem to get asked for full call sign, we had a Challenger based at FTY that was N6JB. When they checked in on frequency, they would use Challenger November 6 Juliet Bravo to cut down on the confusion. :D
 
I took my IR checkride in a 172 N97000. Most of the time ATC calls were for 97 thousand, or triple zero. Talk about a mouth full try "approach zero zero zero..." Never did get use to that...:yes:
 
Twin_Flyer said:
I took my IR checkride in a 172 N97000. Most of the time ATC calls were for 97 thousand, or triple zero. Talk about a mouth full try "approach zero zero zero..." Never did get use to that...:yes:
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I can say "zero zero zero" faster than I can say "one romeo romeo"! :eek:
 
flyingcheesehead said:
I've flown a Romeo Romeo - Ed Guthrie's Mooney - And it was the hardest N number to say quickly that I've ever flown! "Romeo" makes your mouth and tongue make a lot of motions that don't flow well together when you have to do it twice.

I have also spoken to a 310 pilot that was RR. He said that it's fun when the ATIS is J - "Romeo Romeo with Juliet" - But the best is exiting a runway onto taxiway J - "Ground, Romeo Romeo ON Juliet!" :rofl:
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I had an even worse tongue-twister many years ago: I owned N6094Q. Try to say that 3 times in half an hour! :mad2:
 
weirdjim said:
If you ain't an amateur radio operator, N 73 CQ means absolutely nothing.

Jim
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I would instinctively reply back 73 and change frequency. :rofl:

Is that your tail #? *EDIT* I just saw your profile pic!

I'm surprised no one else had that tail.
 
Our trainer twins tail #s are 7084Y and 7085Y.

Try saying that full callsign numerous times a flight. Often we just shorten it to 84/5Y, it flows off the tongue better.

I will often find myself saying the wrong tail number by the end of the day. After flying up to 5 different aircraft in a day you tend to forget which one your in. :idea: :D
 
ARFlyer said:
I would instinctively reply back 73 and change frequency. :rofl:

Is that your tail #? *EDIT* I just saw your profile pic!

I'm surprised no one else had that tail.
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Ummm... that would be "73 and QSY". :lol:

I was surprised that nobody had taken it too. My call is WX 6 RST (Weather 6 Readability, Signal, Tone) and the company name is RST Engineering.

QLF Jim
 
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Are you being troubled by atmospherics?
 
My old 1940 Tayorcraft is N24433. I assume when they got up to N99999 that they had to start putting a letter at the end? I'd further guess that as the older airplanes are lost, wrecked or scrapped the numbers without a letter at the end become available for re-assignment?
 
N801BH said:
And, always remember..

N-1 through N-99 is reserved for the FAA. So , if you ever see or hear those call signs... Be on your best behavior.... And hope you didn't already screw up..:eek:
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Say again? N1A is the Goodyear Blimp.

-Skip
 
The biggest PITA tail numbers are those with less than 5 charters. ATC is always asking for the full number.
 
N747JB said:
I looked at a 421C that ended in EE, I thought Echo Echo was a neat tail number. It seems it was something like 333EE, even though that's not it, I am pretty sure the last two numbers were the same. :D
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was it 999EE? There's a 421 based in TX with that callsign.
 
jonnyjetprop said:
The biggest PITA tail numbers are those with less than 5 charters. ATC is always asking for the full number.
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The guy that owned the planes I trained in was a corporate pilot for a big company in our area. When they sold their Gulfstream and deregistered the number he took the number and registered in one of his 172s.

Well I was the lucky guy who got to fly it into the same class C airspace (for the first time) they used to fly the Gulfstream into taped over numbers and all. I got asked more than once if I had the number right by the controller since they all knew the Gulfstream. I assured them it was right and I was a 172. It was three numbers and a letter. :D
 
I was coming in to a field far away from home. I called in Skylane --92-. Controller replied Cessna -- 2 9 - with some hesitation on the 29. Made it sound like he was confused with the 92 and transposed in his speaking. I corrected the read-back, landed there. A few days later, I needed a taxi just a little ways for maintenance. Controller said Cessna --9 2- cross runway xx. I didn't need to cross a runway to get where I was going. Turned out there was a Skyhawk --29- that just landed there (his home field) and needed to cross the runway, at the same time I was taxiing. I caught the confusion and pointed it out...

It would have been much easier to catch if the controller had used Skyhawk N----- or Skylane N-----
 
Another fun one was the day I flew someone else's Navion into Dulles. Between me being used to saying 5327K and Dulles ATC being used to hearing it, there was a bit of confusion.
 
I used to have a Grumman Cheetah N558ZK*. Coincidentally, at another field just a few miles away was a Grumman Tiger, N58ZK*. I met up with the Tiger's owner for lunch one day. He suggested we fly in formation to a nearby controlled field to shoot some touch-and-goes and play with the controller's mind.

:D

*The actual numbers have been changed to protect the guilty, but the patterns are the same. ;)
 
There is a N69RJ out there on the east coast I have heard on the radio. I always thought Sixty Nine Romeo Juliet had a nice ring to it :D
 
There are something like 5 Navions based at CJR. One is 5377K and mine is 5327K. One day we caused a bit of confusion when we both came up from the tidewater area IFR.
 
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