$3500 N number

[GalinHdz]

Originally Posted by Toobuilder

I could see the Feds saying "screw it - nobody gets to reserve an N number anymore. You will get what you are assigned and like it!". That brings equality to all of us.

This change to the rules is more probable than any other "convoluted" change. Otherwise someone will find a way to get around whatever the new rule becomes.

Be careful of what you ask for, you might just get it.

[SJordan]

Wow that was quick! 100 signatures over night

[RV7A Flyer]

Originally Posted by bkervaski

Good point .. but you still have to pay for vanity plates, at least in the states I've lived in.

Yep. I think it's $25 here.

In any case, there's no third-party market for them where one guy can buy up a boatload of government-mandated data and then charge whatever he wants.

And let's not go down the "you don't HAVE to own a plane" argument...you don't HAVE to own a car, either.

[thompsonbr87]

Originally Posted by RV7A Flyer

Yep. I think it's $25 here.

In any case, there's no third-party market for them where one guy can buy up a boatload of government-mandated data and then charge whatever he wants.

And let's not go down the "you don't HAVE to own a plane" argument...you don't HAVE to own a car, either.

The government also doesn't mandate that you have to buy a specific N-number, so let's not set up that straw man, either...

[RV7A Flyer]

Originally Posted by thompsonbr87

The government also doesn't mandate that you have to buy a specific N-number, so let's not set up that straw man, either...

Just like vanity automotive plates, right?

[thompsonbr87]

Originally Posted by RV7A Flyer

Just like vanity automotive plates, right?

Auto vs Aircraft registration aren't 100% analogous in every aspect, but in some senses, yes. If someone else has that plate, it's theirs. I can't just tell Mr. Government to take it away from them and give it to me simply because I want it. They're doing nothing wrong by simply having it. It doesn't harm me in any way. Nor does it affect my ability to register my aircraft.

[HAL Pilot]

Originally Posted by thompsonbr87

Auto vs Aircraft registration aren't 100% analogous in every aspect, but in some senses, yes. If someone else has that plate, it's theirs. I can't just tell Mr. Government to take it away from them and give it to me simply because I want it. They're doing nothing wrong by simply having it. It doesn't harm me in any way. Nor does it affect my ability to register my aircraft.

Ahh but that person cannot save up multiple unused license plates and sell them on a secondary market, AND they can not sell their custom license plate. Only the DMV can.

Were not talking about taking away N-numbers that are being used and giving them to someone else who wants them. This is strictly someone who is buying up all the "desirable" ones so they can sell them. This has created an inequity in the "system" that was not meant to be created. The same thing happened in the FCC call sign case and it was fixed because the users asked that it be fixed.

If there is enough demand from the users then congress will tell the FAA to change the rules. I have heard that folks who have talked with the FAA about this have been told that they, the FAA, do not like the current system either but they are stuck with the rules they have been given.

There are 220,000 GA aircraft registered in the US if we can get decent percentage of owners who sign the petition, it would definitely be a number that our representatives will heed.


Picking up momentum, were up to 117 after 3 days.

Day 1- 10 Day 2- 5 Day 3- 102


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[RV7A Flyer]

Originally Posted by thompsonbr87

Auto vs Aircraft registration aren't 100% analogous in every aspect, but in some senses, yes. If someone else has that plate, it's theirs. I can't just tell Mr. Government to take it away from them and give it to me simply because I want it. They're doing nothing wrong by simply having it. It doesn't harm me in any way. Nor does it affect my ability to register my aircraft.

We're not talking about *after* it's affixed to a car or plane...then they *would* be analagous, because I can ask someone with a car with license plate N12345 if they'd take $X to turn it in so I can have it (I assume DMV has a way to transfer a plate from one car to another, I dunno), same as I can do with registration N12345 assigned to an aircraft.

The disparity happens here *before* then...while the government (state for autos, federal for aircraft) retains control over the "license plate numbers", including "vanity" plates. Automotive, you can't get a vanity plate unless you have a car to put it on, so there's no real ooportunity for someone to turn a government (taxpayer-funded) resource into something akin to a monopoly. Aircraft, you can get as many vanity plates as you want, without a single aircraft to attach them to, thereby allowing someone to theoretically acquire as many "plates", vanity or non-, as they wish and charge any price they wish.

You can argue that it's legal, therefore it's okay. I tend to think that when the FAA created the system whereby one could request specific N-numbers, they intended it for use just as most of us here are using it...to get an N-number that is meaningful for your private plane, or business aircraft. I doubt they intended it to be monopolized by a guy who does nothing more than turn around and charge ridiculously high fees while running some sort of sperm bank.

Cybersquatting, patent trolls, this guy...all in the same category, as far as I'm concerned. Seems a simple change to the regulations would end this bit of abuse.

[Turbo69bird]

Originally Posted by thompsonbr87

Auto vs Aircraft registration aren't 100% analogous in every aspect, but in some senses, yes. If someone else has that plate, it's theirs. I can't just tell Mr. Government to take it away from them and give it to me simply because I want it. They're doing nothing wrong by simply having it. It doesn't harm me in any way. Nor does it affect my ability to register my aircraft.

With auto license plates (at least some of them) this is the case. Very low digit plates are reserved for the governors buddy in most states or other political kiss a$$3$ many make huge campaign contributions to get these low digit plates. These plates are also reserved for just this purpose.

[Turbo69bird]

Originally Posted by PilotjohnS

Is it me or is this too complicated. Just ban the sale of n numbers. They may be transferred with plane sale. Or transfered for free.

How would you be able to police the fact that person A wasn't charging person B to transfer the number for free?

Come on guys this is capitalism. There's good and there's bad but over all it's still better than everything else.
I could see capping the amount of n numbers anyone can accumulate without applying them to an airplane that is flying. But that's about it for me.

I'm sure the rule is the way it is so that so,e guy can reserved a block of n numbers for a fleet he wants to start up but someone figured out they could make a buck on it. Thing is if no one bought them there wouldn't be a market but there is, so someone is benefiting from this service.

I think you need to file it under sucks to not be rich, unless your rich. Then it's filed under it's good to be the king.😁