RV7Factory

Chief Obfuscation Officer
There is an N-number I would love to reserve, however it is currently registered to an oooold airliner. It is has been on the "Registrations at Risk" list for some time, with the status of "Undeliverable". When I do a TX corporations search on the owner, the status of the company comes back as NO STANDING, FRANCHISE RESPONSIBILITY ENDED, which is somewhat inconclusive. Im thinking the company is gone and the plane is rotting in some graveyard somewhere.

Anyone know how long it takes for the registration to be revoked and the number released?
 
Ask for it.

I saw the same thing, when I was looking for N-numbers. In my case it used to belong to the original White Lightning that crashed. I went ahead and asked for it and they gave it to me. So, if that is the one you want it doesn't hurt to ask.

Good Luck
Wade Lively
N100WL, reserved
 
Wade, who did you ask? The old owner? The FAA?

I have been searching for a phone number, but have come up empty handed. The owner is a corporation in TX, which does not list any corporate officers. I also searched for the agent of service (for the corp.), and while I have and address, I can't locate a phone number. Sure, I could send a letter to the the corp or the agent of service, but I would prefer to give call first before putting anything in writing.

Thanks!
 
Call OAK

Call the Feds and talk to them, they can send a letter out and give notice to clear it up. I know a little about this because I got a number and months later they took it back because of a mistake they made, long story. Any way I got a little insight to the goings on.

My story ended well. They went in and found some numbers that appeared reserved to me but where what I think you called "Registrations at Risk". The FAA went thru a process of sending a letter out and I got an even better number than I originally had. So I can't say anything bad about the FAA.

I call, write and so on. In the mean time for $10 you may want to reserve a second choice while you work on it. G
 
It's a strange system. The number I want was issued in 1974 to a homebuilt helicopter and is listed as "revoked".

In the 70's, when they first allowed custom numbers, you gave a model and s/n, but the plane did not have to be flying yet. I think this helicopter was never finished, but keeps the N-number.

Perhaps I'll try again.... :)

gil in Tucson

...got N16GA reserved for the RV6A
...just painted N12GA on my Tiger
...previously built N33GA...
 
N Number

Hi,

I am new to this whole forum deal.
I am currently building the wings of an RV-8.
Can anyone tell me how to reserve or register an "N" number and when should I do It?
 
Huh?

william weesner said:
why would you want to do that then someone will come around wanting to see the new plane your gonna be paying taxes on :eek: the reservation doesnt even gaurantee you'll even get that number...esp if some large company has the sister number and thwen a year from now they need the reserved number :eek:

What they heck are you talking about?

a) reserving the number with the FAA, does provide you and only you access to the number. The big company can't come and get it unless you agree to allow that to happen. That is as long as you keep paying your reservation fee each year.

b) taxes don't have anything to do with reserving an N number. They have everything to do with the Bill of sale and final registration. Neither of which you do when you reserve a number.
 
Confirmation

You are right on aadamson. Nobody can take your number if you have it reserved. You have to jump through a lot of hoops including getting the owners permission even if the number is suspended or expired. I jumped through them all and got what I wanted. Mine was suspended on a balloon from the 70's. I had to track down the original owner and get a letter to the FAA from him and send in one of my own but I did it and the FAA says that it is mine.

As far as paying taxes, you usually don't have to pay anything until it makes the transition from parts to official airplane. When it happens, those are the rules and as long as you are going to fly you might as well get used to following them.

Go get your number and make it the one you want. If you need help let me know and I will be glad to do so. By the way, the FAA was very helpful and timely responding to my e-mails.
 
Go get it

I've had my number reserved for 3yrs now. No problem, no taxes. Follow Robertas link to the FAA site and spend the 10 bucks. Just remember to renew every year. FAA sends a reminder before the renewal is due.

Mark
N642ML reserved
RV6 fuselage in work.
 
Aadamson is absolutely right. Ten bucks a year and the number is yours. The tax man is a state employee, and the state doesn't get notified until you actually register the plane. After you send the registration in, the tax man will cometh so fast it'll make your head spin, but not until then.
 
I have reserved several numbers but never got the number I really wanted until I noticed one number that was not current but still assigned. I was able to get in touch with the owner which in this case was the widow of the man who had the number assigned to a glider he built in the seventies. He died several years ago and no one knew what happened to the glider. She was kind enough to de-register the plane, reserve the number in her name and then transfer it to me. It took almost a year but now I am the proud owner of "9JW" for my RV-9A.
In this case a little legwork and patience really paid off. The funny thing was the elderly lady seemed pleased I was going to continue flying her husbands N number. He was an aerospace engineer and involved in early slace flight. His name was Julian Wolkovitch. They lived in Texas back then but I found her in California. She even asked if I would E-mail her progress pictures of my plane. What a sweet lady.
 
Keep trying

Guys,
Keep trying regularly at the FAA web site for the number you want.
As planes are exported, (or written off?) they are de-registered and the number will magically re-appear in the N numbers available list.

I checked monthly with the FAA search tool and got N16GA...

This N16GA was on a plane that got exported to Venezuela in 2002.

I got N12GA for the Tiger, and had N33GA for the sailplane I built...

gil in Tucson
 
az_gila said:
Keep trying regularly at the FAA web site for the number you want.
If there is one you want, you don't necessarily have to keep checking. You can pay the $10 and request to be put on the wait list for an N-number. At least that is what the FAA told me when I inquired about a registration that looked to be in questionable status.
 
nice tool!

Great stuff, Mike! Now all you need to do is allow us to subscribe to get the daily list of released number e-mailed to us each morning. :)
 
I noticed that my reserved N Number was not returned in the results. Does this only show 'assigned' n-numbers?

Nice job, though. Handy.
 
You mean you didn't reserve one six months before you ordered your empennage kit?? :rolleyes:

Sorry, couldn't resist. :eek:
 
Does anyone know what it means when this comes up when searching for an N number on the FAA website?

ATTENTION!


This aircraft's registration status may not be suitable for operation.
Please contact the Aircraft Registration Branch at 1-866-762-9434 for additional information.



I was playing around with some different possibilities and this came up a couple of times.

Thanks,
Greg

** I just found out the answer to my own question. Seems that they used to allow less than 3 numbers with 2 letters but when those are revoked they are not reassigning them. Oh well.
 
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Heres a stange one for ya. I reserved mine when I just started building.... somehow along the line it now comes up as "assigned" as opposed to "reserved" now. How could this have happened?

-Jeff
 
You had it assigned

RV_7A said:
Heres a stange one for ya. I reserved mine when I just started building.... somehow along the line it now comes up as "assigned" as opposed to "reserved" now. How could this have happened?

-Jeff

Jef.... you must have told them about your RV-7A (in 2004), as opposed to just reserving a number.
The FAA record lists your RV specifically... so it is "assigned"...

Did this get your local county/state tax guy excited?.... :)

gil in Tucson

************* from the FAA data base **********

N808TX is Assigned

Aircraft Description

Serial Number 71503
Type Registration Individual
Manufacturer Name BORDELON JEFFREY W
Certificate Issue Date 03/31/2004
Model VANS RV-7A Status Valid
Type Aircraft Fixed Wing Single-Engine
Type Engine Reciprocating
Pending Number Change None Dealer No
Date Change Authorized None Mode S Code 52600524
MFR Year None Fractional Owner NO
----------------------------------------------------
Registered Owner
......
Name BORDELON JEFFREY W
County WILLIAMSON
Country UNITED STATES
 
Bad addresses

J5Cub said:
Does anyone know what it means when this comes up when searching for an N number on the FAA website?

ATTENTION!


This aircraft's registration status may not be suitable for operation.
Please contact the Aircraft Registration Branch at 1-866-762-9434 for additional information.



I was playing around with some different possibilities and this came up a couple of times.

Thanks,
Greg

** I just found out the answer to my own question. Seems that they used to allow less than 3 numbers with 2 letters but when those are revoked they are not reassigning them. Oh well.

Greg... not sure that your answer is correct. The data base (to-day) found these two numbers as available [ 67GA 87GA ] ... and I have N16GA reserved, and just got N12GA assigned to me last year.

I believe the statement is aimed at owners to who the FAA sent their triennial survey, and have not recieved a reply back... Several members of the Grumman mailing list had this, and it was usually address change related...

gil in Tucson
 
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J5Cub said:
Does anyone know what it means when this comes up when searching for an N number on the FAA website?

ATTENTION!


This aircraft's registration status may not be suitable for operation.
Please contact the Aircraft Registration Branch at 1-866-762-9434 for additional information.
Usually it means that the FAA has lost contact with the owner and has placed the registration on the "registrations in jepordy" list. The FAA stated some time ago that they will be cracking down on these, but who knows how long it will take. See my earlier post, but I sent in my $10 to be put on the waiting list for one of these questionable N-numbers. If an N-number is released, it is reassigned to the first person in line with $. If you want to be put on the waiting list, don't go through the normal (online) process, but instead write a letter to the FAA and formally request that you be added to the waiting list, and BE SURE to enclose $10.
 
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az_gila said:
I believe the statement is aimed at owners to who the FAA sent their triennial survey, and have not recieved a reply back... Several members of the Grumman mailing list had this, and it was usually address change related...

gil in Tucson
Gil,

Thank you for the response. Now I know what the "Undel Tri" means but I saw a couple that gave me the same reply but were labeled as "Revoked" including the one I wanted. I guess I should just call and see what it means.

I looked at the FAA web page and thought it said 4 numbers followed by 2 letters, missed the 1-4 numbers. I have found the perfect number for me, just need to find out if it has been revoked how to get it.

Regards,
Greg
 
Gil-

Thats what Im saying... I didn't have it assigned and it got assigned somehow. All I did was renew the reservation. And NO no one has contacted me about taxes. We must be exempt here is Texas ;)

-Jeff
 
Who told them

RV_7A said:
Gil-

Thats what Im saying... I didn't have it assigned and it got assigned somehow. All I did was renew the reservation. And NO no one has contacted me about taxes. We must be exempt here is Texas ;)

-Jeff

Jeff... but someone told the FAA that the number (808TX) was going to be put on an RV-7A..... I'm sure they wouldn't have taken input from anyone other than the person on the registration....

I bet you sent a form in to the FAA (the Aircraft Registration form?), or a letter describing your project giving the official builder and serial number, instead of doing it on-line... :)

gil A
 
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Jeff and Gil,

I just found out that my N number was also assigned, not reserved. Apparently I didn't understand as much as I though I did about the paperwork at the time. :eek:
In addition, I got the "This aircraft's registration status may not be suitable for operation." message when I went to the FAA website to check. Called the FAA and after a long hold, I was able to speak to a woman who, while seemingly mightily annoyed that I didn't know nearly as much about this as she did, finally allowed as how I needed to send in an 8050-88 Affadavit of Ownership and a 8050-1 Registration Application Form. The 8050-1 is not available online, and furthermore, I thought the 8050-1 was only applicable when the plane is finished and would be part of the final inspection paperwork? :confused:
Help!