Tail number placard on console

Salty

Salty

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Salty
I notice *most* GA aircraft have the tail number somewhere conspicuous on the console, but not all do.

Is there a regulation around this, or is it just really popular to do because it's easy to forget what plane you're in if you fly a lot of them?
 
I was thinking it might be a required placard for the type certificate.
 
generally no. part 23 does not require it, part 45 does not require it, however, it could be required by the TCDS or POH.
 
It’s present in work airplane (Bonanza A36), personal airplane (C182), and teaching airplane (C172)

But I’ll still screw up the radio transmissions even while staring at it when flying with a student in the 172 by announcing “Bonanza 62 Fo…. Uhhhh, Skyhawk 0-1- Echo is…”
 
Also very helpful for an instructor who is riding with you if they need to use the radio for any reason, as they won't have it memorized like you do. When I started transition training in my plane, we had a gear issue and the CFI talked to ATC while I concentrated on flying and we worked together to troubleshoot.
 
As someone who hops around different N numbers all the time, I really rue the absence of that little placard. I assumed it was regulatory also, TIL.

...If you are ever caught in a plane without a placard, you might be able to fish it out of the transponder or sometimes the engine analyzer. :)
 
schmookeeg said:
As someone who hops around different N numbers all the time, I really rue the absence of that little placard. I assumed it was regulatory also, TIL.

...If you are ever caught in a plane without a placard, you might be able to fish it out of the transponder or sometimes the engine analyzer. :)
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Or just make one up of you have to.
 
schmookeeg said:
...If you are ever caught in a plane without a placard, you might be able to fish it out of the transponder or sometimes the engine analyzer. :)
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Or get a cool callsign like "Air Force One". :)
 
Required or not, for pilots who fly a lot of different airplanes, it’s just a good idea. “City Tower, uhhhh…..N12345…”
 
There was a time I was flying regularly in a small fleet of nearly identical airplanes. You could tell which one you were in by the number written in sharpie on the panel. I depended on it.

Nauga,
and one-three I mean one-one
 
After 2400 hours in my own airplane with a tail number that I chose (it even had my initials in it) - the toughest thing about transitioning to renting was having to adapt to a different tail number constantly. It's like if one day your name was just canceled and every day someone hands you a new random name that you have to use and respond to. Very odd. Anyway, I have become completely dependent on those placards and one thing that I'd never thought about before is that (at least in the Citations I fly) the placard is not lighted at night... Guess who couldn't tell ATC what airplane they were flying the first time it got dark on a flight until he fumbled for the cockpit light switches...
 
If I didn’t have the tail number on the panel…oh boy I’d be in trouble! Never can remember what I’m flying!
 
I need one of these for my dog too. I don't mean a tag on his collar. I always call my new dog by my old dog's name.
 
Todd82 said:
I need one of these for my dog too. I don't mean a tag on his collar. I always call my new dog by my old dog's name.
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Out of the blue last week, I started calling mine by the name of my dog two dogs ago. And they are nothing alike.
 
Salty said:
Out of the blue last week, I started calling mine by the name of my dog two dogs ago. And they are nothing alike.
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Hmmmm..... You probably need to report that loss of memory incident on your next medical.

:D
 
I remember the days when the plane I was flying had 6 (or more) different call signs on a single flight, depending on who you were talking to or who they were talking to. Now I only have one to worry about and still manage to hose it up.
 
Salty said:
Out of the blue last week, I started calling mine by the name of my dog two dogs ago. And they are nothing alike.
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Sure hope we don't start seeing your wifes name in Sharpie on her forehead, then we will worry for you!
 
Briar Rabbit said:
Sure hope we don't start seeing your wifes name in Sharpie on her forehead, then we will worry for you!
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I'm ok until I need to do this
d9407e031ee73b7c791ba3e7399d7426.png
 
schmookeeg said:
As someone who hops around different N numbers all the time, I really rue the absence of that little placard. I assumed it was regulatory also, TIL.

...If you are ever caught in a plane without a placard, you might be able to fish it out of the transponder or sometimes the engine analyzer. :)
Click to expand...

The registration is the first place i would look.
 
So there I was... a couple of young kids, trying to teach them to not write on them selves....

I was in the navy flying a4’s, and would come home with a couple side numbers written on my hands... would get busted regularly...

“Well that’s different...”.
 
unsafervguy said:
generally no. part 23 does not require it, part 45 does not require it, however, it could be required by the TCDS or POH.
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I strongly suspect that the placard is actually an FCC requirement, not FAA.

Every merchant ship I ever sailed on had a radio station callsign placard somewhere in the pilot house, just like an airplane registration placard on the panel.

Fire Department was the same way. Radio callsign placard was always right next to the radio in dispatch.
 
Now that you mention it, I think ham radio stations require the callsign to be posted at the operator station.
 
Tools said:
Now that you mention it, I think ham radio stations require the callsign to be posted at the operator station.
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Hmmm. It might actually be an FCC reg rather than FAA.
 
Tools said:
Now that you mention it, I think ham radio stations require the callsign to be posted at the operator station.
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The FCC used to require commercial stations to display licenses, but I think they dropped it. I don’t know if was ever required for amateur radio, but I’ve always had mine in a frame on the wall near my station.
 
Tools said:
Now that you mention it, I think ham radio stations require the callsign to be posted at the operator station.
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I don't recall this, but I've only been licensed since November 1988. Oh well, I have a copy of my license in my wallet.

As far as placards on instrument panels of aircraft go, I don' t recall the regulation (assuming there is one), but I am certainly glad the club has them on our planes, Even with them I've been known to start out a call for taxi instructions with the wrong one, having to correct myself.
 
My transponder displays tail number, I assume it’s because it is an ADSB requirement.
 
Salty said:
Hmmm. It might actually be an FCC reg rather than FAA.
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I still have the Radio Telephone Operator’s Permit that was required along with your Pilot Certificate back in the day.

Cheers
 
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