RAAus Registration Numbers

[FlyingVizsla]

RAAus are looking at re-allocating registration numbers from aircraft that have been removed from the Register. 

 

It has been handy to be able to look up the aircraft rego and find out when it lapsed and some information about it (serial No. etc).  I hope some way of still finding this out remains, even after the number has been re-allocated.

 

I know a number of people who have bought wrecks or unregistered planes with the intention of returning to the Register.  Keeping the number, keeps the history and also avoids the work associated with taking numbers off wings etc.  I am not opposed to this re-allocation of numbers, but keep the history please.

 

RAAus will be contacting owners, but in some cases the plane was sold with the rego lapsed with no regard for who bought it.  I know one that crashed in a paddock, the owner took the engine and abandoned it.  The farmer ended up giving it to someone who is now rebuilding it.  Same with deceased estates, where the half built kit goes to whoever made an offer and took it.

 

This is from their Newsletter

Review of Cancelled Aircraft Registrations

As part of an update to RAAus’ IT infrastructure, we will shortly be commencing a review of our database to ensure that information is accurate and up to date. In particular, we will be conducting a review of cancelled aircraft registrations.

We will be shortly reaching out to owners of unregistered aircraft to determine if these aircraft are required to remain on the register. Once this has been determined, these aircraft will be re-registered, de-registered or placed on hold for members who wish to retain their registration number.

RAAus offers new aircraft owners the ability to choose a registration number when they register an aircraft. By reviewing cancelled aircraft registrations these numbers may be returned for future use by RAAus members.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to our Technical team.

[turboplanner]

48 minutes ago, FlyingVizsla said:

RAAus are looking at re-allocating registration numbers from aircraft that have been removed from the Register. 

 

It has been handy to be able to look up the aircraft rego and find out when it lapsed and some information about it (serial No. etc).  I hope some way of still finding this out remains, even after the number has been re-allocated.

 

I know a number of people who have bought wrecks or unregistered planes with the intention of returning to the Register.  Keeping the number, keeps the history and also avoids the work associated with taking numbers off wings etc.  I am not opposed to this re-allocation of numbers, but keep the history please.

 

RAAus will be contacting owners, but in some cases the plane was sold with the rego lapsed with no regard for who bought it.  I know one that crashed in a paddock, the owner took the engine and abandoned it.  The farmer ended up giving it to someone who is now rebuilding it.  Same with deceased estates, where the half built kit goes to whoever made an offer and took it.

 

This is from their Newsletter

Review of Cancelled Aircraft Registrations

As part of an update to RAAus’ IT infrastructure, we will shortly be commencing a review of our database to ensure that information is accurate and up to date. In particular, we will be conducting a review of cancelled aircraft registrations.

We will be shortly reaching out to owners of unregistered aircraft to determine if these aircraft are required to remain on the register. Once this has been determined, these aircraft will be re-registered, de-registered or placed on hold for members who wish to retain their registration number.

RAAus offers new aircraft owners the ability to choose a registration number when they register an aircraft. By reviewing cancelled aircraft registrations these numbers may be returned for future use by RAAus members.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to our Technical team.

Am I correct in saying the current registration protocol allows for 10,000 aircraft.

If that's the case there are plent of combinations left.

It's never good policy to overwrite because in some cases people keep history records based on Registration Number with notations and history by Reg Number, so you finish up with two histories.

If an aircraft has a bad accident and is rebuilt, then re-registered so the history starts at zero its open to fraud.

Plane spotters record everything and the ID component is the Registraton Number. These people are on the ball enough to pick up most changes but there will be circumstances where some slip through.

When databasing a lot of items and particularly where something is split, such as an aircraft with two call signs; the search and processing of the analysis is not a clean one. In some cases it requires a  master index with the before and after numbers having different master numbers, in others a "side ident" to relate to something else like a date to decide which reg we are talking about.

 

I wouldn't do it.

 

 

 

 

[RossK]

This already happens with VH reg aircraft, so nothing new here.

eg. google VH-CZP,

Ansett B-737

Evektor Sportstar 😁

Cirrus SR22

[FlyingVizsla]

AUF initially messed up on rego numbers, not forward thinking enough to imagine more than 999 planes, computers, databases and further categories.  They had to rescind some numbers (one of our planes was a victim) to sort it out.  In an ideal world a unique number would follow the plane from cradle to grave and not be reallocated.  Remeber the scandal of 001 that was taken by a former President of the AUF for his plane, when the original 001 plane was being rebuilt?

 

I think the numbers are starting to run out.  Ultralights, particularly the early home built were retired due to technological obsolescence, unobtainable parts, engines, structural integrity, aging owners and an inability to find any buyers.  That happened to our Wheeler Scout.  Numbers were allocated to builders, who then never got the plane registered.  So it does make sense to re-allocate numbers for planes that will never fly again.  However, there are people who rebuild and want to keep the rego, even only to save the history and the work required to change placards and decals.

 

I agree, it is nothing new, my C152 used to be a DC-3.

 

An issue I see, is that the last owner on the RAAus books may not be aware of who owns it now.  As it costs money to keep a plane on the RAAus register, owners are more likely to let it lapse until they can get it airworthy again.  They can sell and not inform RAAus.  On the other hand, VH regos are free and perpetual, provided you don't inform them that it has been scrapped.

 

Because I have so much history of AUF aircraft, I get enquiries from people who have found a plane and want to do it up.  While that may sound like the future is bright; most of these will never fly again.  My first port of call is the RAAus register, which gives me basic detail and when it was last registered.  I can then have a look at the accident database (prior to that date).  Then I look at the history I have.  At present we are looking at 3 planes returning to the register once the ACR is done, and others in the process. 

 

AUF solved their 999 plane problem by putting a 0 in front making the range to 9,999.  Perhaps RAAus could put another 0 in front?  I just want them to keep the history visable.

 

[kasper]

6 hours ago, FlyingVizsla said:

AUF initially messed up on rego numbers, not forward thinking enough to imagine more than 999 planes, computers, databases and further categories.  They had to rescind some numbers (one of our planes was a victim) to sort it out.  In an ideal world a unique number would follow the plane from cradle to grave and not be reallocated.  Remeber the scandal of 001 that was taken by a former President of the AUF for his plane, when the original 001 plane was being rebuilt?

 

I think the numbers are starting to run out.  Ultralights, particularly the early home built were retired due to technological obsolescence, unobtainable parts, engines, structural integrity, aging owners and an inability to find any buyers.  That happened to our Wheeler Scout.  Numbers were allocated to builders, who then never got the plane registered.  So it does make sense to re-allocate numbers for planes that will never fly again.  However, there are people who rebuild and want to keep the rego, even only to save the history and the work required to change placards and decals.

 

I agree, it is nothing new, my C152 used to be a DC-3.

 

An issue I see, is that the last owner on the RAAus books may not be aware of who owns it now.  As it costs money to keep a plane on the RAAus register, owners are more likely to let it lapse until they can get it airworthy again.  They can sell and not inform RAAus.  On the other hand, VH regos are free and perpetual, provided you don't inform them that it has been scrapped.

 

Because I have so much history of AUF aircraft, I get enquiries from people who have found a plane and want to do it up.  While that may sound like the future is bright; most of these will never fly again.  My first port of call is the RAAus register, which gives me basic detail and when it was last registered.  I can then have a look at the accident database (prior to that date).  Then I look at the history I have.  At present we are looking at 3 planes returning to the register once the ACR is done, and others in the process. 

 

AUF solved their 999 plane problem by putting a 0 in front making the range to 9,999.  Perhaps RAAus could put another 0 in front?  I just want them to keep the history visable.

 

We would be better suited to add a leading alpha to the current 10,000 per rego series.

 

That would mean we would go from 10,000 to 260,000 + up to 10,000 by leaving the existing regos without the Alpha alone

eg 10-0001 would become 10-A0001 etc

 

Much more freedom as we are unlikely to add another half million airframes any time soon.

[Thruster88]

Before RAAus start deleting  aircraft I would like to see a current snapshot of the register made available for viewing by members in perpetuity?  Not sure if that is the right word. No owner info, just what we can see now.

 

I am doing my bit to keep interest in thruster aircraft in my area.  When we find these gems a check of the RAAus register is the first step. I am sure I will not get a call about 10-1467, if I was not a current member it would just be deleted. 

 

RAAus probably don't have contact details for this fine example of type, will it be deleted? 

[spacesailor]

Or drop the class designation , making ' 10- 1103 ' in A- 1103  .

Later it could be ' B-1103 ' .

spacesailor

[FlyingVizsla]

I had been digitising the old AUF magazines which sometimes have listings of rego, make, model etc.  There's photos and articles.  I am still missing some early editions.

 

Early single seat planes may never have been issued a number.  I found one which seems to fall into this category, the guy who now has it is trying to fix her up and fly it again.  All my searching came to nothing. 

 

When we get flying cars, regos on drones etc, there really will be an alphabet soup in the sky.