Jun 25, 2013, 12:37 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
How to find the registration / "tail" number on AA (and other) planes and flights
Numbers commonly associated with commercial aircraft include:
- Registration (or "Tail") Number (in the US, begin with "N"), which may change with aircraft ownership and certainly so if ownership is also a change of registration country, comparably to an automobile's license number. Some refer to this as a "tail number", though it is generally found on the aft portion of the fuselage under or near the tail, and some aircraft sport the fleet number on the actual tail.
- Fleet Number or "nose code", a shorter identifying code, that is normally associated with the Registration Number, often only two or three (alphanumeric) characters; it may reflect some of the registration numbers or not, and may include other information (e.g. "ETOPS"). This number would be analogous to a company's auto fleet number.
- Manufacturer's Serial Number: (MSN or msn) or Construction Number (cn or c/n), which is like an automobile's Vehicle Identification Number or VIN - this number is issued to the hull itself and does not change, from construction to wrecking yard (with very few exceptions, such as a rebuild from multiple aircrafts). This number will also often appear on an affixed plate within the fuselage. This is the "gold standard" for identifying a specific aircraft, as Registration Numbers can be assigned to more than one aircraft at different times.
- Line Number: The constructor / manufacturer also assigns a Line Number that represents the order in which it was built relative to others of the same model on the production line.
AA shows the Reg number in the FIL in Sabre.
For aircraft you can see, the registration number is generally painted on the aft fuselage near or before the tail root (not on the tail). If you can not see that, the fleet number is usually painted on the nose wheel door. (If you have that, you can easily determine the aircraft registration number.)
The numbers are also on a small metal plate affixed to the bulkhead near the first port (left) door. (It's best not to look for and read this when boarding with a queue behind one
.) Various sites where the aircraft and flight data are archived or displayed are discussed in the ensuing posts.
Find / track AA / US registration / "tail" number, flights (consolidated)
Jul 8, 2007, 4:38 pm
#46
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: MSP (and will only fly NWA in re-routes if I HAVE to)
Programs: AA EXP (4.5MM), hotel programs as needed
Posts: 5,800
does this site help?
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinqu...um_inquiry.asp
Also the 'R' in your question may not be accurate per http://www.landings.com/evird.acgi$p...*prefix_c.html
United States of America (USA)
N [x]1 - [x]99999, [x]1A - [x]9999Z, [x]1AA - [x]999ZZ
(letters "I" and "O" are not used, so they can't be confused
with the digits "1" and "0"), (x = category = C/L/R/S/X),
the '-' (dash) as separator is normally not used, but can be
sometimes seen applied before or after the category prefix,
which itself was normally displayed up to the mid-1950s,
while today only (some) oldtimer (are allowed to) show such
a prefix, the categories are: C = Commercial
L = Limited
R = Restricted
S = Standard (?)
X = eXperimental
There is a site that lists where planes exist (boneyards) and their N Numbers but I could not find it.
I think the FAA site is what you may be looking for.
Found simply by 5 minutes using Google.
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinqu...um_inquiry.asp
Also the 'R' in your question may not be accurate per http://www.landings.com/evird.acgi$p...*prefix_c.html
United States of America (USA)
N [x]1 - [x]99999, [x]1A - [x]9999Z, [x]1AA - [x]999ZZ
(letters "I" and "O" are not used, so they can't be confused
with the digits "1" and "0"), (x = category = C/L/R/S/X),
the '-' (dash) as separator is normally not used, but can be
sometimes seen applied before or after the category prefix,
which itself was normally displayed up to the mid-1950s,
while today only (some) oldtimer (are allowed to) show such
a prefix, the categories are: C = Commercial
L = Limited
R = Restricted
S = Standard (?)
X = eXperimental
There is a site that lists where planes exist (boneyards) and their N Numbers but I could not find it.
I think the FAA site is what you may be looking for.
Found simply by 5 minutes using Google.
Jul 8, 2007, 4:53 pm
#47
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: San Diego
Posts: 2,687
Either you have thoroughly misunderstood the OP or I have.
I understand he is using the BTS website to work out which particular aircraft he has flown.
The BTS website lists registrations for most airlines, but for AA it lists a strange combination of AA's fleet number for that aircraft, and attempts to format it into an FAA registration format.
So from the OP's example, the fleet number would be R01.
He wishes to find a resource that will tell him what the FAA registration of fleet number R01 is (as an example. I don't think R01 is a valid fleet number, hence my example of a 777) for which I have provided him with some guidance.
The FAA website has no record of Fleet Numbers, as these are an entirely internal feature of an airline, and don't have any need to be recorded with the FAA.
I understand he is using the BTS website to work out which particular aircraft he has flown.
The BTS website lists registrations for most airlines, but for AA it lists a strange combination of AA's fleet number for that aircraft, and attempts to format it into an FAA registration format.
So from the OP's example, the fleet number would be R01.
He wishes to find a resource that will tell him what the FAA registration of fleet number R01 is (as an example. I don't think R01 is a valid fleet number, hence my example of a 777) for which I have provided him with some guidance.
The FAA website has no record of Fleet Numbers, as these are an entirely internal feature of an airline, and don't have any need to be recorded with the FAA.
Jul 8, 2007, 5:06 pm
#48
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: MSP (and will only fly NWA in re-routes if I HAVE to)
Programs: AA EXP (4.5MM), hotel programs as needed
Posts: 5,800
Very possibly I am confused . hey its Sunday night of a holiday weekend .. wink!
When I saw Tail# and N number I assumed the OP was looking for general information about a physical aircraft.
Relating that to a specific AA flight number taken may well be the result .. but I have never been that detailed in my recording of flights! I even ignore flight# once it posts to my AAdvantage account!
To me a 777 is a 777 is a 777.
And to me, all my buddy DC10's and MD11's are gone somewhere! Boneyard or FedEx or ??
Tho the F100's do all belong in the boneyard!
When I saw Tail# and N number I assumed the OP was looking for general information about a physical aircraft.
Relating that to a specific AA flight number taken may well be the result .. but I have never been that detailed in my recording of flights! I even ignore flight# once it posts to my AAdvantage account!
To me a 777 is a 777 is a 777.
And to me, all my buddy DC10's and MD11's are gone somewhere! Boneyard or FedEx or ??
Tho the F100's do all belong in the boneyard!
Jul 8, 2007, 10:38 pm
#50
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: NYC
Programs: AA PLT
Posts: 1,122
R01 was the tail number for an ex-Reno Air MD-90, N901RA.
You can see the nose number clearly on this photo:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0098693/L/
You can see the nose number clearly on this photo:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0098693/L/
Jul 9, 2007, 6:27 am
#51
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: SLC/HEL/Anywhere with a Beach
Programs: Marriott Ambassador; AA EXP 3MM; AS MVP, Hilton Gold, CH-47/UH-60/C-23/C-130 VET
Posts: 5,234
Hadn't seen BTS.gov before. In terms of getting flight info, it looks like the best info is a few weeks old. Am I missing something?
Jul 9, 2007, 10:09 am
#53
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: RDU
Programs: AA Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 164
This is what I need, ^
Thank you all for the answers. And encouraged, I just booked an AA trip (1st in last 2 years for me),
Thank you all for the answers. And encouraged, I just booked an AA trip (1st in last 2 years for me),
R01 was the tail number for an ex-Reno Air MD-90, N901RA.
You can see the nose number clearly on this photo:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0098693/L/
You can see the nose number clearly on this photo:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0098693/L/
Jul 28, 2007, 8:39 pm
#55
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: CHO
Programs: Auto shop by CHO Frequent Oil Changer; Kayak Incognito Mode Platinum
Posts: 287
What's with the invalid AA tail numbers on bts.gov?
After reading up on the flightmemory.com thread, I discovered the domestic flight data available through the Bureau of Transportation Statistics at bts.gov, and ever since I've been merrily hunting down tail numbers for my flight history, and trying to determine (among other things) the few AA planes I've flown on that have not been Super 80s. 
Here's the catch, though. A significant percentage of the AA flights reported to BTS have invalid tail numbers. For example, try searching Arrivals, 6 June 2006 at IAD. The set it offers is:
N3CPAA, N3AAAA, N3AEAA, N298AA, N4WVAA, N4YUAA, N505AA, N4YRAA, N617AA, N642AA, N3CKAA.
No valid US registration can have more than two letters after the N -- and in general, AA mainline planes always have three digits after the N, then AA as the last two characters (which is a pretty common format). So what's with N3AAAA, N4WVAA, N4YRAA etc.? Is there anywhere to either decode these to valid registrations or get the correct info?
(Granted, none of this is extraordinarily important, I'm just bored on a Saturday night. )
Here's the catch, though. A significant percentage of the AA flights reported to BTS have invalid tail numbers. For example, try searching Arrivals, 6 June 2006 at IAD. The set it offers is:
N3CPAA, N3AAAA, N3AEAA, N298AA, N4WVAA, N4YUAA, N505AA, N4YRAA, N617AA, N642AA, N3CKAA.
No valid US registration can have more than two letters after the N -- and in general, AA mainline planes always have three digits after the N, then AA as the last two characters (which is a pretty common format). So what's with N3AAAA, N4WVAA, N4YRAA etc.? Is there anywhere to either decode these to valid registrations or get the correct info?
(Granted, none of this is extraordinarily important, I'm just bored on a Saturday night.
)
Jul 28, 2007, 8:53 pm
#56
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: FL400
Programs: AA 5MM EXP, UA 2MM 1K, HH LT DIA, MR Plat, NRAC EEV, AMEX Plat
Posts: 682
After reading up on the flightmemory.com thread, I discovered the domestic flight data available through the Bureau of Transportation Statistics at bts.gov, and ever since I've been merrily hunting down tail numbers for my flight history, and trying to determine (among other things) the few AA planes I've flown on that have not been Super 80s.
Here's the catch, though. A significant percentage of the AA flights reported to BTS have invalid tail numbers. For example, try searching Arrivals, 6 June 2006 at IAD. The set it offers is:
N3CPAA, N3AAAA, N3AEAA, N298AA, N4WVAA, N4YUAA, N505AA, N4YRAA, N617AA, N642AA, N3CKAA.
No valid US registration can have more than two letters after the N -- and in general, AA mainline planes always have three digits after the N, then AA as the last two characters (which is a pretty common format). So what's with N3AAAA, N4WVAA, N4YRAA etc.? Is there anywhere to either decode these to valid registrations or get the correct info?
(Granted, none of this is extraordinarily important, I'm just bored on a Saturday night. )
Here's the catch, though. A significant percentage of the AA flights reported to BTS have invalid tail numbers. For example, try searching Arrivals, 6 June 2006 at IAD. The set it offers is:
N3CPAA, N3AAAA, N3AEAA, N298AA, N4WVAA, N4YUAA, N505AA, N4YRAA, N617AA, N642AA, N3CKAA.
No valid US registration can have more than two letters after the N -- and in general, AA mainline planes always have three digits after the N, then AA as the last two characters (which is a pretty common format). So what's with N3AAAA, N4WVAA, N4YRAA etc.? Is there anywhere to either decode these to valid registrations or get the correct info?
(Granted, none of this is extraordinarily important, I'm just bored on a Saturday night.
)
Jul 29, 2007, 11:52 am
#57
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: CHO
Programs: Auto shop by CHO Frequent Oil Changer; Kayak Incognito Mode Platinum
Posts: 287
Awesome -- that's exactly what I was looking for. Shame nobody seems to be keeping an updated list since 2002 (even Googling "fleet number" "american airlines" only gives me some incomplete, sketchy lists), but this still helps out quite a bit.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Nov 4, 2007, 10:13 am
#59
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: MSP (and will only fly NWA in re-routes if I HAVE to)
Programs: AA EXP (4.5MM), hotel programs as needed
Posts: 5,800
http://www.acarsd.org/fleetlist.html and also their search at http://www.acarsd.org/acars_search.html sometimes helps.
I looked for AA0008 (that is the format) which I was on last week and it only lists that flight thru early October. Some AA flights are listed daily (I used HNL as a Route Contains option) while others seem to be delayed.
Good luck.
BTW . . this came from searching here for 'Tail Number' in the search feature....
I looked for AA0008 (that is the format) which I was on last week and it only lists that flight thru early October. Some AA flights are listed daily (I used HNL as a Route Contains option) while others seem to be delayed.
Good luck.
BTW . . this came from searching here for 'Tail Number' in the search feature....
Nov 4, 2007, 10:17 am
#60
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: San Diego
Posts: 2,687
This gives you fleet numbers (not exactly the same as tail numbers always) back as far as 1995:
http://www.bts.gov/programs/airline_...me_statistics/
http://www.bts.gov/programs/airline_...me_statistics/