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)
Jan 12, 2008, 9:33 am
#77
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: GSO
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Just out of curiosity, what was the reason? I'm guessing you wanted to book future flights on an upgraded aircraft and know how to do that.
I understand the train- and tailspotting hobbies (especially as I'm based in Europe), and find myself looking at registration numbers to see the country codes on foreign aircraft, and whether the final letters are the airlines' initials, but never thought to find the registration of the aircraft upon which I'm a passenger.
I understand the train- and tailspotting hobbies (especially as I'm based in Europe), and find myself looking at registration numbers to see the country codes on foreign aircraft, and whether the final letters are the airlines' initials, but never thought to find the registration of the aircraft upon which I'm a passenger.
Jan 12, 2008, 3:01 pm
#78
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,688
If you want to know the tail number of the aircraft you're on, you can look at the airworthiness certificate. It is usually posted just inside the cockpit door. Usually on the wall facing the same direction you are when you enter and facing toward you while you exit. The certificate is required to be in view of all passengers, so they can't stop you from looking at it if you want (or asking to see it if it's not where I said it usually is).
If you're especially confrontational, feel free to cite the Federal Aviation Regulations, Section 91.203 (b):
No person may operate a civil aircraft unless the airworthiness certificate required by paragraph (a) of this section or a special flight authorization issued under §91.715 is displayed at the cabin or cockpit entrance so that it is legible to passengers or crew.
http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text...0.1.3.10.3.7.2
As for the flight tracker websites, they're unlikely to have it. They only have flight plan data, and flight plans for commercial aircraft don't use registration numbers for callsigns. Flight numbers are used.
If you're especially confrontational, feel free to cite the Federal Aviation Regulations, Section 91.203 (b):
No person may operate a civil aircraft unless the airworthiness certificate required by paragraph (a) of this section or a special flight authorization issued under §91.715 is displayed at the cabin or cockpit entrance so that it is legible to passengers or crew.
http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text...0.1.3.10.3.7.2
As for the flight tracker websites, they're unlikely to have it. They only have flight plan data, and flight plans for commercial aircraft don't use registration numbers for callsigns. Flight numbers are used.
Jan 12, 2008, 8:07 pm
#79
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: DCA/IAD
Posts: 834
http://www.acarsd.org/acars_search.html
Jan 13, 2008, 12:18 am
#80
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Slackerville, FL USA
Posts: 1,844
If you want to know the tail number of the aircraft you're on, you can look at the airworthiness certificate. It is usually posted just inside the cockpit door. Usually on the wall facing the same direction you are when you enter and facing toward you while you exit. The certificate is required to be in view of all passengers, so they can't stop you from looking at it if you want (or asking to see it if it's not where I said it usually is).
If you're especially confrontational, feel free to cite the Federal Aviation Regulations, Section 91.203 (b):
No person may operate a civil aircraft unless the airworthiness certificate required by paragraph (a) of this section or a special flight authorization issued under §91.715 is displayed at the cabin or cockpit entrance so that it is legible to passengers or crew.
If you're especially confrontational, feel free to cite the Federal Aviation Regulations, Section 91.203 (b):
No person may operate a civil aircraft unless the airworthiness certificate required by paragraph (a) of this section or a special flight authorization issued under §91.715 is displayed at the cabin or cockpit entrance so that it is legible to passengers or crew.
Feb 6, 2008, 2:01 pm
#82
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Seattle/Denver, USA
Programs: W/P1.9MM & Charter+ DL Diamond 2.15MM, AA EXP 1.95MM, AS MVP .6MM, O/P .9MM, A/C & S/C
Posts: 402
AA "N" number for a flight
Need some help, if possible. Flew DEN - MIA on Jan 30, FLT 1126. Due to obstructed view, no access to Aircraft Cert, etc couldn't get N number. I've tried the suggestions in this thread to no avail.
I even tried the suggestion of offering to buy her a drink, but she turned me down!!
Said no thanks, she was flying, of all things. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks much in advance.^
I even tried the suggestion of offering to buy her a drink, but she turned me down!! Said no thanks, she was flying, of all things. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks much in advance.^
Feb 6, 2008, 2:28 pm
#83
Moderator: American AAdvantage
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Posts: 62,948
It's also easy to correlate the fleet number, generally located on the front landing gear doors of the 777, to reg and tail numbers, and even manufacturer's serial number.
May 5, 2008, 7:20 am
#85
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Here today gone tomorrow
Programs: *G, ow Saph
Posts: 2,865
There are other threads about this - search for them, but here goes:
BTS uses the AA Tail #, because that's what AA gives the Gov, N<tail>AA as the aircraft but it's not the same as the actual N number.
For example:
Ship Actual N# Reported as
5TT N717TW N5TTAA
223 N223AA N223AA
BTS will eventually have every flight - it takes a couple of weeks to be reported & posted.
Acars is a loosely linked database of people who have radio receivers, sound cards, software, it's up and running and reports what it hears to a central database. So if the PC was down, or no messages were transmitted while the aircraft was in range, no data found.
-----Burton
BTS uses the AA Tail #, because that's what AA gives the Gov, N<tail>AA as the aircraft but it's not the same as the actual N number.
For example:
Ship Actual N# Reported as
5TT N717TW N5TTAA
223 N223AA N223AA
BTS will eventually have every flight - it takes a couple of weeks to be reported & posted.
Acars is a loosely linked database of people who have radio receivers, sound cards, software, it's up and running and reports what it hears to a central database. So if the PC was down, or no messages were transmitted while the aircraft was in range, no data found.
-----Burton
Jun 26, 2008, 4:22 pm
#86
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Saint Petersburg, Fl
Programs: DL Gold, WN A-List, HH Diamond, MR Plat, Avis 1st
Posts: 319
AA Tail Numbers
Does anyone here know how to convert the internal AA fleet numbers that are assigned to their aircraft into the Federal tail numbers.
AA often reports their internal numbers for aircraft to the BTS. When you look them up on the federal registry they don't show up.
I was once told that there was a decoding method. If you know it, please share.
Also, the BTS database doesn't contain foreign destinations. Does anyway know how to look up tail numbers for international flights on United States registered aircraft?
Thanks in advance
AA often reports their internal numbers for aircraft to the BTS. When you look them up on the federal registry they don't show up.
I was once told that there was a decoding method. If you know it, please share.
Also, the BTS database doesn't contain foreign destinations. Does anyway know how to look up tail numbers for international flights on United States registered aircraft?
Thanks in advance
Jun 27, 2008, 5:16 am
#87
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: LAX, JFK
Posts: 65
Some of the info you're looking for...
Start the search at the registry at rzjets.net which will convert the three-digit AA "ship" number into the N-number and vice-versa. Many of these will make some sort of sense, i.e. most 5xx numbers are 757s, 3xx numbers are 737s, etc. This is not true in every case. Ship numbers are a numeral and two places of 0-9 or A-Z, as far as I've seen.
I'm not certain how to find out which ship will serve a given route for a day or how to get that information after the fact, but I'm sure someone will chime in on that... which is what I think the second part of your question was asking.
Good luck.
I'm not certain how to find out which ship will serve a given route for a day or how to get that information after the fact, but I'm sure someone will chime in on that... which is what I think the second part of your question was asking.
Good luck.
Jun 27, 2008, 6:02 am
#88
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Saint Petersburg, Fl
Programs: DL Gold, WN A-List, HH Diamond, MR Plat, Avis 1st
Posts: 319
Thanks for the tip on using rzjets.net.
I'm still unable to decode some of AA's internal fleet numbers to the FAA registry.
The three I'm stuck on are as follows:
N2BUAA
N2BSAA
N818AA
I think these are fleet numbers. They were obtained from the BTS database. I just wish I knew the decoding secret.
I'm still unable to decode some of AA's internal fleet numbers to the FAA registry.
The three I'm stuck on are as follows:
N2BUAA
N2BSAA
N818AA
I think these are fleet numbers. They were obtained from the BTS database. I just wish I knew the decoding secret.
Jun 27, 2008, 6:32 am
#89
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Thanks for the tip on using rzjets.net.
I'm still unable to decode some of AA's internal fleet numbers to the FAA registry.
The three I'm stuck on are as follows:
N2BUAA
N2BSAA
N818AA
I think these are fleet numbers. They were obtained from the BTS database. I just wish I knew the decoding secret.
I'm still unable to decode some of AA's internal fleet numbers to the FAA registry.
The three I'm stuck on are as follows:
N2BUAA
N2BSAA
N818AA
I think these are fleet numbers. They were obtained from the BTS database. I just wish I knew the decoding secret.
Are those from flights a long time ago? I know that the 727s had 700 and 800 series fleet numbers so ship 818 was probably a 727. I think, but am not positive, that the F100s had 2xx fleet numbers so my guess is that ships 2BU and 2BS were F100s.
Note that due to the way AA reports its data to BTS, one cannot assume that N818AA was the actual registration of Ship 818. In AA's reporting convention (how they get away with this, I don't know) an MD80 with registration of N12534 for example, Ship number or fleet number 534, would be reported to BTS as N534AA. Confusing as heck. Not sure why BTS lets them report things that look like official registration numbers but aren't...
Jun 27, 2008, 7:19 am
#90
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Saint Petersburg, Fl
Programs: DL Gold, WN A-List, HH Diamond, MR Plat, Avis 1st
Posts: 319
The decoding secret is easy. Just drop the N and the AA and what is left in the middle is the internal AA fleet number. So you are looking at AA fleet numbers 2BU, 2BS and 818.
Are those from flights a long time ago? I know that the 727s had 700 and 800 series fleet numbers so ship 818 was probably a 727. I think, but am not positive, that the F100s had 2xx fleet numbers so my guess is that ships 2BU and 2BS were F100s.
Note that due to the way AA reports its data to BTS, one cannot assume that N818AA was the actual registration of Ship 818. In AA's reporting convention (how they get away with this, I don't know) an MD80 with registration of N12534 for example, Ship number or fleet number 534, would be reported to BTS as N534AA. Confusing as heck. Not sure why BTS lets them report things that look like official registration numbers but aren't...
Are those from flights a long time ago? I know that the 727s had 700 and 800 series fleet numbers so ship 818 was probably a 727. I think, but am not positive, that the F100s had 2xx fleet numbers so my guess is that ships 2BU and 2BS were F100s.
Note that due to the way AA reports its data to BTS, one cannot assume that N818AA was the actual registration of Ship 818. In AA's reporting convention (how they get away with this, I don't know) an MD80 with registration of N12534 for example, Ship number or fleet number 534, would be reported to BTS as N534AA. Confusing as heck. Not sure why BTS lets them report things that look like official registration numbers but aren't...
With your clue on the F-100's I was able to figure two of them out.
N2BUaa is really N1439A
N2BSAA is really N1437B
Thanks again
Last edited by PCMflyer; Jun 27, 2008 at 7:32 am