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FAA Registration Question

Stockmanreef

Well Known Member
I am about to send in the the aircraft registration forms to the FAA and I had a question. I do have the EAA Experimental registration kit, so I want to get this to go through on the first pass.

I have an N number reserved. I am on the FAA site and it says to "include a letter requesting assignment of the number to this aircraft using the aircraft's description from the affidavit."

Is there something special I need to include in this letter? Or just amend the letter in the EAA booklet to state that I would like the reserved N number be apply to this application. Instead of asking for a special N number.

Thanks
 
8050-88 Question:

Where the form asks for Model:

Van's Aircraft RV-14

or RV-14


My Bill of sales states an RV-14, but I am building an RV-14a. Does this make a difference from a registration point of view? And that gets back to model in all the forms. Should it be 14a and not 14? Do I need to get a new Bill of Sales?

Thanks
Ken
 
In the EAA manual pg.6 it vaguely states that if you already have a reserved N number to use that number and only pay the $5. As for the model, I used (my last name, Vans RV-14A). Going forward whatever you use for model must be consistent in all docs including your data plate.
 
Also remember the FAA Aircraft Registry does not allow any punctuation, that means no periods, commas, and the like. Spaces are allowed. I am not sure about dashes but I think they are okay. The main point is to make sure all information is exactly alike on all paperwork and doesn't use commas or periods in Make and Model.
 
Just put the N number you reserved on the registration application and pay the $5. No need for any additional fee or letter.

You can use VANS RV-14, or just RV-14 for the model. Keep in mind that whatever you decide on must also be engraved on the data plate in the exact same fashion. Shorter is better in my book!!
 
jliltd--

Where did you get the idea that punctuation is not allowed? The EAA booklet shows punctuation in all the forms, the Bill of Sales from Van's has punctuation. Plus another person sent me the filled out forms that he sent it has punctuation.

Just curious.

Ken
 
Another registration question

I reserved an N number back in November. I am guessing I will be ready for the DAR inspection in late August with a first flight soon thereafter. When can/should I apply for a registration? Do I need to have the DAR inspection and temporary airworthiness certificate first? Weight and Balance?

Thanks,

Bruce
 
I reserved an N number back in November. I am guessing I will be ready for the DAR inspection in late August with a first flight soon thereafter. When can/should I apply for a registration? Do I need to have the DAR inspection and temporary airworthiness certificate first? Weight and Balance?
Thanks,
Bruce

Since all airworthiness information must match the registration, nothing can be started without first getting the aircraft registered. I recommend applying for registration around 2 months before you will be ready for the inspection. If everything is correct on your registration application, the turn around is usually around 2-3 weeks.

No punctuation in aircraft registration. This is an error in the EAA packet.
 
jliltd--

Where did you get the idea that punctuation is not allowed? The EAA booklet shows punctuation in all the forms, the Bill of Sales from Van's has punctuation. Plus another person sent me the filled out forms that he sent it has punctuation.

Just curious.

Ken

I am not sure where I got that to be honest. I had an experience with the Houston FSDO after some buddies and I went in on a Pitts. The builder had put a period after his first initial on the paperwork in 1970 and whatever DAR he had back in the day copied that and issued the special AWC that way. However, the registration didn't have the period after the initial. Normally we wouldn't notice or worry and just fly it. Unfortunately one of the previous owners had changed N-Numbers to a custom number, which the Registry reserved with paperwork only. New Pitts owners tend to be euphoric and if they are Type A's (likely) they want to personalize the airplane. So that owner got the new registration installed the N-Number on the side. But he didn't get the AWC or Op Limits updated with the new N-Number. This scenario happens more often than not. I caught this in the pre-purchase inspection and requested the seller fix it. That opened a can of worms and the Houston FSDO went through a whole new inspection on the aircraft and issued new OL's but were hung up that the Registration didn't have a period after the middle initial like the original AWC and OL's. Then they noticed the dataplate on the aircraft did not have the period after it. That opened up a can of Bureaucratic Whuup. One period. The Registry refused to acknowledge any paperwork with mismatch. The FSDO refused to re-issue without the period because of the previous AWC was what they cared about but could not without the period on the physical dataplate. While the same FAA inspector was there he proceeded to do ramp checks of everybody, hassled the maintenance shop by tagging a freshly painted 60 year old Apache with 3" N numbers instead of 12" and stating boldly that an AP or IA could not make replacement fluid hoses like Aeroquip 303 as only a certified repair station with appropriate equipment could make hoses. Of course he was wrong on that stuff but who is going to argue when he is holding the pen you need to move. Left me with only wanting to use DARs in the future. And never I never take a custom N-number change lightly, especially with EABs where each airframe is unique and unto itself when it comes to the paperwork. Back to the Pitts, somehow a period showed up on it one morning. I thought it had been tampered with but closer inspection with a magnifying glass showed it was so slight and hard to read and that I had just missed it, as did the FAA inspector. Just sayin' ;). We gotta get our old eyes checked.

So I was just about to say I guess punctuation isn't clearly outlined in the BOS and Registration forms but now Mel (a DAR) comes back with a new post to this thread re-affirming no punctuation allowed. That makes me feel better about my memory. But makes me want to look at where that is in the instructions.

The bottom line is do not mess with the visor-laden clerks in OKC or FAA field inspector by trying to apply a light coat of common sense. Doesn't work and many times backfires. Follow the guidance from folks like Mel or Vic who know this stuff well and wield the pen.

Jim
 
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There is no reference to "punctuation" found anywhere in FAA regulation or guidance, at least as far as aircraft registration or certification is concerned. However, the aircraft registration branch routinely omits any punctuation from builder/manufacturer names and aircraft models, except for dashes, such as found in "RV-7". I've seen registrations from the FAA with both "RV-7" and "RV7" on them, and I think it depends on how the applicant fill out the form.

But the bottom line still stands; The information on the registration, the data plate, and all associated paperwork must match exactly. This is true even if it doesn't seem to make sense.

I had an applicant who happened to be an attorney argue with me one time about the builder name that was on his registration as last-name-first even though he had made application with the builder name as first-name-first. I told him that it didn't matter how he had filled out the application. What mattered is what was printed on the registration certificate. He argued that it was a "difference without a distinction" (which I assume is a legal argument in court), but I said he could argue all day and my guidance still told me that the info had to match exactly. He finally relented and made a new data plate.

By the same token, I have seen builder names come through first-name-first, so I guess it depends on who enters the info into the system at OKC. But I have not seen a builder/manufacturer name that includes punctuation. Not saying it can't happen, but I think regardless of whether you put punctuation in or not, the builder/manufacturer name will come back without. But again, whatever shows on the registration is what goes on the forms and the data plate.

Don't ever try to predict or out-guess the FAA!!
 
But I have not seen a builder/manufacturer name that includes punctuation.

Yep, been issuing Airworthiness Certificates since 1999 and have never seen punctuation within make, model, S/N.
(Except for the dash of course) I don't think that counts as punctuation.
 
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Who knows what happens in OKC. I just looked at my paperwork, and my registration application form had:

Doe, John A. - RV-7A

for the Manufacturer & Model field. The Registration that was issued has

John A Doe RV-7A

Seems like if they wanted all the documents to have exactly the same information, they should be following that rule themselves, but they don't. Go figure.

It's odd, since these are in a sense legal documents, and there are cases of legal issues being decided by things like this...punctuation, etc. IIRC there was a Supreme Court case recently that turned on the inclusion or omission of a single comma in the text of a law. Precision matters :).
 
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