Private registrations

[G-SQUO]

An aircraft has for example G-PAUL as its registration and is then re registered as G-OLAA.
Is it possible to purchase the reg G-PAUL from the CAA if the aircraft is no longer displaying it and the owner of this aircraft agrees to it?
Maybe the aircraft has to be written off before both registrations become available....does anyone know the facts???

[Mark A]

The CAA flatly refuse to re-issue any registration even though it's not an ICAO requirement. Several people have tried and failed to take their personal registration to a new aircraft.

There's an urban myth, that you may come across, that BOAC were once exempted. But the truth seems to be that G-BOAC was only ever properly issued to one Concorde, the other aircraft that carried it were either mock-ups or models used for publicity.

[Brian Hope]

Afraid there is no way you can use a registration previousely given to another aircraft, regardless of whether that aircraft has been re-registered or scrapped.

[macconnacher]

As has been said no reuse except one: Moth G-EDCA was issued for Sir Sefton Branker when he was Director of Civil Aviation and was then put on a replacement Moth. He perished in the R101 .

Even the late Prince William of Gloucester never moved G-AWOG from his first Cherokee Arrow -he had to fight to get that (considered rude) reg and then when he replaced his aircraft he had to take G-AVPW in which he was unfortunately killed at Halfpenny Green.

[Rob Swain]

The only thing that some people think qualifies as an exception (although strictly it isn't) is that if an aircraft has been re-registered then it can subsequently revert to its previous registration.

The same applies to exported aircraft that are subsequently re-imported.

[J.C.]

There was for quite sometime(and may still be for all I Know) a block of un-allocated period registrations.These were reserved for period aircraft that were iether imported or restored to the British register.This may explain the myth that it is possible to re-use an old reg.
However the CAA will not allocate these to a modern plane.I found the CAA very helpfull when I re-registered mine,if the reg you want is gone,try spelling what you want another way and do a search on G-INFO.
If the reg is available the CAA will not hold it for you but they will confirm it is available.Provided you apply the same day(can be done by fax) and use your credit card you can effectively do it immediately before anyone has the chance to snaffle your coverted reg.
Be carefull when you do it though,it immediatly grounds your aircraft untill all the new paperwork arrives with the correct reg on it.This effectively grounded me for 6 weeks right in the height of the season when we had the only good weather of the year!

[Phil Burgess]

My pitts was imported from Finland and it's old Reg was OH-XPB. The importer thought that the a new reg of G-FCUK would be cool. I'm not entirely convinced and would like to return the aircraft to its original registration. (The original paintwork for the reg is in superb condition with my new reg being stuck on over the top in SA vynil. It's also got my initials in it...)

Is it posible to opperate an aircraft with such a Finnish Reg in the UK on a permanent basis?

[macconnacher]

Sorry Phil it is not possible but since it was OH-XPB you could change it to G-EXPB which would incure minimal paint work. However the size and spacing of some Finnish a/c lettering is less than UK. If it is the same size as the current uk letters it would be easy. Only problem is the cost.

[Phil Burgess]

Thanks Stuart, looks like I'll be keeping G-FCUK on it then as the cost involved in changing to another UK Reg is quite large considering that I'm not really that bothered afterall.

[G-SQUO]

Thanks chaps for all that info. Mr Swain, I just found out and consequently realise why your signature is A very tough Luscombe 8E