Aircraft registration ???

[Ludlow Johnson]

Saw a helicopter over the week end with the following registration.

5N-RAA

When I tried to look this up in the FAA data base is states that you
can not register aircraft with more than 2 alpha characters.

If so, could this be some sort of government aircraft. I do seem to
rememebr seeing some sort of small decal referring to the "government"

TIA

Ludlow Johnson
Tomball, TX

[Craig Prouse]

"Ludlow Johnson" wrote:

> Saw a helicopter over the week end with the following registration.
>
> 5N-RAA
>
> When I tried to look this up in the FAA data base is states that you
> can not register aircraft with more than 2 alpha characters.
>
> If so, could this be some sort of government aircraft. I do seem to
> rememebr seeing some sort of small decal referring to the "government"

It's not a US (FAA) registration.

I did a Google on "aircraft registration 5N" and it appears that your
helicopter is from Nigeria.

[Craig]

Ludlow Johnson > wrote in message >...
> Saw a helicopter over the week end with the following registration.
>
> 5N-RAA
>
> When I tried to look this up in the FAA data base is states that you
> can not register aircraft with more than 2 alpha characters.
>

5N is one prefix for Nigeria......

Craig C.

[Robert Lyons]

Craig wrote:
> Ludlow Johnson > wrote in message >...
>
>>Saw a helicopter over the week end with the following registration.
>>
>>5N-RAA
>>
>>When I tried to look this up in the FAA data base is states that you
>>can not register aircraft with more than 2 alpha characters.
>>
>
>
> 5N is one prefix for Nigeria......


Interesting - 5N is also an amateur radio callsign prefix for
Nigeria. Is this a general rule? Are the two prefix systems indeed
related?

- Bo

[Ron Natalie]

"Robert Lyons" > wrote in message ...

>
> Interesting - 5N is also an amateur radio callsign prefix for
> Nigeria. Is this a general rule? Are the two prefix systems indeed
> related?

It's not strictly related, obviously as canada is C- and not VE, etc..
but a lot of it's the same, especially once you get out of the British
Commonwealth and the other LARGE countries.

[Steven P. McNicoll]

"Ludlow Johnson" > wrote in message
...
>
> Saw a helicopter over the week end with the following registration.
>
> 5N-RAA
>
> When I tried to look this up in the FAA data base is states that you
> can not register aircraft with more than 2 alpha characters.
>
> If so, could this be some sort of government aircraft. I do seem to
> rememebr seeing some sort of small decal referring to the "government"
>

5N is Nigerian registry.

[Steven P. McNicoll]

"Craig" > wrote in message
om...
>
> 5N is one prefix for Nigeria......
>

One prefix for Nigeria? According to FAA Handbook 7340.1 it's the only one.

[Craig]

"Steven P. McNicoll" > wrote in message et>...
> "Craig" > wrote in message
> om...
> >
> > 5N is one prefix for Nigeria......
> >
>
> One prefix for Nigeria? According to FAA Handbook 7340.1 it's the only one.

Check the database on landings.com and they show VR as another ICAO
recognized prefix for Nigeria. It may be that the VR's are being
phased out or converted to 5N's over time though.

Craig C.

[Pat Thronson]

Every time I try to view the www.landings.com web site, Somebody wants me to
down load the evird.acgi file, about 5 times. I have checked this file and
the nearest I can tell it is an Apple file. My Windows XP-Pro does not like
this
file and will not go any further. I do have proper virus protection, fire
wall and Google 2.0 pop up running. I can view some of the page through
Goggle's cache but the next move causes this file "evird" to start the down
loading process. Is this a cookie installer, any ideas?. I am trying to find
out the status of a dear
old friend of mine, N9965B

Thanks for any help

Pat Thronson

"Craig" > wrote in message
om...
> "Steven P. McNicoll" > wrote in message
et>...
> > "Craig" > wrote in message
> > om...
> > >
> > > 5N is one prefix for Nigeria......
> > >
> >
> > One prefix for Nigeria? According to FAA Handbook 7340.1 it's the only
one.
>
> Check the database on landings.com and they show VR as another ICAO
> recognized prefix for Nigeria. It may be that the VR's are being
> phased out or converted to 5N's over time though.
>
> Craig C.
>

[karl gruber]

Pat,

You can search directly from the FAA site:

http://162.58.35.241/acdatabase/acmain.htm

BTW, your old friend is in the coldest spot in the lower 48!


Karl

[Maurice Givens]

It is very related. The 5N is a prefixes given to Nigeria for radio
call signs. Aircraft registrations are issued as radio callsigns.

As far as Canada is concerned, C is also a valid call sign prefix.
The Canadiens just have not used it for amateur radio. For example,
the U.S. has A, N, W, and K. For ages, the U.S. issued only W and K
to amateurs. N was reserved for the Navy and aircraft, A was reserved
for the Army/Air Force. It wasn't until 1976 that the FCC began to
allow other than W or K as amateur prefixes because of the 200-year
celebration. This is why the MARS stations had prefixes other than W
or K.


Maurice Givens



"Ron Natalie" > wrote in message >...
> "Robert Lyons" > wrote in message ...
>
> >
> > Interesting - 5N is also an amateur radio callsign prefix for
> > Nigeria. Is this a general rule? Are the two prefix systems indeed
> > related?
>
> It's not strictly related, obviously as canada is C- and not VE, etc..
> but a lot of it's the same, especially once you get out of the British
> Commonwealth and the other LARGE countries.

[Ron Natalie]

"Maurice Givens" > wrote in message om...
> It is very related. The 5N is a prefixes given to Nigeria for radio
> call signs. Aircraft registrations are issued as radio callsigns.
>
> As far as Canada is concerned, C is also a valid call sign prefix.
> The Canadiens just have not used it for amateur radio. For example,
> the U.S. has A, N, W, and K.

The US only has AA-AL, by the way.

[Maurice Givens]

I know that. But wasn't needed to get the idea across. Why muddy the
water. Every possibility can't always be accounted for.

Maurice


"Ron Natalie" > wrote in message >...
> "Maurice Givens" > wrote in message om...
> > It is very related. The 5N is a prefixes given to Nigeria for radio
> > call signs. Aircraft registrations are issued as radio callsigns.
> >
> > As far as Canada is concerned, C is also a valid call sign prefix.
> > The Canadiens just have not used it for amateur radio. For example,
> > the U.S. has A, N, W, and K.
>
> The US only has AA-AL, by the way.

[Steven P. McNicoll]

"Craig" > wrote in message
om...
>
> Check the database on landings.com and they show VR as another ICAO
> recognized prefix for Nigeria. It may be that the VR's are being
> phased out or converted to 5N's over time though.
>

FAA Handbook 7340.1 shows VP, VQ, and VR to be used by UK colonies and
protectorates. While Nigeria is a former British colony, it has been
indepndent since 1960. One would think 43 years to be sufficient time to
phase them out.