Well, I learned a few things about the FAA N-Number reservation system today ? remember, they are from the FAA, and they are there to help you!
It all began about ten days ago with a PM here on the forums telling me about the PERFECT N-number for our RV-3 that he had run across while surfing the FAA web site. It was mighty generous that he told me, and I thanked him profusely ? after, of course, I went straight to the FAA site, confirmed its availability, and fired off a reservation with a credit card. When you do that, you get an immediate email receipt saying that you have paid $10, but it doesn?t list the N-number that you have asked for, or confirm that you got it. This was on 1 Feb by the way.
I kept checking the FAA site every other day all last week, and it kept showing the number as being available, previously used on a Midget Mustang that was deregistered for export. After a few days of seeing the same thing, I got busy, and didn?t check again until yesterday when voila? - it showed as reserved?.on 7 Feb?..by (sob) someone else! Hmmm?..the last I checked, the 7th was after the 1st?.but then again, I am familiar with how the government works, and I am pretty sure what happens is this:
There is one computer system that takes in the reservation requests and puts out a ?receipt? email telling you that your application is in. At some point in time (later on) a hard-working FAA employee collects a batch of applications form this computer, and assigns the numbers requested in the order that the reservations were received in the registration database. And I bet that the date shown in the database is the date that they enter them, not the date that you paid for the application. I confirmed that this is pretty much how it works with a (polite) email to the registration branch. Yup ? the other fellow got in a very short time before I did. So?.the lesson for those out there thinking of grabbing an N-number ? the fact that you paid doesn?t mean that you got it ? and it can take a couple of weeks to find out! Don?t? order those embroidered seat cushions until you have a confirmation letter?..
And if the lucky guy who just got ?N3X? is here on the forums, isn?t building a -3, and is interested in a little trade, give me a PM. And if you?re building a -3, congratulations! That is a heck of a number?.
Paul
It all began about ten days ago with a PM here on the forums telling me about the PERFECT N-number for our RV-3 that he had run across while surfing the FAA web site. It was mighty generous that he told me, and I thanked him profusely ? after, of course, I went straight to the FAA site, confirmed its availability, and fired off a reservation with a credit card. When you do that, you get an immediate email receipt saying that you have paid $10, but it doesn?t list the N-number that you have asked for, or confirm that you got it. This was on 1 Feb by the way.
I kept checking the FAA site every other day all last week, and it kept showing the number as being available, previously used on a Midget Mustang that was deregistered for export. After a few days of seeing the same thing, I got busy, and didn?t check again until yesterday when voila? - it showed as reserved?.on 7 Feb?..by (sob) someone else! Hmmm?..the last I checked, the 7th was after the 1st?.but then again, I am familiar with how the government works, and I am pretty sure what happens is this:
There is one computer system that takes in the reservation requests and puts out a ?receipt? email telling you that your application is in. At some point in time (later on) a hard-working FAA employee collects a batch of applications form this computer, and assigns the numbers requested in the order that the reservations were received in the registration database. And I bet that the date shown in the database is the date that they enter them, not the date that you paid for the application. I confirmed that this is pretty much how it works with a (polite) email to the registration branch. Yup ? the other fellow got in a very short time before I did. So?.the lesson for those out there thinking of grabbing an N-number ? the fact that you paid doesn?t mean that you got it ? and it can take a couple of weeks to find out! Don?t? order those embroidered seat cushions until you have a confirmation letter?..
And if the lucky guy who just got ?N3X? is here on the forums, isn?t building a -3, and is interested in a little trade, give me a PM. And if you?re building a -3, congratulations! That is a heck of a number?.
Paul