French ULM registrations

[betterfromabove]

Hi

Does anyone know how you can find out the F-xxxx registration of a French ULM microlight based on its "other" identity...the five numeral identification that's actually painted on the aircraft (e.g. 86-EUX or 77-AFT)??

Think the first two numbers are the French Department code, but not sure.

Is there an accessible DGAC listing of all reg's anywhere?!?

Cheers
BFA

[Rhys S. Negative]

The two numbers/one, two or three letters IS the registration -often carried underwing only. The numbers are the 'departement', the same as used by car number plates.

Some ULMs carry F-J... either externally or on the instrument panel, but this is a radio callsign allocated to the pilot, not the aircraft.

Air-Britain's annual European Registers Handbook includes quite a lot of such aircraft, but details appear difficult to come by so inevitably is not complete.

HTH, Rhys.

[betterfromabove]

Rhys....thanks for that. Bizarre system.

Will need changing anyway...the departments are supposed to be being scrapped soon!

Cheers
BFA

[Daysleeper]

AFAIK when operated outside france they should display the F-XXXX reg instead of the numerical one.

[jeff64]

as previously said, the 11-XX code is composed of
11 : Two numbers of the "department" (used right now for cars, but cars registration will change by April 15)
You can find the list on this webpage Departments of France - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Departments_of_France)

XX : Two letters

This is the real registration of the aircraft

Some ULM's are equipped with a radio. In this case, they are assigned a callsign like airplanes which are F-J??? (F for french and J is the letter for ultralights, as G and H are used for Civilan Aircrafts and M are used for military aircrafts)
This callsign is assigned to the radio equipment and none to the pilot or the ultralight. If the radio equipment is switched to another aircraft, the callsign will follow the equipment.
There is some trouble about the legislation, but the french administration say that this callsign should not be printed on the aircraft itself (but it is seen on some ultralights radio equipped).

edit : the department are none supposed to be scrapped. It's the car registration system will wich change. Actually, when you buy a car or when you change adress outside the current department, you will be assigned a new registration (1234 AB 89 where 1234 and AB are assigned in a logical order and 89 are the department number). From April 15, the registration will be (AB - 1234 - CD) to match the european legislation and this registration will be assigned to the vehicle for his life, and will not be changed...
For the international ultralights flights, the radio callsign is none supposed to be painted on the aircraft, but there is no general rules for international flights. It will depend of specific legislation in the country you are going into. In Spain for examples, you are cleared to go into if you have a specific authorisation. This authorisation is given for a specific pilot with a specific aircraft, and it's given for 6 monthes. But with this authorisation, you are cleared to fly OUTSIDE TMA airspaces and below 1'000 AGL (so you can't land on a medium airport like SAN SEBASTIAN or BILBAO)