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Pilot license and aircraft plate?

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Old 18th Jan 2004, 21:41
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Pilot license and aircraft plate?

Hi everyone

I'm a BTEC student, and I'm developing a Java tool for a project which keeps track of the pilots and aircraft which use a small airdrome.

But I don't know how is the format of the pilot licences and the aircrafts "plate" number.
So, may someone tell me how are them. I mean, if it is something like A-3234-UK o something like that.

does it change depending on the country or not.

Anyway, I hope you can help me.

Thank u anyway.
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Old 18th Jan 2004, 21:52
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Every country (more correctly, Authority) has a different system.

A/c rego will have a leading figure or two to denote country of registration, then some variable amount of leters, numbers or both as the unique assignation for that airframe.

Pilot licences vary too. Some countries use numbers alone, others use alphanumeric. The number of characters can vary. Some authorities have certain fields within the alphanumeric block limited to particular characters to denote meaning, others don't. Sometimes all fields are used, other times not.

How/why do you plan on enforcing pilots to give you their licence number? Most countries don't require any association between the aircraft rego & the pilot licence number. Is it a private airfield & only those who do will be granted permission to use the field?
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Old 19th Jan 2004, 18:21
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Thank you for your answer.

The thing is that the system that I'm building is ment to keep track of the pilots and the planes that they use.
The final objective is to create a bill for the pilot.

This is, by charging the landing fees and the amount of fuel that the pilot orders.

It works as a database, keeping a list of pilots and a list of planes, and a relationship between them.

So, the formats vary. May you give me an example applicable within UK for both, aircraft and pilot?
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Old 19th Jan 2004, 19:30
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Why not just have a fixed length string of e.g. 16 characters (or java.lang.String to cover all bases)? If you tie yourself in to a single format, what happens when the authorities change the format they use?

MC.
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Old 19th Jan 2004, 21:21
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Aircraft registration is a text string, usually 5 characters, but I'd allow up to 8 for non-UK registrations.

UK registered aircraft all have registrations beginning G (e.g. GABCD, also written as G-ABCD). US have combinations of letters and digits, beginning N (e.g. N1234A).

You shouldn't use the licence number as an id for pilots. There's no obligation for them to carry their licence, and most wouldn't want to tell an airfield operator even if they remembered it. Stick to using the name.
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Old 20th Jan 2004, 01:50
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Notso Fantastic

I am afraid there are already plenty of plane spotters (for want of a better description) who do this; they sit around airfields with binoculars and scanners, record movements, then get onto the CAA G-INFO website to look up the registered owner, then they stuff the info into spotter websites.

Some even have the serial # of the aircraft; god knows where they get this from. And, for imported planes, the reg # which was used for the original delivery flight. All really good stuff which is of the utmost public interest

Pick a registration which you know and type it into Google or whatever; if the plane is old enough you will find some amazing stuff, and you won't like some of it. But it's not illegal. It's just a shame that the CAA has put the database on the internet.
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Old 20th Jan 2004, 06:36
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Hi again.

Well, first of all, thank you for all the info. It is really helpful. I'm learning a lot of new stuff, because I though that the pilot licences were like the driving licences, and you should carry them all the time.
So, anyone can take a plane without a licence, and if he doesn't crash the plane, it would be almost legal, because nobody can ask him for the license, or they won't show it....

I though that use a plane in a private airport would be the same that going to a shooting galery, where I asume that you have to show your license, which assure that you have been allowed to use a gun.

Well Notso Fantastic, my idea is not to "spy" pilots or planes or something like that, I only fly Falcon and FB .
I don't want anyone license number, I just asked for the format, it is a college project, the application won't ever be used. The thing is that license number and planes ID's are unique, which is really helpful to organise data. However thank you for your advise. And I'm gonna give you one, if you want to get rid of spyware, get yourself "Spybot - Search & Destroy", it will clean your PC completely; And watch what you install in your computer and the site you visits.

Anyway, thanks bookworm, that's what I needed to know, how the format is.

And finally, thank you all for your answers, I'm discovering a new world here.

Zorasht

PS.Wish me luck, I must finish the application by the end of February...
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Old 20th Jan 2004, 06:55
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So, anyone can take a plane without a licence, and if he doesn't crash the plane, it would be almost legal, because nobody can ask him for the license, or they won't show it....
I think you'll find that would be called theft, as you can't just 'take' an aircraft. Nobody will rent you one without satisfying themselves that you are competent to fly it (you might have a licence - that doesn't always imply competence). That will involve them checking your licence, your logbook, and then a checkout with an instructor before you'd be allowed to take it by yourself.

Please do not compare flying aircraft with attending shooting galleries - we have no wish for the flying community to go the same way as the shooting fraternity after Dunblane!
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Old 20th Jan 2004, 15:53
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So, anyone can take a plane without a licence, and if he doesn't crash the plane, it would be almost legal, because nobody can ask him for the license, or they won't show it....
The situation is exactly the same as driving a car in the UK. Only an authorised person, which includes a police officer, can ask the flight crew or driver to produce a licence. It doesn't have to be carried, but must be produced within a reasonable time.

Would you use driving licence number for a car park payment application?
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Old 20th Jan 2004, 16:33
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Hi, it wasn't my intention to annoy anyone. I really didn't know that confidentionality was so important for the license number.

Not worries. I would use a fixed lenght number, it would be fine. I didn't know how the airdromes keep track of the customers, and i just try to guess it. I was wrong. I think it was a good idea to ask here, it is giving me a new perspective of the matter.

The comparison with the shooting gallery was just an inocent example, I do know that it is not the same, but I had another concept before I came here.

Yeah, the car parking is a good example, but I thoght that planes would have tighter rules.
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Old 20th Jan 2004, 16:53
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Another example of why license numbers would not be appropriate would be a flying school, where students don't have a license. Once a student gets their medical, they will be issued with a reference number which will subsequently be used for their license, but before they get a medical they won't even have this reference number.

FFF
-----------

PS - Unlike others here, I have no problem with giving anyone my license number. I often have to show my license when I rent an aircraft (just as I show my driving license when I rent a car), and several flying instructors or examiners I've flown with have written their license number in my logbook or on various application forms. I just don't think it's appropriate for what you're trying to do.
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Old 20th Jan 2004, 17:04
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Apart from the 'gun club' comment, I think you're being a bit hard on Zorasht here. I rememeber my days of doing computer exams and having to write a 'dummy' appication such as this. It's really difficult to pick somting that is both interesting (to you) and yet simple enough to implement well in the time allowed. I wouldn't have though't it'd ever actually get used for the purpose it was written. I don't think airfields will be buying this software and tracking us by our licenses anytime soon.

Zorasht, if you're really interested in this, go along and talk to the people at your local flying school/club. I'm sure they'll be willing to rant about the problems with the computer systems they currently use, as most seem to be out of date, badly written and barely able to do the job intended. While you're there, book a trial lesson too, you might just get hooked...
...because I though that the pilot licences were like the driving licences, and you should carry them all the time.
Since when? I only ever carry my driving license when renting a car on holiday.
In the UK, you are required to produce your pilot license on the request of certain officials and you have a certain time limit to do so - just like with cars. This varies in other countries, eg. in the US you have to actually carry the license, and it is not valid unless accompanied by photo ID. As a bit more background, US license numbers used to be based on the holders National Insurance number, but this has been changed recently for confidentiality reasons - because the database is online, and because foreign pilots like me don't have said number.

If you look hard enough, you'll be able to find the online UK aircraft register and the US register of aircraft and of airmen (pilots). I'm not telling you where they are, as you have to do SOME of the work yourself...
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Old 20th Jan 2004, 19:01
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I dont see what all the fuss is about, seems a perfectly reasonable project. A few of the flying clubs retain details of my licence, medical, checkouts, hours flown in what aircraft, etc on their system for when I rent - whats the problem?

Zorasht is doing something that is done already.
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Old 20th Jan 2004, 22:01
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Agree, I think it is a great little project. This is not keeping anything recorded thats not already recorded.

On a side note Zorasht, if you're not already, why don't you make your Java project a web based application, able to write to a (freely available ) MySQL database. You could then distribute it as a syndicate booking tool....

good luck!
EA
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Old 21st Jan 2004, 05:38
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Sheesh, I guess you rattled some cages there.

Anywise, the format is AA/AA/999999A/A

Where A is alphabeic and 9 is 0..9.

e.g UK/PP/404498C/A.

If you're just looking up as alphanumeric and are using something like Access then I guess you nnedn't worry toomuch about the content.

Good luck woth the BTEC, I'm pushing on with my HNC myself and may be looking for some ideas :-)
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Old 21st Jan 2004, 05:51
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Sorry to dive off the point. Seems like a great idea to me. Some of us have 2 licences a PPL and an ATPL both run seperatly so may be worth some form of cross reference.

If I pitch up to go private flying and the met is poor I can only use my IR with ATPL so may intend to use the PPL to keep it valid but end up flying IR on the ATPL.

Can you please explain the problem with having your Lic # taged to and A/C? I do it all the time in the commercial world. Sing for the A/C and enter lic#.
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Old 21st Jan 2004, 16:55
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Sing for the A/C
That must be fun...what if like me you can't sing too well??
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