soyAnarchisto wrote:I think they are stick on - as they are starting to peel back. I'll have to investigate a bit more and think about it. I'd also have to take off a little graphic aft of the numbers which doesn't quite fit with the paint scheme and think about how that would look. If the numbers will come off i might change the registration. The original she came with has been assigned to a Sikorsky so that's not available.....
You might think about peeling off the 12-inchers, and extending the white stripes back to the graphic thing. Then put a set of small numbers either on the new white stripe, or on the tail. Either way would look good.
Looks like your original number was N7674A. FAA records indicate it's issued to a 2015 S76 helo which is owned by Sikorsky, but has not yet been issued an airworthiness certificate. I wonder if you might be able to talk them out of the number. A friend of mine was in a similar situation several years ago with the original number on his newly-purchased 180-- Bellanca had it reserved but not yet in use. He blew it off, but his wife followed up with Bellanca and ended up getting the number back for him, and gave him the tail number paperwork for a birthday present.
I'm in a similar situation myself, a previous owner changed to a vanity number (N180xx) back in 1986. My original number was then issued to a Husky about 20 years ago, which crashed & burned (literally) and was de-registered a few years ago. So the number is not in use, but unfortunately the FAA has a hold on it until 2018 at which time I'll grab it. Since your tail number doesn't appear to be a vanity type number, I'd guess that it went out of the country or something at some point and was issued whatever number was handy when it came back. A buddy of mine has a 54 180 which has a history like this, his went to Mexico for a few years. Apparently sometimes when this happens the FAA or maybe the other country's aviation agency seizes the logbooks, he only has his from when the airplane came back into the country. I saw the T-A-P ad for your airplane says "no logs prior to 1996 (lost in a fire)", that might not actually be the case-- not that it matters why the log are missing.
Vanity tail numbers are OK in some situations, like homebuilts, but I really dislike seeing a non-original tail number on a fine old vintage airplane. Sometimes there's a valid reason, like in your case, but often the number is changed just to satisfy the owner's ego (I guess). I know I see an awful lot of N180xx numbers, and I can't believe they were all exported or whatever. I know other people must feel the same way I do-- I know of a local 53 model 180 whose tailnumber was just three characters (NxxA). Seemed wierd so I looked it up-- yup, per the serial number, that was the tail end of the original number which is currently assigned to another (non-180) airplane. Seen something similar on another 180 also. Thought about doing that to mine, but decided to just wait til 2018 and get the whole number when it becomes available.
I just say THREE and FIVE.
