File:Vans.rv-7.g-kels.arp.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
aircraft registration
Sign in to saveAlso known as aircraft registration code, tail number, aircraft marks, registration marks
registration and identification assigned to an individual aircraft by national aviation authorities
~15 min read
Encyclopedic overview
A Van's Aircraft RV-7 displaying registration G-KELS. The G prefix denotes a civil aircraft registered in the United Kingdom. Geographic map of registration prefixes
An aircraft registration is a code unique to a single aircraft, required by international convention to be marked on the exterior of every civil aircraft. The registration indicates the aircraft's country of registration, and functions much like an automobile license plate or a ship registration. This code must also appear in its Certificate of Registration, issued by the relevant civil aviation authority (CAA). An aircraft can only have one registration, in one jurisdiction, though it is changeable over the life of the aircraft.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “aircraft registration” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.