Tail Number
Being an Amateur Radio operator and a building pilot, I studied the FAA data base and the FCC data base for months lookiing for a match. North Carolina is home, the FCC breaks the country into ten regions and the Southeast is designated as region "4" (I was originally licensed as KD4QEL, Hickory, NC). (I wonder if N4N is available... ROFLMAO). A short search indicated that 1x1 N-calls (N(number)(letter)) were simply unavailable and un-get-able.
"Maybe I can find a 7-call." I had two reasons for wanting a 7 call. I'm building an RV-7, and of all the places we've been stationed, Wyoming (7-land) was the most agreeable (after the South, but given the population, one can just forget getting a N4x(x)-call). Literally ALL of the N7x and N7xx calls were either assigned or reserved by government agencies or colleges.
The "N" prefix designates a "Novice" license - historically, one's call sign was an indication of his license class, and one earned a Novice license first (Morse Code only), then proceded to add priveledges (more bandwidth and the right to operate in the phone (voice) bands) and change call signs by advancing thru the license classes. Further, until recently, once issued, a call sign was gone, for ever and ever, Amen. The Novice class was eliminated years before I earned my license. Since they're obsolete and no longer issued, all of the Novice calls seem to be rather coveted. Hmmm...
When I was looking for a tail number, N8ZG was the ONLY available Ham call sign that was also available as an aircraft registration number. (My apologies to those who knew me as KD4QEL (Technician and Tech+) and briefly KA4H (General)). As an Amateur Extra, under current rules, I was eligiable to apply for any call available in the FCC database. So I searched, studied, crossed my fingers, said a prayer and submitted the paperwork to change my FCC call sign and reserve a tail number on the same day. I lucked out and both requests were approved.
So now I'm known as N8ZG, ex KA4H, ex KD4QEL, and RV-N8ZG (RV-7 firewall forward). Confused yet? (I am...)
73... RV-N8ZG (RV-7 FWF, neal)