Aircraft Nationality and Registration Marks — ICAO Annex 7

General (ICAO)

ICAO Annex 7 Aircraft Nationality and Registration Marks regulates how aircraft display their nationality and registration.

Registration mark — placement

The registration mark must be placed clearly visible on the fuselage or on the body-mounted engine nacelles (both sides) and at the lower side of the left wing:

Fuselage both sides, or engine nacelles both sides.
Underside of left wing additionally.
Letter/digit height at least 50 cm (Annex 7 standard).

Structure of the registration

Nationality mark + hyphen + registration mark:

D-EABC (Germany)
F-ABCD (France)
G-ABCD (UK)
N123AB (USA, no hyphen)
OE-ABC (Austria)
HB-ABC (Switzerland)

National flag on board

Aircraft are obliged to carry the national flag on every flight:

Symbolic representation of state affiliation.
Helps identification in emergencies (ditching, off-airport landing abroad).

Certificate of registration

Required on board (see lesson "Aircraft Documents").
Proves entry in the national aircraft register.

Europe (EASA / EU)

EU member states each have their own national registers; there is no central EU register. EU regulations cover airworthiness and operations, but registration remains national.

Germany (national)

Aircraft register (Luftfahrzeugrolle)

The "Luftfahrzeugrolle" is the register of aircraft admitted to operation within the Federal Republic of Germany:

Maintained by the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA) in Braunschweig.
Registered aircraft receive D- registration marks (e.g. D-EABC for a powered aircraft).
Microlight aircraft are in the Luftsportgeräteverzeichnis (separate list, association-managed).

Registration certificate

The certificate of registration proves entry of an aircraft in the aircraft register ('Luftfahrzeugrolle') or microlight aircraft directory ('Luftsportgeräteverzeichnis').

German flag

German aircraft always display the German federal flag — symbolic on board, usually as a sticker or small flag in the cockpit.

Registration prefixes

D-A... = large aircraft (> 14 000 kg MTOM or > 19 seats).
D-B... = medium aircraft.
D-C/D... = medium/small.
D-E... = single-engine powered aircraft.
D-F/G... = helicopters.
D-H... = helicopters.
D-K... = motor glider.
D-M... = microlight / UL.

Aircraft Nationality and Registration Marks* (5th ed., 2012); LuftVZO (Luftverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung); LBA Luftfahrzeugrolle.*