What’s in an N-Number?

[hilltop170]

There was a green and white Twin Commander up in Alaska several years ago which had been sold by a soda pop bottling company before they realized they had not kept the N-number when the plane was sold. The last I talked with the new owner, he said when the offer was up to $50,000 to sell back the N-number, he would let it go. N7UP. Looking at the database, it would seem the offer never came.

[cessna170bdriver]

Apparently, someone learned a density altitude lesson in N7UP:

http://www.ainonline.com/ain-and-ainale ... ws[mode]=1



Might that number be coming available soon?

Miles

[hilltop170]

It might be less than $50K also!

Another story about that plane; While flying in my company's Twin Otter up on the coast of the Arctic Ocean at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, the Deadhorse FSS called and asked if we could help a Twin Commander who had lost all electric power to the instrumentation and navigation systems on board. Don't know why but the comm radio still worked or he had a handheld.

It was IFR conditions at the time with a 400' ceiling and 1 mile vis in fog with tops at about 1500'msl. Anyway, we found him circling above the clouds and he visually followed us down the ILS in formation out the right side of the Otter. Pretty cool sight from our viewpoint but a little anxious from his. We both made it down ok and that's when we had the discussion about the N-number.

[pojawis]

Don't know any clever N-numbers, but Mr. Horn's boat names prompted me to recall an interesting one. The Captain was an enthusiastic oddity himself and plied the Great Lakes for salmon, among other things. He loved his charter fishing job and took parties out on his older Chris Craft (or was it an Owen?.. either way, both were mahogany) aptly named "Morning Wood".

[Robert Eilers]

Lately it seems I am mourning Wood.