Directorate General of Civil Aviation the regulatory body of civil aviation in Turkey, has promulgated a new Directive on aircraft nationality and registration marks on 12 September 2014 aiming to meet the requirements of Annex-7 of ICAO that will be applied to all existing registered or future registered aircrafts on DGCA registry.

Accordingly, the aircrafts are classified in two tables as defined in appendices to the directive that are particular for general aircrafts and very light aircrafts. In general classification the aircrafts are sub-classified as lighter than air aircrafts and heavier than air aircrafts complying to the Annex-7 and very light aircrafts are sub classified as motorized and non-motorized aircrafts.

Pursuant to the article 6 of the Directive Registration marks are given to the classified aircrafts starting with registration nationality and (-) sign followed by three letters in the Turkish alphabet and reserved for one year period for the relevant aircraft.

The registration mark consists of combination of letters for Turkish civil aircrafts. The registration marks should be selected among triple-letters combinations after national mark by class of following aircrafts, "U" for ultra light/micro light, "B" for balloons, "H" for, "Z" for agricultural purposes aircrafts and "P" for gliders. The letters other than those allocated for such aircrafts are used for general aircraft classification.

The registration marks starting with "I" is used for unmanned aerial vehicles and continues with sequential numbers. A separate registry is kept for unmanned aerial vehicles.

The five-letter combinations used in Part II of the International Code of Signals and three-letter combinations used in "Q" codes starting with "Q" and the signs that may cause confusion with emergency signs such of "XXX", "PAN", "TTT", "SOS", "ILF" are not allowed to be used as registration marks. For general aircrafts the nationality and registration marks must be painted on the aircraft or affixed permanently and kept visible and clear.

Registration marks should be placed to the points of the listed aircrafts:

For airships: Registration marks should be placed to the airframe or in the flight control area. If placed on the airframe, it should be longitudinal along the airframe and on the upper surface of the axis of symmetry. Signs should be placed on horizontal and vertical stabilizers.

For spherical balloons: Registration marks should be placed complying to the SHT-Balloon Directive excluding unmanned free balloons.

For non-spherical balloons: Registration marks should be placed on both sides over the equipment bands or basket connecting cable close to the maximum horizontal cross-section excluding unmanned free balloons.

For lighter than air aircraft: Edge markings must be visible from both sides as well as from the ground excluding for unmanned free balloons.

For unmanned aircrafts: Marks should be placed where the aircrafts can easily be seen and identified.

The registration marks of heavier than air aircrafts should be placed as described below:

Wings: The marks must be primarily on the lower surface of the wing structure at heavier than air aircraft. Providing that it is not placed longitudinal along the entire lower surface of the wing it can be in the lower part of the left half and must be at an equal distance to the front and back edges as possible as it is. Top of the letters should be towards to the leading edge of the wings.

Airframe or equivalent airframe structures and horizontal tail surfaces: The marks should be placed on each side of the airframe, between wings and tail surface or on upper half of the vertical tail surfaces. In cases where it is placed on only one vertical tail surface it should be on both sides facing outwards of vertical tail surfaces.

The new Directive requires all numbers and letters of the registration marks to be equal at the same level. The letters must be in Roman type, unadorned and upper case. The image of the Turkish flag complying with the standards for aircrafts should be placed on airframes. Directive also requires each aircraft to also carry a plate having at least the Turkish nationality and registration marks. All aircrafts given registration mark prior to the publication date of the Directive should meet all requirements of the Directive within maximum 6 months of the effectiveness of the Directive.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.