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In thinking about tail numbers, many of us try to find really short ones. Expect the following will generate lots of controversy but it is worth thinking about. Came from a friend who as you'll see thinks short N-numbers have a downside. ...Clark Still (N750S)
I would definitely avoid anything less than five characters total.
My Lake was renamed (by its previous owner) N3ZQ. It was awful - a huge
pain in the neck. Every single time I called any ATC facility, I always had
to say "November Tree Zulu Kebeck" because if I said "Tree Zulu Kebeck" they
would INVARIABLY respond "Tree Zulu Kebeck, say full call sign." Very
frustrating!
(Luckily I knew to expect it, because during my instrument training I flew a
cherokee 180 that had been renamed (by its previous owner, Frank Brown or
someone like that) N2FB. Whenever I had checked in as "Two foxtrot bravo"
the response was always "say full call sign" so I was already used to adding
"november.")
Even worse, N3ZQ featured two letters you NEVER want in your call sign.
Avoid "Q" and "Z" at all costs - ATC personnel jot them down on a piece of
paper, then moments later they read them back as "zero" and "two".
Personally, I would prefer a four-number-one-letter call sign such as 1234H,
but without repeating digits. You get less readback errors from ATC if you
have four non-repeating digits plus one letter (e.g., Comanche 9284P.)
My second choice would be a three-number-two-letter call sign such as 123HY.
(actually if I was getting two letters, I would try for mike mike, or golf
golf, since it's so much quicker to say mike mike than Ho-tel Yan-kee. but
that's just my passion for brevity.)
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