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I notice, looking at pictures of various light singles, that the tail number of the aircraft is typically prominently displayed somewhere towards the top of the instrument panel. If it were your own plane, you would quickly memorize it given the dozens of times per flight you have to give your callsign, but it's still useful for new pilots, rentals and trainers.

That led me to wonder: are the tail numbers of commercial aircrafts also posted in the cockpit, or is it omitted because commercial airliners more often use their company and flight number as their callsign, while the equipment used for a flight can change every time? I don't see any registration number label in this shot of a 737 cockpit, for instance, but it could be on the overhead panel obscured in this shot.

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    $\begingroup$ If there is a Selcal receiver, its code shares a placard with the registration number: B777, B737, A340. $\endgroup$
    – mins
    Commented Jul 14, 2015 at 1:46
  • $\begingroup$ Some modern airliners have an electronic display for the flight number as well (updated before each flight naturally). For instance, in this picture of the A380 cockpit, DLH363 (Lufthansa flight #463) appears in the top right of the two lower FMC displays. $\endgroup$
    – Zach Lipton
    Commented Jul 14, 2015 at 7:37
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    $\begingroup$ @ZachLipton: DLH363 is not a "tail number". $\endgroup$
    – mins
    Commented Jul 14, 2015 at 11:42
  • $\begingroup$ True. My point was that the question mentioned how company and flight number are normally used as callsigns for commercial flights, so I thought it was useful to point out that airliners are starting to include an "electronic placard" for this information. It's not an answer so I didn't post it as one. $\endgroup$
    – Zach Lipton
    Commented Jul 14, 2015 at 16:08

2 Answers 2

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Yes. The tail numbers are indeed places on a placard inside the cockpits of commercial airplanes. Following are some examples:

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Yes, on a commercial airliner typically the tail number and the SELCAL (if so equipped) are placarded on the panel. It's hard to find sometimes in picture because it may be behind the yoke, but it should be there somewhere.

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