#AIRCRAFT BUZZ NUMBER DECODING SERIAL NUMBER#

The aircraft will also transmit a 24 bit identification number that is unique to each aircraft.

Instead, they have the name of the base written on the tail along with the serial number. contains information about the aircraft such as its position in latitude and longitude, altitude, heading and speed. But variations in identification can vary from state to state, and unit to unit.Īir Mobility Command (AMC) aircraft do not use the two-letter identification number. See graphic below.ĭifferent units located at the same air base can use different 2-letter codes.Īir National Guard units usually use the two-letter state abbreviation (AL, DE, NM, PA, etc) as a tail code. To the right are the last 3-digits of the serial number. Below the abbreviation 'AF' is placed the first two digits of the serial number, indicating the fiscal year in which the aircraft was ordered.

#AIRCRAFT BUZZ NUMBER DECODING SERIAL NUMBER#

The Air Force aircraft Serial Number is also usually marked on the tail, in smaller numbers. In some instances, the letters indicate an historic legacy for example, tail code 'FF' has been used to indicate '1st Fighter Wing'. Two large letters identify the unit (wing/group/organization) that the aircraft is assigned to, or the home base of the unit. Since 1993, all Air Force units, including Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard, utilize this system. The code is sometimes referred to as a 'Tail Flash'.Ī tail code is not the same as the Air Force Serial Number, Navy Bureau Number, aircraft registration number, or Buzz Number. military aircraft that help to identify the aircraft's unit and/or base assignment and other information. Tail Codes are markings usually on the vertical stabilizer of U.S.

Aircraft buzz number decoding