By CJP Member Shawn Burcham

When I bought my new M2 (serial #888) in December of 2015, it presented an opportunity for me to pick my own tail number. After owning two Bonanzas and two TBMs, I had never needed to choose, nor desired to change, a tail number.

When I bought N888MQ I wasn’t really fond of that tail number (prior to getting my new number approved by the FAA, it actually began to grow on me). The process of selecting an “unused” tail number became a more difficult project than I imagined.

After a lot of searching for combinations of letters and numbers, I arrived at N1482B. My birthday happens to be on November 14th, so that explains the first three characters.

I live with my wife of 22 years and three daughters; believe it or not, by using the four numbers (1482) you can arrive at all five of our birthday months and days. For example, my birthday is 11/14 as I already mentioned. The girl’s birthdays are: 4/2, 4/14, 8/18, and 8/21. The letter B in the tail number stands for Burcham, a name all five of us share of course!

I’m brand new to the Citation Jet Pilots Association, but looking forward to meeting some of the people in this group. Making your way to jet ownership is a proud moment for all of us. By saying N1482B every time I am in the air, I am reminded of the hard work and dedication it took to own and fly a jet. I’m also reminded of four beautiful women who have always believed in me!

Thanks for the opportunity to share my Tail Tale!

Do you have an interesting story about how you selected your ‘N’ number? Share your “tails” with CJP and you may be featured in an upcoming issue of Flight Levels! Please send a photograph highlighting your N-number and a brief explanation to rob@robfinfrock.com