The origin of PH registration

As you probably know, all aircraft have a registration number. Dutch planes start with PH. But why PH? Is H for Holland and P for Plesman (Dutch aviation pioneer and the founder of KLM)? Or is it not that simple?

 

It is not that simple!

registratie uiver

KLM/MAI

 

At a convention in Paris on 13 October 1919 it was decided that the Netherlands would take the national letter H, followed by four letters. But as there were more countries starting with an H, such as Haiti and Hungary, it was changed to H-N followed by three letters. The first two planes in the Dutch aviation register were KLM’s H-NABC and H-NABD (Fokker F.II).

Following the International Radiotelegraph Conference in Washington in 1927, Dutch registration was changed to PH. The Netherlands was assigned radio call signs for aircraft consisting of five letters which had to begin with PA, PB, PC, PD, PE, PG, PH, and PI. Because the aircraft radio stations in the Netherlands were split into various ministries, multiple registrations followed: PA for the Navy, PB for the Army (later the Air Force) and PH for civil aviation. The other series remained unused. The PH combination was adopted in preference to PE, which had been previously proposed. It was felt that confusion could arise with the call letters G-E for British aircraft. The letters PH have the advantage that the letter H (Holland) indicates its nationality, as with French (F), Canadian (C) and Zimbabwean (Z) aircraft.

Registratie verpleegsters

KLM/MAI

 

Some registrations are not allowed, such as PH-SOS, PH-XXX and letter combinations that could be perceived as immoral. The letter Q as first letter is not permitted because it might be confused with so-called Q-codes in the international radio traffic from air and sea. A potential owner of an aircraft may request a particular registration mark (e.g. the initials of his/her name). If that combination of letters has never been used before, it can be reserved for a maximum of one year. If, after one year, the registration is not actually used, the reservation expires.
The Dutch aircraft register is kept by the Netherlands Inspectorate for Transport, Public Works and Water Management. For normal aircraft, PH will be followed by a combination of three letters (PH-ABC), for sailplanes and powered sailplanes by numbers (PH-1326) and for ultra-lights by a combination of numbers and letters (PH-3E6).

Registratie Fokker50

KLM reserves series of registration letters for its future fleet, and changes to its current fleet, from the Inspectorate for Transport, Public Works and Water Management. KLM is then free to choose particular letters from this series.

So, what do you know about the history of aircraft registration in your country?

Karin
Corporate Communications

Posted by:   KLM  | 
Join the conversation Show comments

Lachlan72

Does anyone know why Australia is VH?? Would really like to know!

Lachlan72

Does anyone know why Australia is VH?? Would really like to know!

Navin

How about PZ for aircraft in Suriname?

Evert000

Z voor Zwart

Navin

How about PZ for aircraft in Suriname?

Evert000

Z voor Zwart

Mike

How often do the codes reacure ? Are codes used twice, or are all aircraft unique ? I could imagine that the code used by the 747 in Tenerife would never be used again.

Mike

Matthew Stibbe

I don’t know about the PH register but I am pretty sure that in the UK G register codes are not reused. 

Mike

How often do the codes reacure ? Are codes used twice, or are all aircraft unique ? I could imagine that the code used by the 747 in Tenerife would never be used again.

Mike

Matthew Stibbe

I don’t know about the PH register but I am pretty sure that in the UK G register codes are not reused. 

Cyrilio

Is there à PH-KLM??

Cyrilio

Is there à PH-KLM??

Sophie Schoteldraaijer

Dear Karin,

According to De Leeuw in ‘KLM de geschiedenis van de KLM sinds 1919’ Albert Plesman being involved with the foundation of KLM is one of the big myths concerning KLM and actually incorrect, this should be written somewhere around p. 15 to 19 in his writing. 

De Leeuw claims it were aristocrat Van den Berch van Heemstede and banker A. Kröller who founded KLM (no P’s involved there..) on the 7th of October 1919 in The Hague. KLM was founded thanks to the issuance of shares to influential businesses and businessmen (or pioneers, however you wish to classify them) in The Netherlands and its colonies. Negotiation within the ‘social network’ of these founders ensured that KLM was granted with its royal decree by the late Queen Wilhelmina months before its administrative foundation (where eight founders were present, but not Albert Plesman). 

On the contrary to many other European governments establishing national airlines for military considerations (think: France & Germany), The Netherlands was an exception to the rule as KLM initially was a privately owned company. The founders believed that providing a faster connection to Batavia (now Jakarta) would provide a competitive advantage over mail sent by ships. (Passenger transport wasn’t even in question at this point in time). Forgive me in thinking in stereotypes here, but this is a typical example of the Dutch entrepreneurial spirit which is shown! ;).
 
Fair enough, Plesman became the (very successful and ground breaking!) CEO of KLM very shortly after its foundation continuously seeking international collaborations and expansion opportunities. Small sidestep: KLM’s maiden voyage from Amsterdam to London was made thanks to a collaboration with British AT&T (hmmm, very early Dutch-Anglo collaboration here, which is fascinating!). Regretfully this collaboration was shortlived as AT&T went bust in December 1920 due to the lack of financial support. Secretary of State at that time – FYI: Winston Churchill – claimed that the nascent aviation industry should ‘support oneself’ rather than to rely on government subsidies. Some years later Sir Churchill eventually changed his stance and started to support the aviation industry. It left the British aviation industry with considerate arrears though. From a personal stance, I regret that the negotiations BA-KLM in the early and mid nineties and early 2000’s all failed… (probably not the smartest thing to say here but anyway..). 

On the contrary to the British, the Dutch government was very supportive towards KLM granting them with exceptionally high subsidies (2,8m guilders, and were talking mid 1920’s here..!). In return the Dutch government demanded a majority stake in KLM including voting rights. Therefore, in 1927 in order to financially survive, KLM became a state-owned airline. 
Plesman was all closely involved throughout these negotiations. 

Moreover, Plesman made pivotal contributions to the strong recovery of KLM after the WWII (Plesman flew to the USA in April 1945 – a month before WWII ended in The Netherlands- to negotiate aircraft with President Truman, to which Truman agreed despite being short of aircraft himself in the ongoing war in Japan). This was a turning point in KLM’s existence and has lead to where KLM is today. Albert Plesman past away too early on New Years Eve when he was only 63 years old. 

Sophie Schoteldraaijer
LMU Alumna International Business (with designates in Aviation)
Dissertation: Flying Blue? Ensuring KLM’s strategic position in emerging India 

Hplesman

Thanks Sophie for your great dissertation very well written.
Plesman is the name and KLM is  the result of my grandfathers work.
We as family young and old always have seen the name of my grandfather on KLM planes from DC-8 to 747 to the first 777 joining the fleet.
Merry Christmas and Happy New year,
Hans P. Plesman

Hplesman

An addendum to my previous posting.
Dear Sophie forgot to mention that my grandfather Dr. Albert Plesman in August 1919 was the co-organizer of the ELTA Eerste Luchtvaart Tentoonstelling Amsterdam where over 500.000 visitors for over a month were able to see many airplanes flying in from many nations.
Hangars that were built became after the show the factories of Fokker and in some pictures of Elta you can clearly see Queen Wilhelmina with my granfather discussing plans of aviation in Holland.
The rest as we all know is history and KLM the result.
Regards
Hans P. Plesman

Sophie Schoteldraaijer

Dear Karin,

According to De Leeuw in ‘KLM de geschiedenis van de KLM sinds 1919’ Albert Plesman being involved with the foundation of KLM is one of the big myths concerning KLM and actually incorrect, this should be written somewhere around p. 15 to 19 in his writing. 

De Leeuw claims it were aristocrat Van den Berch van Heemstede and banker A. Kröller who founded KLM (no P’s involved there..) on the 7th of October 1919 in The Hague. KLM was founded thanks to the issuance of shares to influential businesses and businessmen (or pioneers, however you wish to classify them) in The Netherlands and its colonies. Negotiation within the ‘social network’ of these founders ensured that KLM was granted with its royal decree by the late Queen Wilhelmina months before its administrative foundation (where eight founders were present, but not Albert Plesman). 

On the contrary to many other European governments establishing national airlines for military considerations (think: France & Germany), The Netherlands was an exception to the rule as KLM initially was a privately owned company. The founders believed that providing a faster connection to Batavia (now Jakarta) would provide a competitive advantage over mail sent by ships. (Passenger transport wasn’t even in question at this point in time). Forgive me in thinking in stereotypes here, but this is a typical example of the Dutch entrepreneurial spirit which is shown! ;).
 
Fair enough, Plesman became the (very successful and ground breaking!) CEO of KLM very shortly after its foundation continuously seeking international collaborations and expansion opportunities. Small sidestep: KLM’s maiden voyage from Amsterdam to London was made thanks to a collaboration with British AT&T (hmmm, very early Dutch-Anglo collaboration here, which is fascinating!). Regretfully this collaboration was shortlived as AT&T went bust in December 1920 due to the lack of financial support. Secretary of State at that time – FYI: Winston Churchill – claimed that the nascent aviation industry should ‘support oneself’ rather than to rely on government subsidies. Some years later Sir Churchill eventually changed his stance and started to support the aviation industry. It left the British aviation industry with considerate arrears though. From a personal stance, I regret that the negotiations BA-KLM in the early and mid nineties and early 2000’s all failed… (probably not the smartest thing to say here but anyway..). 

On the contrary to the British, the Dutch government was very supportive towards KLM granting them with exceptionally high subsidies (2,8m guilders, and were talking mid 1920’s here..!). In return the Dutch government demanded a majority stake in KLM including voting rights. Therefore, in 1927 in order to financially survive, KLM became a state-owned airline. 
Plesman was all closely involved throughout these negotiations. 

Moreover, Plesman made pivotal contributions to the strong recovery of KLM after the WWII (Plesman flew to the USA in April 1945 – a month before WWII ended in The Netherlands- to negotiate aircraft with President Truman, to which Truman agreed despite being short of aircraft himself in the ongoing war in Japan). This was a turning point in KLM’s existence and has lead to where KLM is today. Albert Plesman past away too early on New Years Eve when he was only 63 years old. 

Sophie Schoteldraaijer
LMU Alumna International Business (with designates in Aviation)
Dissertation: Flying Blue? Ensuring KLM’s strategic position in emerging India 

Hplesman

Thanks Sophie for your great dissertation very well written.
Plesman is the name and KLM is  the result of my grandfathers work.
We as family young and old always have seen the name of my grandfather on KLM planes from DC-8 to 747 to the first 777 joining the fleet.
Merry Christmas and Happy New year,
Hans P. Plesman

Hplesman

An addendum to my previous posting.
Dear Sophie forgot to mention that my grandfather Dr. Albert Plesman in August 1919 was the co-organizer of the ELTA Eerste Luchtvaart Tentoonstelling Amsterdam where over 500.000 visitors for over a month were able to see many airplanes flying in from many nations.
Hangars that were built became after the show the factories of Fokker and in some pictures of Elta you can clearly see Queen Wilhelmina with my granfather discussing plans of aviation in Holland.
The rest as we all know is history and KLM the result.
Regards
Hans P. Plesman

Davros

I remember a Cessna fire spotting plane based at Teuge end 1970ies earl 1980ies. It had the registration PH-PLO. Somebody once made the joke that it might be Yasser Arafat’s private plane.

Davros

I remember a Cessna fire spotting plane based at Teuge end 1970ies earl 1980ies. It had the registration PH-PLO. Somebody once made the joke that it might be Yasser Arafat’s private plane.

Fokker27_050

Know for a fact that when KLC had to reserve a registration series for their F50 and F70 aircraft, it was choosen/reserved with the RLD as KV (for KLM Vijftig) and KZ (for KLM Zeventig) at the time…

Fokker27_050

Know for a fact that when KLC had to reserve a registration series for their F50 and F70 aircraft, it was choosen/reserved with the RLD as KV (for KLM Vijftig) and KZ (for KLM Zeventig) at the time…

Barry Medwed

I remember a registration begining with the letter N?
does anyone know why?

Barry Medwed

I remember a registration begining with the letter N?
does anyone know why?

Niko

So the Holland registration is PH, Indonesia PK, Suriname PZ. How about PK for Indonesian aircraft?

adit

PK…P letter for first letter of Dutch registration and K for kolonie?

deborah butler

Who is PH-TGY registered to?

Marcelis Segstro

What type of Douglas aircraft, with a reg’n PH-TZW, was it that brought us to Canada in 1951?

Marcelis Segstro

What type of Douglas aircraft, with a reg’n PH-TZW, was it that brought us to Canada in 1951? If you find this question, send the answer to below. How do I send this to you?

Marcelis Segstro

You already have my question, 3 Times.

Kristy Glenn

Great Work!!!

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