Commonwealth Numbered Regulations

1988 NO. 158 CIVIL AVIATION REGULATIONS - REG 17

17. (1) The location of nationality marks and registration marks on Australian
aircraft shall be in accordance with this regulation.

(2) In the case of a lighter-than-air aircraft being:

   (a)  an airship, the marks shall appear on each side of the airship and
        also on the upper surface on the line of symmetry and they shall be
        located lengthwise near the maximum cross-section of the airship;

   (b)  a spherical balloon, the marks shall appear in 2 places diametrically
        opposite and shall be located near the maximum horizontal
        circumference of the balloon; or

   (c)  a non-spherical balloon, the marks shall appear on each side and shall
        be located near the maximum cross-section of the balloon immediately
        above either the rigging band or the points of attachment of the
        basket suspension cables.

(3) The side marks of all lighter-than-air aircraft shall be so located that
they shall be visible both from the sides and from the ground.

(4) The marks of a heavier-than-air aircraft:

   (a)  shall appear on the wings of the aircraft; and

   (b)  shall also appear either on the fuselage, or equivalent structure, of
        the aircraft or on the vertical tail surfaces of the aircraft.

(5) The wing marks of a heavier-than-air aircraft:

   (a)  shall:

        (i)    be located on the lower surface of the port wing of the
               aircraft; or

        (ii)   extend across the lower surfaces of both of the wings of the
               aircraft; and

   (b)  if possible, shall be located equidistant from the leading and
        trailing edges of the wing or wings with the top of the letters
        comprising the marks towards the leading edge of the wing or wings.

(6) In subregulations (4) and (5), a reference to a wing, or to the wings, of
an aircraft having more than one set of wings shall be read as a reference to
a lower wing or the lower set of wings, as the case requires.

(7) The marks on the fuselage, or equivalent structure, of a
heavier-than-air aircraft shall be on each side of the fuselage or equivalent
structure between the wings and the tail surfaces.

(8) The marks on the vertical tail surfaces of a heavier-than-air aircraft
shall be:

   (a)  where the tail structure of the aircraft includes a single vertical
        surface only-on each side of that surface; or

   (b)  where the tail structure of the aircraft includes multi-vertical
        surfaces-on each of the outboard sides of the outer vertical surfaces
        of the tail structure.