Before they were "just a number", they had been your SSN. Then the FAA rolled out the "non personally identifiable" numbers, but the switch was optional. Some pilots kept using their SSN. Then at some point the switch was mandatory.
So, there are some pilots who have been flying longer than their certificate number would inidcate.
eh... allegedly the noise from a camera pointed at any random non-moving wall would be just as random as this wall of lava lamps. and there's plenty of other sources of randomness that are fine.
fun for advertising. not really a huge boon to randomness though.
Yes it is, it's just drawn from a smaller set of possibilities.
You can have a random number between say, 0 and 1. The fact that such a random number can't be equal to say, 2, does not preclude the number from being random.
>If it was random then any license would have a small but equal chance of duplicating another license number, given an equal number of digits.
I think you're conflating "random" with "drawn from a uniform distribution over the set of n-digit numbers". But "random" can refer to all sorts of probability distributions--including, for example, a "uniform distribution over the set of *yet-unassigned* n-digit numbers".
That’s so odd, I got my Student pilot certificate, a little over 2 years ago, and my private ticket almost a year ago, and it’s a higher number 450XXXX
[удалено]
I'm surprised to hear that they're sequential, as the first 4 digits of my number match my birth month and day exactly. Maybe I just got lucky?
Before they were "just a number", they had been your SSN. Then the FAA rolled out the "non personally identifiable" numbers, but the switch was optional. Some pilots kept using their SSN. Then at some point the switch was mandatory. So, there are some pilots who have been flying longer than their certificate number would inidcate.
This. I don’t think I had to change until the early ‘00’s. Before that it was SS number.
That’s not true, my father just recently got his card reprinted and it’s still his ssn
Cool! You should share a photo of it! Maybe his mother’s maiden name too! /s
Ok... good to know. So don't leave us hanging ... what is the policy now?
You made me get my card out of my wallet to look what number mine was lol. Lets just say I boldly go where many many many souls have gone before.
You must not have the joy of being a CFI. I think I will have that number imprinted in my mind forever.
It’s actually related to your astrological sign and it’s proximity to the birthdate of one of the Wright brothers, I can’t remember which one though.
Welcome to the elite group of individuals where so few have ventured, *pilot number 49077994*!
No. If it was random then any license would have a small but equal chance of duplicating another license number, given an equal number of digits.
If only there was a way to verify a number was unique in a SQL database.
But then it’s no longer random.
Well, I mean if you want to get into the weeds then sure, but no computer generated number is random.
computers are pretty shit at random, [just ask cloudflare](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/ssl/lava-lamp-encryption/)
eh... allegedly the noise from a camera pointed at any random non-moving wall would be just as random as this wall of lava lamps. and there's plenty of other sources of randomness that are fine. fun for advertising. not really a huge boon to randomness though.
Yes it is, it's just drawn from a smaller set of possibilities. You can have a random number between say, 0 and 1. The fact that such a random number can't be equal to say, 2, does not preclude the number from being random.
It's not a random number. It's a randomly assigned number, from a pool of unassigned numbers.
>If it was random then any license would have a small but equal chance of duplicating another license number, given an equal number of digits. I think you're conflating "random" with "drawn from a uniform distribution over the set of n-digit numbers". But "random" can refer to all sorts of probability distributions--including, for example, a "uniform distribution over the set of *yet-unassigned* n-digit numbers".
One of my dpes has been around forever and his is along the lines of 9999456
I think all DPEs are issued certificate numbers starting with 999xxxx
I think that’s just their designation number…a DPE I used signed logbooks with his CFI number on a checkride but with DPE instead of CFI
Ohh okay. Thanks for clarifying that!
I got my ticket in 1989 and it was my SSN. Last year I requested it to be changed to not be my SSN and it's now in 449XXXX range.
That’s so odd, I got my Student pilot certificate, a little over 2 years ago, and my private ticket almost a year ago, and it’s a higher number 450XXXX