Vuelopedia's level of evidence based on a freely licensed photograph showing an aircraft's registration on an airframe of the model given in its record.
What it is
Not every country publishes its aircraft register. For aircraft that cannot be checked against an official register, Vuelopedia accepts a second kind of evidence: a freely licensed photograph in which the aircraft's registration is visible and whose title or description also names the model.
It is a separate level from the verification seal and is shown with its own wording, because a photograph does not show the serial number: it proves that an aircraft of that model carried that registration, but not which particular airframe it was.
It is therefore accepted only when the registration has not been carried by more than one aircraft and the model named with the photograph matches the one in the record. Unlike the official seal, it does not expire, because it documents a past fact.
On Vuelopedia
Documented existence is shown in the aircraft record together with the photographer's name.
Related terms
Cite
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This page was last updated on October 9, 2026
APA
Vuelopedia. (2026, October 9). Documented existence. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/documented-existence
MLA
“Documented existence.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 9 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/documented-existence. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.
Chicago
Vuelopedia. “Documented existence.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 9, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/documented-existence.
Harvard
Vuelopedia (2026) Documented existence. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/documented-existence (Accessed: 17 October 2026).
BibTeX
@misc{vuelopedia_en_glossary_documented_existence,
author = {{Vuelopedia}},
title = {{Documented existence}},
publisher = {Fundación Poderia},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-09},
url = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/documented-existence},
howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/documented-existence}},
urldate = {2026-10-17},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17}
}Wikipedia
{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/documented-existence |title=Documented existence |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-09 |access-date=2026-10-17 |language=en}}