I learned a few weeks ago that pilots are eligible to registrar .aero domain names. The original intention of this new top level domain was to give the aerospace industry a better “presence” on the web.

The entity responsible for this TLD is called SITA. Which may sound familiar as they create the communications systems for air traffic control, airlines, etc…

Getting your .aero domain involves a verification step to prove that you are a pilot. I did this by e-mailing SITA a copy of my pilot license. You can also fax or snail mail a copy as well.

Once verified, you are given a username and password to use when registering your domain name with a registrar. There is a two year minimum commitment when you first register the domain name.

The cheapest I found was $60USD/yr (which by .com or .net standards is almost 10 times the price) at NamesBeyond.com.

This is a good idea if you don’t mind paying the price for a domain that might not be available in the other TLD name space.

So why did I do it? Because I can. Right now www.blakecrosby.aero redirects to this site. Not sure what I’m going to do with the domain, if anything.