VH

[GABLUES]

Can someone tell me the background to the selection of VH for Aussie Reg a/c?

[GABLUES]

i have heard that before about Victor Hargraves,but me seems to think that story is a bit of a myth.. anyone else have more info?? Thanks :)

[VH-XXX]

It was actually Lawrence Hargraves that was involved in aviation, not Victor.

There's a semi-explanation in this old Prune thread, makes sense......

http://www.pprune.org/archive/index.php/t-72146.html

[socks and thongs]

I was led to believe it was simply a code issued to au by ICAO, nothing to do with Victor Hargraves. All former commonwealth countries were/are V something

[shortdrygrass]

GABLUES

I don't know if this helps, or just adds to the confusion, but a quick google search revealed this...

ADASTRON (http://www.adastron.com/aviation/definitive/why-vh/why-vh.htm)

Either way, thanks for the question.

[2b2]

oops! ;) - where did that message go!

[sms777]

I always thought it was VB (victoria bitter) read after two weeks not eating carrots :}

[Tmbstory]

I thought that any registration that started with "U" after the VH- was a so called vintage or antique aircraft. Is this true?

Tmb

[tobz92_ymen]

no this is not true, i fly a 20 - 30 year old Cessna 172, and its registration is VH- UOR, not a special registration as far as i know

[tail wheel]

shortdrygrass's attachment is correct. My amateur radio call sign commences with "VK". Coastal radio station call signs commence with "VM". Many years ago I owned a C150 registered VH-UGL, so "VH-U.." is not reserved fr antiques. During World War II and after, the "VH-C.." series appears to have been reserved for Commonwealth aircraft and the DC3/C47 and DC5 "Biscuit Bombers" were all in the "VH-C.." series (including ex KLM DC3 VH-CXD whose remains are still at Bamaga.)

[Disco Stu]

Coastal radio station call signs commence with "VM".

Strewth, I can remember when VM was for Aussie military aircraft:{

[tail wheel]

I can remember when Aussie military aircraft - DHC6 and B200 were registered VH-HP_ due to being leased from Hawker pacific!

Don't recall the military ever using "VM" registrations, but I recently saw a winglet equipped King Air 350 with RAAF roundels and an "A" military registration number. I checked the RAAF web site and was amazed to find this statement (http://www.airforce.gov.au/aircraft/kingair.aspx):

As a general transport, the aircraft has carried up to six passengers to destinations including Broome, Darwin, Sydney and Hobart. As a transport, the King Air 350 is flown between 25 and 35,000 feet for optimum fuel economy.

I suspect they mean "between 25,000 and 35,000 feet." Life could be very interesting - not to mention, rather busy - at 300 kts and 25 feet AGL!

:E

[SIUYA]

Australian registrations were originally G-AU after that was allocated to Australia by the International Commission on Air Navigation (ICAN) as a result oif the 1919 Paris Convention.

See: Registration Markings of Australian Aircraft (http://www.airwaysmuseum.com/Registration%20markings%20of%20Australian%20aircraft%20artic le.htm)

The Australian prefix VH- was allocated to Australia by ICAN in 1928.

ICAN became ICAO in 1944 as a result (or because of??) the Chicago Convention.

Disco..........see the airways museum site re VM and VL prefixes!

[QSK?]

I can remember when Aussie military aircraft - DHC6 and B200 were registered VH-HP_ due to being leased from Hawker pacific!

Going further back than that (early '70s) I seem to recall that all the VH-H**, I** and J** marks were reserved for military use and not available for civil allocation in Australia.

From memory the Canberra bombers and Chinooks had H** identifiers, Caribous were JC* and Hercs were JL*. I can't recall what the Neptunes/Orions/DC3s used for 3 letter callsigns. I think at the time the Mirages/F4s/F111s were the only aircraft to have non-registration callsigns such as Buckshot, Falcon etc. Navy aircraft were always prefixed with "Navy", I think.

Anybody else remember what the allocation registrations were for military aircraft at the time?

[PlankBlender]

no this is not true, i fly a 20 - 30 year old Cessna 172, and its registration is VH- UOR, not a special registration as far as i know

That's actually quite funny :} 20-30 year old GA machines are not considered vintage, good man, we're talking about flying machines from the 40's or 50's like the venerable Tigermoth :ok:

A thirty year old airframe, properly maintained, will be of a technical standard comparable with a ten year old car.

[tail wheel]

I don't recall military aircraft having civil VH registrations (Except the HP leased aircraft)? :confused:

Indeed, the RAAF web site (http://www.airforce.gov.au/raafmuseum/research/aircraft.htm) states:

"A distinctive numbering system was adopted by the RAAF Air Board in 1921, the year the Service was created. All aircraft since that year have been allotted the code letter 'A' followed by a number."

The web site quotes the DC2/DC3 as "A30"; Canberra as "A84"; Chinook "A15" and Herc "A97". When did the RAAF use civil registrations? :confused:

[Ken Borough]

The RAAF used NLA thru NLG when they operated BAC111s and Mysteres. I am fairly sure that these were not on the VH-register but they certainly used call-signs November Lima Alpha and so on - none of this poofy stuff like Envoy.

[Disco Stu]

I've taken just one as an example from the Lockheed File by Ron Cuskelly.........

A97-205 http://www.lockheed.adastron.com/hercules/la97205-3.jpg (http://www.lockheed.adastron.com/hercules/h3a97205.htm) http://www.lockheed.adastron.com/hercules/la97205-2.jpg (http://www.lockheed.adastron.com/hercules/h2a97205.htm)


Type: L-182-1A Hercules C-130A-50-LM
Msn: 182-3205
Call Sign: VM-JLA

I clearly remember the Caribou, CT4A and the Winjeel as also having a VM-*** radio callsign placard on the instrument panel in the same manner as civil aircraft have a VH-*** placard.

I knew I wasn't imagining this:rolleyes:

Disco

[tail wheel]

Well, there ya go - learn something new everyday! :ok:

:}

[Horatio Leafblower]

The commercial class that went through my flying school in the early 1990's while I was doing my PPL organised a trip to Bali.

The CFI - ex-1 FTS, ex-Roulettes, and ex-VIP flight - repeatedly used the callsign "VM-JGP" on the Duchess while in Indonesian airspace :rolleyes:

[Ascend Charlie]

Yes, Iroquois helicopters had civil callsigns. One we flew was Hotel Echo November, and whenever we gave that callsign on the radio we were met by loud cackles and buck-buck-bacaws.:8

Another was Hotel Echo Echo which was often referred to as Hotel echo gecko.:eek:

[Tmbstory]

In the late 1950's I had many a pleasant flight in a Gypsy Moth, registration VH-UQV. A lesson learned was not to cut streamers with the propeller (an upright engine against the inverted engine of the Tiger Moth), with a risk of a fire with streamer and exhaust.

The DH-60M also had folding wings which made it handy for storing.

Tmb

[Bullethead]

When I first started driving Hercs in 1980 we used a VM-JL* call sign internationally and the squadron identifier, Stallion or Trojan, and a number for trips within Australia.

Prior to flying Hercs I was stationed at Williamtown flying the rescue chopper and for local area work used "Chopper 1 or 2" depending on who was flying it and for longer trips VM-XIA or VM-XIB as personal callsigns again dependent on who the pilot was.

So the aeroplanes and the pilots had callsigns for a while there.

Regards,
BH.

[Tmbstory]

Bullethead:

What years were you on the Rescue Helicopter at Williamtown ?

Regards

Tmb

[Bullethead]

G'day Tmb,

From early 1978 to mid 1980 when I was posted to Richmond.

Regards,
BH.

[Tmbstory]

Bullethead:

Thanks for the information, I helped to start the the first commuter services on the east coast, from Williamtown, in September 1967, until January 1971.

Regards

Tmb

[Fris B. Fairing]

justapplhere

On the subject of the leather-bound Register, I sought the advice of aviation historian Geoff Goodall, who responds as follows:

Yes I do well remember those leather bound shipping ledgers that were adapted for the hand-written civil registers up to the 1950s. And I well remember Laurie Bernadas and Jack Kluver, both of whom were so welcoming to stray aviation historians who camped in their office scribbling notes.

I personally last saw the ledgers when the Register section moved to a DCA office down near the St Kilda Road Travelodge in the 1970s. Mac Job and the Air Safety Digest were in the same building.

I am certain that these Register ledgers went to CASA in Canberra when they took over Airworthiness and Registration.



I have also established that they are not held by the Civil Aviation Historical Society at Essendon.

Rgds

[triadic]

Yes, the VM- was on a placard in all military aircraft up until sometime in the 70's. That was the callsign they used in domestic airspace. I would be sure that military pilots of that era would recall that.

HS748's VM-JVx series
Winjeel VM-HFx series

At the time no civil aircraft were given regos that were in conflict with a VM series. Both VH and VM were allocated to Australia. Don't know if VM is still allocated to Aust however.

[Disco Stu]

I have permanently etched in my brain on a flight to/from up North having a high pitched HF operator at Rangoon calling us using our international abbreviated callsign "Wictor Wictor Golf (VM-JVG) this is Wangoon". Didn't need to talk to him so we didn't.

Same night a MAC C141 (Skirtlifter) reported overhead Phuket, but he called it like "Bucket", if you know what I mean.:=

[ollie_a]

Out of interest Australia has AX, VH, VI, VJ, VK, VL, VM, VN and VZ. Some are used for other purposes than aircraft though, e.g. ham radio. The global list is maintained by the ITU at Table of International Call Sign Series (http://www.itu.int/cgi-bin/htsh/glad/cga_callsign.sh?lng=E)