Airfield. ICAO codes

[barry lloyd]

Anyone from the assembled PPRuNe brains trust care to suggest why Dublin is EIDW? The E and I are self evident, but why DW?

JAS

My guess would be D for Dublin and the W from Collinstown, the original name of the airport.

[barry lloyd]

Luton used to be EGLN (same AFTN switch as Heathrow).

When it was moved to the Croydon network, I'd guess that EGGL was considered to have the potential for confusion with EGLL, so it was assigned another arbitrary, unused letter.

That makes sense, but ironically, as previously mentioned, it can be confused with Gatwick, but perhaps Gatwick wasn't around at the time?

[Talkdownman]

EGGL was originally allocated to Lulsgate

Pre-c.1960 the UK civil location indicators began with G, and the mil with M, eg.

GALA was Heathrow ('London Airport') > EGLL (Switching centre)
GABA Croydon aerodrome (as opposed to the Civil Aviation Comms Centre)
GAOA Blackbushe > EGLK
GASA Eastleigh > EGHI
GASU Portsmouth > EGHP
GASR Hamble > EGHM
GAUA Hurn > EGHH (Switching centre)
GAVA Lulsgate > EGGL > EGGD

Some Hampshire military:

MAXF Farnborough
MAYO Odiham
MAZL Lasham

Whilst we are on letters, some of the RAF aircraft, usually transport, used five-letter callsigns which were occasionally painted on the nose.
eg. the RAE Comet was MPDXA. MOBCY was a Beverley. Maybe some more will come to me in the middle of the night...

I liked the call from the Amsterdam-Ronaldsway Viscount routing from 'Ham to Eggs'

[kcockayne]

Talkdownman

MOGCC. Hastings
MPTLA , LB , LC etc. Valetta
& I'm certain that you are correct with the Beverley.

Brings it all back

to add to your list, I think Thorney Island was EGUV - but could be wrong.

[kcockayne]

ON reflection! the MPTLA-s were actually Varsitys; I think.

[Talkdownman]

Yup, Thorney was UV, then latterly YT before closure.