Originally Posted by
helichris
In the US, you identify yourself to ATC as "helicopter" followed by the N number. If you are asked the type helicopter (and I have been, many times) you reply with the proper aircraft type designator, which is often different than the model. In this case, it is EC45. It's not being pretentious and has nothing to do with the phonetic alphabet. It is the information they are asking for as that is how an aircraft is listed in their database. casper64 is correct. Why a pilot would give the type designator without being prompted for it by ATC, I don't know.
https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/...tors_FINAL.pdf
2-1. Aircraft Type Designators. An aircraft type designator is an abbreviated form of an aircraft type. This designator is used in air traffic service automation systems that exchange data. The aircraft type designator is primarily used in flight plans and air traffic service messages but may be used in other matters when needed.
Thanks - I think you have proved my (and The Coyote) point. These designators are not intended for voice communications. I no longer fly, but did manage 11,000+ hours over 25 years on 4 continents (including the US), and I can never recall ever describing my aircraft type to ATC (by RT) in this manner. The closest I came across this was the other way round, when an ATC unit queried with me that EC55 (on the FLPN) was indeed a helicopter and not a mistype for a C525. The reason being they couldn't understand how I was doing 205 kts groundspeed at 10,000 ft!