SID/STAR names, numbers and letters
I've been trying to work out the rationale behind the naming, numbering and lettering for our (UK) SIDs and STARs. Naming the SID after the terminating point seems pretty sensible (asking the upcoming questions on another forum one chap pointed out that the UK's naming of the STAR after the terminating point seemed silly to him, and I am starting to see why, but I'm sure I've just stimulated another topic for discussion!)
My main pondering points are the number and letter at the end of the designator. As I understand it the number is the revision, that makes sense. On SIDs the letter (if there is one) identifies the departing runway (with all SIDs off a given runway at a given airport having the same letter) and as far as I can gather on a STAR the letter identifies the start point on the STAR. (UK ones at least.)
With regards to SIDs, if you look at say all the Compton SIDs, those letters are unique -- so B and C departures are Luton, D and E are Birmingham and so on. Is that a happy coincidence or was it engineered that way?
Is there any scheme behind the letters on STARs, or was it simply 'oh, we need a STAR to start here and end there, it's the first one to that point so we'll call it FOO 1A?'
How much of any such schemes is UK or Europe-specific?
I had a flick through PANS-OPS and PANS-ATM, they go into copious detail on how the procedures are designed (horrible memories of learning that stuff for the ATPLs) but don't talk much about the naming.
Cheers!