Use of tango and zulu with reference to time

[zoink]

Hi all

Quick question... Can someone explain the use of the terms tango and zulu (t & z) with references to time?

Have often heard of 1500 tango etc..

Many thanks
z...

[Dan Dare]

Just guessing, but are you learning to fly in the US of A?
Would 1500T equate to 2100Z?
There are 24 letters in the alphabet and 24 time zones (oh, I know, but "I" and "O" don't count as they look too close numbers), so I think that there could be some correlation with Z=GMT=UTC.

Really just a guess though...

[Scott Voigt]

Couldn't be in the US. We don't use Tango time here. Only local and Zulu...

regards

Scott

[p290951]

or in Canada. Zulu time = GMT = UTC

[Flarkey]

http://www.timeanddate.com/library/abbreviations/timezones/military/t.html

T - Tango Time Zone

Time zone offset: UTC - 7 hours

T is 7 hours behind of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)
Time zone abbreviation: T
Full name is Tango Time Zone
Email time zone indicator: -0700
An email sent from someone in the T time zone will have the time zone listed as "-0700" in the headers of the email. (However, "-0700" does not have to be in T, as other time zones could have the same UTC offset).


Military Time Zone List (http://www.timeanddate.com/library/abbreviations/timezones/military/)

[zoink]

Hi guys

Many thanks for your replies.. I'm based in the UK (south east) but i've often heard the expression used on ATIS transmissions.

Thanks Again!!
z..

[vintage ATCO]

Are you sure the ATIS wasn't saying the 'this is information tango'? The ATIS information is identified by a letter (A thru to Z to keep it simply for us controllers), incrementing each time the ATIS is changed. There would be no reference to the time as 'tango' just as, certainly with our ATIS, is isn't called 'zulu' as it is always zulu time and saying it would be superfluous.


VA

[Timothy]

During the summer the UK is on "A" time (which is the same as BST), so sometimes people think that Z is UTC/GMT and that "A" means Local (in other words that A=Z in the winter.) This common misappreahension is, AIUI, not right at all.

The only time bands referred to in this country are A and Z, and aviation runs on Z almost everywhere, but in the CIS they run on Moscow time and in China on Beijing, which can be seriously confusing if you are flight planning across the borders.

W

[FlyingForFun]

There are 24 letters in the alphabet and 24 time zones (oh, I know, but "I" and "O" don't count as they look too close numbers)As I understand it, there are actually 26 time zones corresponding to the 26 letters of the alphabet. 360 degrees, divided by 15 degrees per time-zone, gives 24 time zones, as Dan Dare correctly states, but there are a couple of obscure places in the world (ok, so they're probably not that obscure, but I can't remember where they are off the top of my head) that work on time zones that are XX hours and 30 minutes ahead/behind Zulu time, and that's where the other two come from. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, though.

FFF
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[RodgerF]

FFF

There are 24 time zones. 25 letters are used as the time zone that straddles the International Date Line is known as either 'M' or 'Y' depending I suppose whether you are reckoning +12 from Zulu time or -12. Letter J is not used.

Offset 30 minute times are used in India and in Central Australia probably other places, but there is not a specific identity for these.

[welcome_stranger]

FFF sorry to point this out but you got it wrong. See the explaination given in Flarkey's url. It explains it all (and is exactly as I was taught in the Navy).

BTW one of those "obscure":O places just happens to be where I was born and dragged up out of the gutter. Using the letter system a place with 30 minutes difference is indicated by the use of the the two letters either side.

Adelaide, South Australia which just happens to be GMT+9:30 (normal time) GMT+10:30 (daylight saving). So in good military talk the time in Adelaide is either 1500IK or 0530Z or five hours thirty minutes universal coordinated time.

I have found the best place to find the time and date to be http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock

[FlyingForFun]

Ah - thanks for the corrections, guys!

I figure that we should learn something new every day, and I've learnt something new today. My aim for tomorrow, though, will be to learn something useful ;)

FFF
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[vintage ATCO]

Yes, all very interesting :rolleyes: (well, it is actually :p ) but to go back to the original post and zoink's last, "tango" will not be associated with time on a UK ATIS!! :}


VA

[Timothy]

Vintage ATCO

Unless I am being very stupid, then indeed it would:

This is Luton Information Tango Time 15:50....

I bet that is exactly what was heard (and misinterpreted) in the first place.

It is c o n c e i v a b l e that zoink always flies at a time where they are getting to the Tango time of day. Let's say he only flies on gin clear days, and the policy is to rerecord ATIS every 30 mins unless there has been a significant change and he always flies at 15:30 and...

Oh forget it :O

Will

[vintage ATCO]

Oh!! THAT tango time . . . . :eek:


VA

[zoink]

All

Vintage ATCO may indeed have a point.. The term "COULD" have been used with reference to "this is information tango".

Anyway either way the point has been explained be it information tango or tango time..

Thanks all

z

[crawls back and makes a note to check references before posting[

[cdtaylor_nats]

Surely if you are in the UK "You know when you've been Tangoed"