Airfield codes

[WorkingHard]

This is a private flying forum and most, but not all, who read this will be connected with aviation. Of those that are no doubt most will be private pilots. So why the hell do people use designated codes instead on recognisable names? Perversity? Trying to sound "professional"? Who knows where EGPD is without looking it up? So before those that know each and everyone starts shouting - consider how sad you really must be. And for those that do know please tell me why you learnt them all?

[Fujiflyer]

Can't wait to get down to EGKA...

[BRL]

Hi there, That is where I am based EGKA, I also drive past EGKK everyday too you know..!!!!!

[Chilli Monster]

And for those that do know please tell me why you learnt them all? The job!

[FNG]

Well said, Hard Working bloke, there. Trouble is, you have touched on one of private aviation's sordid little secrets: at least half of the desperate addicts love all that phonetic alphabet, airline pilot stuff. Why, they probably own, gasp...pilot bags, discuss headsets in front of non-consenting adults, and are keen to find out if they can log the time if they sit on a bus next to a bloke who once went flying . Why it is that anyone should wish to emulate the members of a poorly paid, badly treated, not even high status anymore profession who spend their time minding machines to see that the thing that goes bing! is indeed going bing! at the appropriate intervals is itself an impenetrable mystery, beyond mortal understanding.

PS none of this applies to any airline pilot who has ever bought me a drink in the bar at the airfield (must look up the code one day), all of whom are very Gods of the skies.

[Arclite01]

Where can we find a list of these codes then ?

[360BakTrak]

How sad you must be???!!! Sounds as if you're slightly bitter cos' you don't know em'!
Chilli Monster nailed it in 2 words though! Spot On!
I suppose you'll be ranting on about 3 letter codes next.......flew into BOH the other day, then drove past BRS on the way home...............!:{

[FlyingForFun]

I agree... always try not to use them.

A few hints, though, if other people do use the codes. This might not pin down the exact airfield, but it'll help at least pin down the area.

UK codes all start with EG - you probably knew that already. The next letter, though, gives you a good idea what part of the country it's in. For example:

EGLx = west London
EGKx = south of London
EGHx = south coast, Solent
EGPx = Scotland

I'm sure there are exceptions to this, but at least if people start talking about EGKA and EGKK (hi Fuji, BRL ;)) I know they're talking about somewhere to the south of London....

FFF
-----------

[Hansard]

Grab a pen and start compiling a list

For starters:-

EGBG Leicester
EGBE Coventry
EGTC Cranfield
EGBW Wellesbourne

[Phoenix09]

Take a look here (http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/64/DAP_ACD_10_Indicators.pdf) for a list of UK airfield locator codes.

Personally I can never remember them. I know EGLM and EGLL and that is about it!!!

[Timothy]

flew into BOH the other dayIFR? MSA - NDB BIA - ILS DME RWY 08? I-BMH IDENT OK? CAT A 273 OB, 079 INBD? VAT - MAP, RVR OK? PAPIS, RWY TDZ, Beta, GND FREQ? :ok:

T

UK codes all start with EG - you probably knew that already. The next letter, though, gives you a good idea what part of the country it's in.OK, clever clogs, where is EGTx?

Timothy

[Papa Charlie]

I used to fly reguarly from EGKR (oops, I mean Redhill) but now from EGKA (oops again - Shoreham). Because EGKR don't issue TAFs I used to use Gatwick's (EGKK).

Once I decided to fly from Redhill to Alderney and filed the flight plan as departure airport as EGKK instead of EGKR because I was so used to typing in EGKK.

It was most hilarious at Alderney as they thought they had a plane arriving from Gatwick which would have been the biggest plane they ever had landing there!

So make sure you get your K's and R's not mixed up. More confusing now flying from Shoreham to Alderney as its EGKA to EGJA. Easy to transpose those!


:ugh:

[Piece of Cake]

Timothy,
EGTx? UK FIR codes?

Had to learn the ICAO codes when I did my time working in airline flight ops.

Does come in useful when accessing Met/Notams over the net for selected airfields and for filing flight plans though.

Best Rgds

PoC

[WorkingHard]

"How sad you must be???!!! Sounds as if you're slightly bitter cos' you don't know em'!
Chilli Monster nailed it in 2 words though! Spot On!
I suppose you'll be ranting on about 3 letter codes next.......flew into BOH the other day, then drove past BRS on the way home...............!"

Well it certainly raised a few hackles. I know those codes I need at any time and as I don't use the majority of airfields all the time I have no real need to know the rest. If your job determined you know them then good luck. As for the rest - do you wear jumpers with gold bars as well?

[Evo]

UK codes all start with EG - you probably knew that already. The next letter, though, gives you a good idea what part of the country it's in. For example:

EGHx = south coast, Solent


So EGUS wouldn't be on the Solent then....? ;)

[AerBabe]

do you wear jumpers with gold bars as well No, but I have some on my pyjamas. :ok:

[140cherokee]

I fly out of EGBJ. Soon found an acronym for 'BJ' to remember it by!

140

[Timothy]

Could this be the saddest ever PPRuNe thread?*

Why can't people just be left to decide what language conveys most meaning and least confusion for their target audience for themselves, without the Style Police telling them that there's something wrong with them?

Timothy

* Oh, no, I've just remembered that the conversation about whether it's OK to call an Aztec a PA27 was at least equally sad.

[Evo]

Could this be the saddest ever PPRuNe thread?


There was one about the vital importance of explaining to ATC that you were in a PA-28R rather than a plain-vanilla PA-28.

"G-CD, traffic is a PA28..."

"NEGATIVE, G-IT is a PA28RRRRR"

"Roger, G-IT, hold at SODOF..."

And as for the PA-28RT drivers... :)

[360BakTrak]

The PA28 and PA28R difference could become important, particularly if carrying out a surveillance radar approach........high cockpit workload......1/2 mile SRA...........WHOOPS! forgot to put the dangly bits down!!

[NineEighteen]

I agree with WorkingHard. Annoyingly there seems to be a 'train-spotter' element to private flying. Although I've not noticed it too much in the outside world....only in here. I wonder why. :rolleyes:

[Timothy]

EGTx? UK FIR codes?

Well, yes, T is one of those, but the rest are as geographically diverse as Perranporth (P), Fairoaks (F) and Oxford Kiddlington (K), rather putting in doubt that you can tell the area from the third letter. I was only pulling FFF's leg, though. He is mostly right.

TP, TF and TK were all built as Fighter command bases in the early years of the war. I wonder if T stood for airfields originally built for military use then handed over to the civvies. But then Biggin would be TB, not KB. Fascinating subject. Quite riveting. Thanks, WorkingHard for starting the thread and bringing our attention to it.

Had to learn the ICAO codes when I did my time working in airline flight ops.Oh, yeah so I see! :rolleyes: :p :p

Timothy

[FlyingForFun]

I was only pulling FFF's leg, though. He is mostly right.Thanks, WorkingHard for starting the thread and bringing our attention to itI can't help thinking that maybe I'm not the only one on the receiving end of Timothy's sense of humour on this thread :D

FFF
----------------

[Timothy]

Timothy's sense of humourWell, if you didn't laugh:D , you'd cry!:{

:ugh:

Timothy

[Spitoon]

The answer to the original question of why codes ... simple really, the shortest way to indicate an airfield even for those who don't know the area. And, of course, it fits into flightplan forms nice and easily.

[WorkingHard]

Quite right, you need a sense of humour in this life but it seems sadly lacking in some. If you want to use ICAO codes then that is your right and choice and whilst I think it isoft out of place I would defend to the end your right to use them. So those who think I wish to dictate how you express anything think again. Some will like it others will ignore it.

[bluskis]

Then there is the clarity issue when reporting airfield of departure and destination. Try pronuncing Reims as a French aviator would.

Much easier is LIMA FOX(trot)QUEBEC ALFA, and it is also clear which Reims airfield is actually your destination.

[PickyPerkins]

WorkingHard
-------- Quote --------
..... So why the hell do people use designated codes instead on recognisable names?
Perversity? Trying to sound "professional"? ....
------------------------------
Posts: 230 | From: UK |
---- End quote -------

I see you are "From: UK". Did you hesitate for a second in writing "UK" rather than "United Kingdom"? Probably not.

I am not a professional pilot, but I suspect most professionals do not hesitate to use codes for the same reason. :D

http://home.infionline.net/~pickyperkins/pi.gif

[Daifly]

I'd have thought in these days of GPS the knowledge of ICAO's would be of positive benefit if you're trying to program the bloody thing!

However, I too know them from my previous career in Flight Ops. It's rather like the phonetic alphabet, most people in Aviation know it (even if they've not needed to learn it for flying) - if you hear them often enough you remember them.

ISTR that there was an article in Pilot years ago about the coding - the only thing I can remember is Llanbedr as EGOD - the writer wondered if there was a connection with the local church!?

LL - London
BB- Birmingham
CC - Er, well Manchester...
GP - Running out of ideas now.

[Keef]

There was once a logic to it, based on a mix of "regional" codes for civilian ones, and "type" for military ones.

The "hub" of each civilian group had the "two letters" version - AA for Belfast, BB for BBrum, CC for that place I don't fly to, LL for LLunnun, FF for cardiFF, KK for gatwiKK etc. The satellite fields then started at xA and worked up.

T was FIRs and such, and airfields that didn't fit the system.

E is new, and is the Scottish islands (mostly).

I think the pattern got lost as codes were allocated "on request" - hence Sx is Stansted and East Anglia, except for Sheff City that wanted EGSC.

Bit esoteric, really.

[cblinton@blueyonder.]

AerBabe

"No, but I have some on my pyjamas."

Do you wear your pyjamas in the plane?
;)

[Timothy]

Do you wear your pyjamas in the plane? Come on, this is a family forum, no place for that kind of fantasy. :O

It is cblinton, not bclinton, isn't it :p

Timothy

[foxmoth]

EVO
So EGUS wouldn't be on the Solent then....?

Sorry Evo - you lose this one i think, under its civilian code EGUS is EGH F, the first code is Government so it normally has a U or V as its third letter.

;)

(Edited and note made to learn to spell:8 )

[Evo]

Oh well, some you win, some you 'loose' :) serves me right for trying to be a smart@rse ... i'll leave that to Timothy ;) :O

[BEXIL160]

Keef has the history essentially correct.

The groupings were to do with the airfields Parent AFTN Station. Not all places were, or indeed are, connected to the AFTN (Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunications Network) so several geographical "parent" stations with new fangled things like on line TTY were established to deal with Flight Plan Messages, Class 1 NOTAMS etc.

Comms not being what they are today, several airfeilds didn't "fit" the system. These parentless stations were all lumped in with FIR desigantors (for example EGTE), the station being EGTT (LONDON FIR)

Oh, for EVO.. EGUF (RAE Farnborough) became EGLF in it's civilian guise.

hmmm... I'll get me anorak....

Rgds BEX

[vintage ATCO]

Luton use to be EGLN, linked by AFTN to Heathrow. Then the Croydon Communications Centre opened (EGGG) so Luton became EGGW. I went to Croydon CC in the early 70s; it was full of, er, teleprinters . . . . .

Similarly Elstree use to be EGLE and became EGTR.


It always amuses me hearing people complain about codes. Use 'em, you'll soon learn 'em.

Like METAR 'Why can't METARs be in plain language?' I thought they already were! :D :D :D :D


Anoraks R Us

[Timothy]

i'll leave that to TimothyA heavy burden to bear on my own...recruits always welcome.

I'm sorry, but this is the kind of thread that cries out to be laughed at. I'll stop if you like :p

Timothy

[AlanM]

You could always do what we do, and remember them by silly names!

i.e.

EGMC - Southend (Mussels and Cockles)
EGPF - Glasgow (Paisley F***ers)... or Pick a Fight!
EGDL - RAF Lyenham (Des Lyneham)
EGHI - Southampton (Hampshire International)
EGHR - Goodwood (Horse racing)

etc etc

[AerBabe]

Do you wear your pyjamas in the plane? No way!



I wear my nightie - that has wings on the chest. :E

[Capt. Manuvar]

Reasons i prefer to use codes
1. they fit into the logbook columns easily, try putting Nottingham International London East Midlands Airport of Derbyshire in Leicestershire in your logbook.:}
2. Airfields in the Uk have become obsessed with 'rebranding ' , i don't believe codes change very often.
3. if you are a regular user of notams, flight plans, metars, tafs, GPS, etc you'll be wondering what the point of this thread is. There lots of airports around the world with the same name or similar sounding names
BTW What exactly is wrong with being 'professional'?
Capt M

[david.porter9]

I think Working Hard's point when starting this thread was why people use codes in their posts, not in flight plans, logbooks, etc.

Unless it's my local field (EGLG - that'll be west of London then:D ) I haven't a clue where people are talking about.:(

Dave

[Timothy]

Sorry Dave, which airfield is EGLG?

It's very difficult when people use ICAO codes in postings like that. :} :E

Timothy