Icao callsigns

[escobar]

Whilst flying i have heard people calling up and just saying stuff like "PAN AM 2" etc as opposed to the actual registration of the aircraft. How do they go about getting the confirmation from NATS to be allowed to do this?

[A I]

Clipper 2 maybe!! And there was Dan Air, B Cal, Brit Island, Eagle. A whole new thread.

Ah! - the memories!

A I

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Not wholly sure what you mean... but callsigns such as you mention are flight numbers. Callsigns do not have to be linked to the aircraft registration letters. They used to be, many moons ago, but nowadaysw ith stored flight plans it's much easier to use flight numbers.

[escobar]

I got jumped on when i temporaily forgot that x is x-ray literally for 4 seconds, so i wondered if it was at all possible for me, or my flight school to get it sorted so that we could just call up and say Pan am 1, i don't fly with pan am, or something similar, even though the aircraft may be registered as something different

[Squawk7777]

When I trained for my IR in the UK (Bournemouth = EGHH?) there was a flight school that didn't use the registration numbers but their own call sign [namexxx]. I haven't seen an ICAO flight plan in years but I do remember that you can enter your desired call sign instead of the a/c registration. In the remarks section you enter the regular a/c reg.

I almost forgot, during my IR exam, my call sign was EXAM57 or so.

7 7 7 7

P.S. HD, what were the call signs for BOAC and BEA? speedbird?

[PPRuNe Radar]

Operators can request a callsign from NATS (in the UK). NATS then liaise with the appropriate bodies.

See here for full details

How do I obtain a callsign ?

You will need to register with AIS to view the AIC (White 60 or 69/2002). It is free.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Escobar - your answer is surely to practice your R/T and not find an easy way out! If you are going to fly you will undoubtedly have to use the phonetic alphabet and with practice it will become second nature - just like CW.

Squawk 7777. Before amalgamation BOAC was Speedbird and BEA was Bealine.

[Spitoon]

And wasn't there an Airtours?

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

...and a Starways... and Seaboard.. and Flying Tiger.. Oh what joy! They originally used a/c registrations but then changed to flight numbers too.

[escobar]

I know my phonetics back to front but just had a slight memory blip, ever so slight, and got my bravo alpha lima lima sierra wrapped which i thought was bang out of order especially when apparent pros can use abbrieviated call signs. Just checking if it was possible to do. Cheers for the info

[Don't Tell Him Pike]

got my bravo alpha lima lima sierra wrapped

Wrapped in what? There's people pay good money for that sort of thing!

[Fried_Chicken]

Also, most Airlines use alpha-numeric callsigns so you still use the phonetic alphabet even with getting a callsign.

Fried Chicken

[Spitoon]

Empress 211 rings bells too.

And if it means anything to you I guess you went through the radar exams about the same time as me!

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Empress = CPAL!

[Loki]

Just to get HD salivating:

Sagittair 001

Now enough of this, before a mod comes along and transfers the whole thing to the Nostagia board.

[Squawk7777]

Interesting ....

How did you pronounce Bealink? B-e-a-link, or like "belink"? (I must say, the English language will never make 100% sense to me, esp. the "ea" combination: heat, bear, beat)

[lost in space]

oh right, I am back now ... I bet it must have been quite an adventure listening to all those non-English native aircrews and wondering yourself what the flightcrew really meant (another "ea" combo! )with "Roger"

I miss flying down south ...

7 7 7 7

[Loki]

Squawk 7777:

`twas pronounced "bee-line"

I haven`t got the ICAO doc to hand, but RT callsigns are, from memory, quite unequivocal in how they should be pronounced.