Weird, or better said stupid callsigns
Thread Starter

Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 314
Likes: 70
From: on the way to sea
Weird, or better said stupid callsigns
hi, I know this has been discussed before, but can we make a list of difficult callsigns and try to persuade navigational offices or whoever decides about them that sometimes their creations are plain and simple idiotic?
last night I had WZZ4KQ
I challenge the guy/gal who invented it to pronounce it hundred times in a row sans error....
last night I had WZZ4KQ
I challenge the guy/gal who invented it to pronounce it hundred times in a row sans error....

Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,003
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From: The foot of Mt. Belzoni.
Maybe some clout required from the pilot community here. After all, ATC are saddled with this nonsense for about 10 transmissions as the culprit a/c transits the sector/airfield.
Spare a thought for the aircrew who have to use the c/s from start to finish.
P.S.
Why do most long-haul flights still have civilized call-signs? Today, over Mt. Belzoni we saw:- DAL133, DLH418, BAW274, COA47, KLM971, VIR19, QTR046, SWR40, etc.
Anyone seen 'Midland 1' recently?
Spare a thought for the aircrew who have to use the c/s from start to finish.
P.S.
Why do most long-haul flights still have civilized call-signs? Today, over Mt. Belzoni we saw:- DAL133, DLH418, BAW274, COA47, KLM971, VIR19, QTR046, SWR40, etc.
Anyone seen 'Midland 1' recently?
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,086
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From: Greystation
Zooker, all to do with diplomatic clearances on certain routes. BAW still fly combinations of 19, 39, 139, 119 etc every night from LHR heading east around 10pm. I've tried several times to get them changed following a few confusion instances but the powers that be still haven't managed it. I dread to think of what circumstances will persuade them to push a little harder......
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 127
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From: Poland
Oh yes, Wizzair has just made some changes to its callsings, and now all of them, at least those to/from EPKT, have a pattern of WZZ4??. Anyway, it's better than those that they have used during April - i.e. WZZ4455. Wizzair FoFoFaFa?

Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,331
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From: Oop north
In my company, we are encouraged to submit ASRs if we have a callsign conflict with another aircraft, whether it's with one of our own company or another one. I'm told, although I don't know how it works, that the process of getting it changed is relatively simple once the right people have been made aware.
Do ATC units not have a similar facility, to allow them to report conflicts to the relevant people (airline flight planning departments or whoever) and get the callsigns changed accordingly?
Do ATC units not have a similar facility, to allow them to report conflicts to the relevant people (airline flight planning departments or whoever) and get the callsigns changed accordingly?
Thread Starter

Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 314
Likes: 70
From: on the way to sea
Oh yes, Wizzair has just made some changes to its callsings, and now all of them, at least those to/from EPKT, have a pattern of WZZ4??. Anyway, it's better than those that they have used during April - i.e. WZZ4455. Wizzair FoFoFaFa
and my eyesight is not as good as it used to be
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Greystation
Zippy Monster, yes, ATC also have a reporting system that can alert the right people about potential callsign conflicts, it is how all the new alpha numeric callsigns came about in the first place. Many years ago in the days of Swissair, they sent 800, 820, 830, 840, 860 and 880 into the UK all at the same time. An hour later, they all departed but with a 1 on the end, exiting UK airspace through the same point. After a few confusions and a couple of safety issues, the whole callsign deconflicting really kicked off. Around the same era, BAW also sent 361, 551, 561, 631, 651 and 661 into the same bit of UK airspace as the Swissair's also entered at around the same time, not a happy Lydd Sector controller! There are some that are just bad timing (one late by a few hours and another a little early) and as I said earlier, still some that cannot be changed easily due to the international agreements obtained for those particular flights.
And then there was the day when Channex had two different aircraft in UK airspace using the SAME callsign.........
And then there was the day when Channex had two different aircraft in UK airspace using the SAME callsign.........
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 8,266
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From: Berkshire, UK
Way, way back controllers could instruct a pilot to use whatever callsign they thought fit if confusion reigned. The obvious one was to ask them to use aircraft registration, which usually solved the problem.
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 57
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From: N/A
Way, way back controllers could instruct a pilot to use whatever callsign they thought fit if confusion reigned. The obvious one was to ask them to use aircraft registration, which usually solved the problem.
"WZZ4455, Due to similar callsign your new callsign is: INDIA DELTA INDIA OSCAR TANGO 1"

Joined: Dec 2004
Aviation Qualifications: ATCO
Posts: 306
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From: Down South
Have enjoyed BAW114, BAW115, COA114, AAL115 and BAW117 on frequency at the same time a couple of times in the last month or so. 
Amazingly, they all got their calls right as well

Amazingly, they all got their calls right as well




