useage of 'HEAVY'
 

Was just wondering if someone could clarify for me whether it is a requirement to use the suffix "HEAVY" if your a/c falls into that category. On frequency I hear some carriers using it and some not - is it required?

Is it not only used in the US, and Canada? Only pilots I have heard using it.....

To my knowledge it's required also in europe at initial call.

As of today (24 Nov) it's required in Australia also. It comes from the ICAO 4444.:)

use of heavy
 

Some do; some don't - certainly at LHR. Seems that US & Canada flights use it all the time when appropriate; DLH seem to as well - others not necessarily.

MM

May I expand the question to the use of the word "Helicopter"?

FromICAO Doc 4444

4.9.2 Indication of heavy wake turbulence category
For aircraft in the heavy wake turbulence category the word
“Heavy” shall be included immediately after the aircraft call
sign in the initial radiotelephony contact between such aircraft
and ATS units.

From the UK's CAP 413 - Chapt 2 para 1.8.2 - on aircraft callsigns "The name of either the aircraft manufacturer, or name of aircraft model, or name of the aircraft category (e.g. helicopter or gyrocopter) may be used as a prefix to the callsign.".

A couple of paras later it says "Aircraft in the heavy wake vortex category shall include the word ‘HEAVY’ immediately after the aircraft callsign in the initial call to each ATSU."

It's worth pointing out that the UK uses non-ICAO wake vortex categories too but offhand I can't remember whether heavies are different.

Where is the division between light and heavy?

When does a Lighty become a Heavy and can a Heavy default to a Lighty with fuel useage?

This is a very weighty question!

Fuel Useage irrelevant.

Based on MTOW.

Medium 7000kg+

Heavy 136000kg+

(Super Heavy 200000kg+ - for HVY fol HVY consideration)

Timothy... your question about the callsign prefix "helicopter" seems to have been ignored... and I'd add "Micro-light" to that list? "Heavy" I can understand, but is there a requirement for these other pre-fixes?

Re 757 : Depends whether its in front of a medium or behind a heavy.

Re the original thread: whole thing is a crock, with any decent RDPS/FDPS having the weight cat in the label and on the paper/electronic strip. More verbosity.

SASKATOON9999

For example, you may find B752/3 is heavy in Austria. That was on request from LOWW APP, after an incident they had with it. So, now on our radar label (Beograd ACC) we have combination of both M and H for B752/3, depending where it's coming from (actually, that's how we find out about Austrians). As far as I was told, the heaviest version of B757 reaches 113.000 kg, so, according to that, it's medium, but due wake it creates, some ATCs are considering it as H.

IN my book yes as this is a heads up for the controller.

To borrow a quaint English phrase - what a load of bollocks.

May I suggest this only snuck in to the lexicon to start with because of an outdated US ATC system patched together.

Even a flight strip - electronic or paper has a bloody H on it, or the ACFT type.

Sorry - just my view. But Bollocks nonetheless.

Uncommon;

Sir, until you KNOW what you are talking about and do some research, please stop your rude insinuations. The rule came about in the US due to LAWYERS and civil litigation. We are only supposed to use the word Heavy when giving traffic and don't use it for normal transmissions in the US enroute system. Now the pilots seem to like to use it, it shows status and pay level <BG>...

regards

Scott

As a pilot I like it, helps to keep the SA up. Now I know I don't have the big picture before Scott points it out, but I don't care about your big picture. I care about what affects me. If I can gleen I'm following a heavy in the LA haze where everything looks small by using some awareness to his calls using the heavy in the callsign then I'm better off.

Go ahead Scott, get your dander up that I might have a limited idea of what's around me.