Callsign only. Only callsign?
 

(from a pilot)

How do you guys interpret the "Callsign only" intruction?
Do you still include the name of the station being called, in your transmission?

For example:
"Schiphol Approach, FlyFar123"
OR simply
"FlyFar123"

??

Only

Flyfar123


Saigor

Not according to the Schiphol Approach controller I talked to some days ago. He referred to the general rule of always having to mention the station being called on first contact. "Callsign only", in his view, refers to the actual message being broadcasted to the receiving station, not to the station identification. In this example that would be the part coming after "Schiphol Approach": "Schiphol Approach, <callsign>".

Next time I'll ask again, just to be sure.

As a UK person, I know there are some procedures intended to cut down on RTF loading but I'm not sure where the procedure in question comes from. Can anyone be more specific - An AIP entry maybe? Is it just Schiphol or a more widely used procedure?

It's also used at various UK airports, supposedly to save R/T time. Pilots given such an instruction should simply say their callsign only when making contact on the new frequency.

I'm not an Approach Radar controller, but my understanding is that the intention of this instruction is to stop someone tying up the likes of Heathrow Final Director with all the other stuff (heading, level passing, level cleared to, speed etc) when this information is already known due to the transfer of data from the previous controller. This is especially important if the passing of this information prevents the Final Director from getting in to do the closing turn onto the ILS with one coming the other way down base leg..:eek: .

My vote would be for:

"Schiphol Approach, FlyFar123".

I'm Schiphol based and we all say "Approach XX 123" or "Arrival XX123"
:ok:

I agree with eye in the sky.... "XXXX tower, ABC123" :cool:

Yep, me too. Apart from anything else, as an ATCO, if a transmission starts with the name of my station first, then I'm mentally prepared to hear the important bit(s) that follow. If the first thing that's said is an aircraft's callsign, I may be concentrating on something else (or wondering what to have for supper) and miss it.

Sounds more like a line-checkers nitpick point than anything important. I shall continue to address the ATC unit on first contact, by it's proper call-sign.

MATS PT 1 states that the composition of a message should include the full callsign of the adressee and the full callsign of the originator. Once two way comms has been established then there is no need to use the adressee.

I, as a tower controller prefer the 'callsign only' approach, but with the adressee included on first contact. When busy it cuts down on R/T and helps me differentiate between somebody who I have and have not spoken to. :cool: