CAT A aircraft emergency
 

I was in SOU the other week and the controller said they had a 'CAT A coming in'. Something about low fuel.

No heard that expression before, apart from the biblical aircraft catagory. Could anyone enlighten me.

Obviously not on the specifics of that emergency but in general.

Thanks

CAP493 (MATS part 1) section 1 chapter subsection 10,
Category Type of Flight
A Aircraft in emergency (e.g. engine fault, fuel shortage, seriously ill
passenger). Aircraft which have declared a 'Police Emergency'.
Ambulance/Medical aircraft when the safety of life is involved.
B Flights operating for search and rescue or other humanitarian
reasons. Post accident flight checks. Other flights, including Open
Skies Flights, authorised by the CAA. Police flights under normal
operational priority.
C Royal Flights Flights carrying visiting Heads of State which have been notified by NOTAM/Temporary Supplement.
D Flights notified by the CAA carrying Heads of Government or very
senior government ministers.
E Flight check aircraft engaged on, or in transit to, time or weather
critical calibration flights.
Other flights authorised by the CAA.
NORMAL FLIGHTS
i) Flights which have filed a flight plan in the normal way and conforming with
normal routing procedures.
ii) Initial instrument flight tests conducted by the CAA Flight Examining Unit.
(RTF callsign “EXAM”)
Z Training, non-standard and other flights.
And so priority is granted by status above, so catA versus catB, A gets to do what they want first, then B, and both before normal flights.

- ah yes, that's '999' on the transponder, I guess?

I think your transponder's a bit off if it's 999.

1747 in octal should do :-)

- I guess they had run out of stock when they got to you:)

Jim59

Thanks, I tried to work it out last night after bedtime....just fell asleep.

Squawk 999? ... must be a 'parotty' error!!


....... hat, coat, Taxi!

Is this CAT A different to the CAT A or B the Police use in their call sign?

The very same.

Cheers VS no you mention it I have reread the paragraph I noticed it being mentioned on the end.:uhoh::uhoh: