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Airline Call Signs

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Old 14th Mar 2018, 09:36
  #161 (permalink)  
 
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I have no reason to doubt your word, as regards Manchester &, perhaps, elsewhere. I began at LATCC in 1971 & AF were using flight numbers then. But, I know that the info. I have already posted is correct, as regards the trans Atlantic flyovers in the C.Is area. Another flight number used, in the '60s, was AF707 & the returning 077 came back as the 070.
I think that, as already stated, AF used regs. on flights operated elsewhere in the '60s (as for the LFPO to LFRB flights - we certainly "copped" VC7s flying south of our area from the r/t c/s - a registration).
Does anyone else have any info?
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Old 14th Mar 2018, 09:58
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When ' Air 2 Bob ' [ 2000 ] started , chaos around France / Spain ATC .
'' Air , two thousand , four , zero , tree , sixer , request '' .
ATC ' who ist calling ? '
We all breathed a sigh of relief when they changed to Jetset !
12 Jan 1975 , Shuttle started on LHR GLA LHR , SHT 7 Lima soon got slurred to SHT Semolina , and 7 Uniform to 7-Up . Others escape memory . Seem to remember back up flights were SHT Papa Lima [ G-ARPL ] , etc . Although if Mainline's sole T1E [ brought backfrom Cyprus after the war ] was on back up duty c/s slipped to SHT Mr Wu [ G-ASWU ] .
Yes , we too cringed at the use of ''The Speedbird '' .

rgds condor
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Old 14th Mar 2018, 22:57
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Thanks to all those who have replied with flight number/registration info. Also, now it's been mentioned, G-ASZC did call himself "Raffles Zulu Charlie", not sure when he switched to "Raffles One". Mr Raffles had an address in Manchester - did he fly south to get to work in London or was it definitely the other way as has been suggested?

Well off the beaten track now but another rather long shot request. Back in June 1968 the Ethiopian AF dropped into Luton with a C-54 serialled "727". I don't suppose anyone can help with their callsign? Picture (not one of mine) on the Luton History and Nostalgia thread.
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Old 15th Mar 2018, 08:37
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RZ 1 was in use when I was at LATCC. This would be between June '71 & June '73. Not sure as to when, exactly, it started.
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Old 12th Apr 2018, 22:18
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ACE Connie at Perth

Originally Posted by FAR CU

One other total segue . .. . .. while working at Perth Airport, Western Australia in mid 1965, I saw a British registered 749 Connie landing just after daybreak. She taxied to the freight apron. That aircraft had a big Ace of Spades painted on the tail. And it was the grubbiest 749 you could imagine.
After shutting down, the front door opened and a man let down a light extension ladder, which, first closing the door , he climbed down. He put the ladder flat on the ground under the 749. Carrying a small case, he disappeared in the direction of the cab rank.

To this day, I believe he was the sole occupant of that 749. (Not being a plane-spotter, I neglected to note the rego, apart from the G-????).
[/I]
I don't know if this is relevant but I have found the following:
L749 G-ALAK flew Perth-Cocos 8.7.66

It's a year later however.
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Old 13th Apr 2018, 07:51
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Originally Posted by Pom Pax
Clipper 1 & 2 were not true round the world services as Pan Am had no internal US rights. So Clipper 1 turned round in 'Frisco becoming Clipper 2 and returned New York West bound.
Interestingly, I have flown SFO to JFK on PanAm 747 in 1986....

One very nice use of call signs I have come across is (or at least was still a few years ago) Bombardier test pilots at their completion center at Montreal. Each pilot has his own number, and depending whether he is flying a Challenger or Global, he is either CanadairXX or de HavillandXX. Liked that.
Also, staying in business jets, I think the Air Alsie call sign "Mermaid" is one of the best, as is Windrose Air's "Quadriga". Think of famous Danish and German statues here...
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Old 23rd Apr 2018, 08:20
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Originally Posted by eckhard
“Nitro” TNT?
“Brickyard” American Eagle, operated by Republic.
“Cactus” America West then US Airways.
“Giant” USAF MAC.
“Reach” USAF MAC.
Giant is Atlas Air
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Old 23rd Apr 2018, 09:20
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REACH used to be additionally assigned to DoD commercial charters but those now fly under CAMBER.

United Biscuits ( UK ) used to have YOOBEE for their King Air G-BCUZ but I don't know if they have any aircraft nowadays.

His managers were encouraged to use company aircraft for factory visits, at the risk of being stranded if the pilot had to divert to pick up a member of the chairman’s family; a more hair-raising option was to be flown by the chairman himself.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obi...-Dunphail.html

Last edited by El Bunto; 23rd Apr 2018 at 09:38. Reason: More info
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Old 24th Apr 2018, 13:45
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Exercsie Joint Warrior currently underway highlights callsigns used by the FR Aviation Falcon 20s: ASPIRIN, BROMIDE, MOTHBALL, STARBEAM, TINSEL, TOPKNOT, VADER, WARTHOG, ZODIAC
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Old 24th Apr 2018, 16:10
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Just an idea but is it possible that European Airlines flying to USA had to abopt Flight numbers because most US airliners had numeric and alpha numeric registrations and FAA maybe didnt recognise call signs with no numbers.
Just a thought because it does seem like airlines in Europe used both Flight number and registrations at the same time depending on the destination??
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Old 25th Apr 2018, 01:43
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ASPIRIN, BROMIDE, ... TINSEL
Highly appropriate call-signs. These three were WWII jammers.
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Old 25th Apr 2018, 07:11
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Originally Posted by India Four Two
Highly appropriate call-signs. These three were WWII jammers.
Cheers! nice connection

TOPKNOT seems to be reserved for working with navy vessels, sensibly enough.
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Old 25th Apr 2018, 07:53
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Originally Posted by pax britanica
Just an idea but is it possible that European Airlines flying to USA had to abopt Flight numbers because most US airliners had numeric and alpha numeric registrations and FAA maybe didnt recognise call signs with no numbers.
Just a thought because it does seem like airlines in Europe used both Flight number and registrations at the same time depending on the destination??
I don’t think so. Using flight numbers came about because of the introduction of stored FPLS. Registrations could not be used for these as the a/c operating the service changed from day to day - unless your airline only had one aero plane.
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Old 11th Jul 2018, 07:03
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someone was asking about Laker's call sign at first - was it the Regn or the flight number first used in the 60's?

and Air Spain
AS flight numbers were JAxxx but I cannot recall their callsign
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Old 11th Jul 2018, 07:24
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Anyone remember what Tower AIr used? I can't imagine they used 'Tower' , imagine the confusion.

Anilv
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Old 11th Jul 2018, 14:27
  #176 (permalink)  
 
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Air Spain

As far as I recall they used Air Spain *** eg "Air Spain 115 " Sounded like hand held mikes, heavy accent and background noise. Had a few interesting DC-8 arrivals at Luton !!
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Old 11th Jul 2018, 14:36
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One of the shortest lived callsign changes was when TUI changed HLX's from 'Excellence' to 'Yellow Smile'. A short time later it was changed again to 'Yellow Cab' which fitted the branding and aircraft colour scheme and lost the unfortunate yellow teeth connotations.
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Old 11th Jul 2018, 14:42
  #178 (permalink)  
 
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Originally Posted by oldandbald
Air Spain

As far as I recall they used Air Spain *** eg "Air Spain 115 " Sounded like hand held mikes, heavy accent and background noise. Had a few interesting DC-8 arrivals at Luton !!
cheers - they were my first job from 1972 - repping for them at LTN and LGW and sometimes BHX on behalf of their main UK charters Vistajet and Horizon holidays
yes the DC-8 was notorious at LTN - tech delays etc and very nice 02.00 deps

I see you are in Dorset too
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Old 11th Jul 2018, 16:34
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Originally Posted by Anilv
Anyone remember what Tower AIr used? I can't imagine they used 'Tower' , imagine the confusion.

Anilv
I seem to remember it was just 'Tower Air' but it was a while ago, I could be wrong...
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Old 12th Jul 2018, 07:25
  #180 (permalink)  
 
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I thought flight numbers have always been with us. I seem to remember (ISTR) reading somewhere, that the first ever flight of KLM from London to Amsterdam (May 1919) already had a flight number: Flight 101. I believe it is still in use, 99 years later.
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