Airline Call Signs
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Easier to put the link (look at the comments below the top 10)
https://aerosavvy.com/airline-call-signs/
Big Bird
Browntail (early UPS) - can imagine the jokes in ATC on that one
Bearskin
Sasquatch
Moonshine
Sandbar
many more - have a look.
https://aerosavvy.com/airline-call-signs/
Big Bird
Browntail (early UPS) - can imagine the jokes in ATC on that one
Bearskin
Sasquatch
Moonshine
Sandbar
many more - have a look.
MAC is so last century. It's AMC now - Air Mobility Command. "Giant" is Atlas Air. "Reach" is a USAF aircraft flying for AMC. Their mission statement is "to provide global reach"... "Camber" is a civilian aircraft operating for AMC.
Gan Air 300
Not a call sign, but stencilled on the fuselage by ground-crew to commemorate the 300th flight of the Katunayake (Sri Lanka) - Gan air bridge. As photographed by me in 1958.
Not a call sign, but stencilled on the fuselage by ground-crew to commemorate the 300th flight of the Katunayake (Sri Lanka) - Gan air bridge. As photographed by me in 1958.
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The trusty Valletta!
A shorter journey and nearer to home, but just as looked forward to was 'The NAAFI Kite'. A once a month Valletta from Benson to Istres/Orange.
It carried our stores and Duty Free, some idiot decied that 'stores' had a higher priority than Duty Free so when it landed there was a dash to open the door and see how many cylinders of oxygen it was carrying.
Too many, and our Duty Free was delayed until next month.
A shorter journey and nearer to home, but just as looked forward to was 'The NAAFI Kite'. A once a month Valletta from Benson to Istres/Orange.
It carried our stores and Duty Free, some idiot decied that 'stores' had a higher priority than Duty Free so when it landed there was a dash to open the door and see how many cylinders of oxygen it was carrying.
Too many, and our Duty Free was delayed until next month.
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On the subject of phonetics, Air France's RT callsign is actually AIR FRANZ to ensure that les étrangers pronounce it correctly.
I know it's not an airline callsign however one of our Air Force Squadrons used "Wombat" followed by the task number as a callsign.
The Wombat is a vegetarian nocturnal marsupial that eats roots and leaves. Apparently the squadron members identified closely with this.
Ansett Air Freight also had the wombat painted on the nose of their Electra freighters in the 70's and early 80's.
CC
The Wombat is a vegetarian nocturnal marsupial that eats roots and leaves. Apparently the squadron members identified closely with this.
Ansett Air Freight also had the wombat painted on the nose of their Electra freighters in the 70's and early 80's.
CC
When I worked in Denmark in the late 90's the Danish Airforce F16's call sign was "Tin Box". We tried to call them down to play with us offshore down at 3000' but they always said no
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Ta!
Another one from the depths of memory was GILL or JILL for Gill Air. Not sure how it was formally written as I only heard it on frequency. However 99% of the time it was announced as "THE GILL ___"
Many Aer Lingus pilots are still keen on prefixing as "THE SHAMROCK ___" which might be cute if flying to some remote outstation but is redundant on Dublin approach.
Another one from the depths of memory was GILL or JILL for Gill Air. Not sure how it was formally written as I only heard it on frequency. However 99% of the time it was announced as "THE GILL ___"
Many Aer Lingus pilots are still keen on prefixing as "THE SHAMROCK ___" which might be cute if flying to some remote outstation but is redundant on Dublin approach.
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I think it was Scot Airways Embraers that used to use the callsign "Granite."
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“Beeline” is the callsign for Brussels airlines, so those speedbird tugs are just asking for an incident.
There’s a bizjet company with callsign “Batman” (designator EXH), another; “Gotham” (GTH).
One of the Swiss medivac crowds uses “Red Angel” (IFA).
On the subject of Speedbirds saying “the” before the callsign, most airlines have people who do that in my experience.
Anybody ever notice how many ACA pilots say “Air Canada’s 123”? I always found that an odd idiosyncrasy.
I remember coming across HiFly Malta’s callsign in the DOCs once, thought it was brilliant but have forgotten it now. Edit: It’s ”Moonraker”, although I’ve never heard it in live ops.
There’s a bizjet company with callsign “Batman” (designator EXH), another; “Gotham” (GTH).
One of the Swiss medivac crowds uses “Red Angel” (IFA).
On the subject of Speedbirds saying “the” before the callsign, most airlines have people who do that in my experience.
Anybody ever notice how many ACA pilots say “Air Canada’s 123”? I always found that an odd idiosyncrasy.
I remember coming across HiFly Malta’s callsign in the DOCs once, thought it was brilliant but have forgotten it now. Edit: It’s ”Moonraker”, although I’ve never heard it in live ops.
Last edited by Una Due Tfc; 31st Jan 2018 at 22:59.
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If I remember correctly, and apologies if already posted, BIA British Island Airways used to be 'Britisland' and British United Air Ferries sometimes prefixed their flight nos with VF. although often air traffic just used the aircraft registration, ie. GASDC etc.
“Beeline” is the callsign for Brussels airlines, so those speedbird tugs are just asking for an incident.
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'Granite' was Business Air, the c/s reflecting Aberdeen -'The Granite City', where they were based. Their fleet were SAAB 340s.
Three of the SAABs would arrive at EGCC from Scotland almost simultaneously 2 or 3 times a day, all with similar call-signs. I think they had a QC facility and used them for freight at night?
Three of the SAABs would arrive at EGCC from Scotland almost simultaneously 2 or 3 times a day, all with similar call-signs. I think they had a QC facility and used them for freight at night?
Ground vehicles don't, as a rule, use ICAO callsigns/designators (since many of them don't belong to airlines) and the types of transmissions they make are unlikely to be confused with those from live aircraft, so there aren't really any safety implications.
Heathrow clearly agree and hence allow its continued use.
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'Granite' was Business Air, the c/s reflecting Aberdeen -'The Granite City', where they were based. Their fleet were SAAB 340s.
Three of the SAABs would arrive at EGCC from Scotland almost simultaneously 2 or 3 times a day, all with similar call-signs. I think they had a QC facility and used them for freight at night?
Three of the SAABs would arrive at EGCC from Scotland almost simultaneously 2 or 3 times a day, all with similar call-signs. I think they had a QC facility and used them for freight at night?