Airline Call Signs
Yeah, but who were the Geezers who invented the call signs and forced us to use them ? My pilot training was sponsored by BKS Air Transport , during the course, they re-branded and painted the aircraft yellow. Of course I was very proud to call myself "Northeast _ _ _ " whenever operating. But some joker decided to call us "Norjet". Felt very silly bombing around in a Viscount calling myself Norjet. Felt much more worthy after converting to T1e and blasting off to NCL from LHR at M0.86. After the rotten merger, another jobsworth decided to call us, now in BARD, "Albion". Worse, he justified this with a page long memo asking us to be proud of the history of the term "Albion". Nothing to do with my home team, Brighton & Hove Albion but a bunch of white (you could say that, then, ) Warriors who conquered , heaven knows what or when and then sought further credibility by justifying the fact that "Albion" complied with regulation requiring three syllables.
A brief and hateful (mutual ) period with Air 2 Bob had me cringing every time I announce I was "Jetset". Ghastly !
After a Glorious term with Transavia, I joined up with a new start that got quickly airborne by buying out some Light A/C Belgian cargo outfit and used their AOC with associated call-sign, " Moonrun " ! Lovely 757 outa Frankfurt for Palma & I suffered the indignity of calling myself " Moonrun _ _ _ " !
Thanks be to Allah that Gulfair called themselves, er, "Gulfair" . Much more settled and stayed with it for 17 years.
My question remains though, who were those Geezers ? Prizes for genuine names .
A brief and hateful (mutual ) period with Air 2 Bob had me cringing every time I announce I was "Jetset". Ghastly !
After a Glorious term with Transavia, I joined up with a new start that got quickly airborne by buying out some Light A/C Belgian cargo outfit and used their AOC with associated call-sign, " Moonrun " ! Lovely 757 outa Frankfurt for Palma & I suffered the indignity of calling myself " Moonrun _ _ _ " !
Thanks be to Allah that Gulfair called themselves, er, "Gulfair" . Much more settled and stayed with it for 17 years.
My question remains though, who were those Geezers ? Prizes for genuine names .
I'm sure I've read before on a similar thread that the Albion callsign was the brainchild of a Northeast/BA Regional Division Leeds Bradford Base Captain. I can't recall a name though. Agree, Norjet was naff for a Viscount but I guess the American Northeast had already bagsied the obvious callsign.
Last edited by Mooncrest; 26th Nov 2019 at 20:57.
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Just had GM on the phone who suggests naming and shaming the "Geezers" might lead to admonishment from the Mods, at least. But, the Memo was from the CP at LHR. It might not prove it was him but that was the implication. Funny little Northerner who then went up after the merger, then sideways then back down. You are right about the US Notheast though. GM believes that the UK version got away with the same colours and name after, he thinks the US operator went bust but that the callsign was too expensive to buy. Historians will put us all right on that one, I'm sure.
I'm sure I've read before on a similar thread that the Albion callsign was the brainchild of a Northeast/BARD Leeds Bradford Base Captain. I can't recall a name though. Agree, Norjet was naff for a Viscount but I guess the American Northeast had already bagsied the obvious callsign.
I assume that ATC then had callsign indigestion with too many Bealines with similar flight numbers and by summer 76 they reverted to NS/Northeast at Leeds. BZ/Albion came along in 1977, presumably because NE/Northeast was an anachronism.
Can anybody expand/enlarge/correct?
I've done a little research (i.e. looked on Wikipedia) and it seems the American Northeast was subsumed into Delta Airlines by 1972. Theoretically, the way should then have been clear for BA Regional Division to use the Northeast callsign once Bealine had proved unsatisfactory in the mid-1970s.
As for Jetset, it was arsey with delusions of grandeur but less of a mouthful than Air 2000.
As for Jetset, it was arsey with delusions of grandeur but less of a mouthful than Air 2000.
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MNG Airlines-"Black Sea"
Many moons ago on a night shift in the LTMA, it departs from Luton and calls my colleague( DKG,yes you ) on the R/T. For all the world it sounded like he was saying "bollox ee". Cue controller incapictation due to laughing.
Many moons ago on a night shift in the LTMA, it departs from Luton and calls my colleague( DKG,yes you ) on the R/T. For all the world it sounded like he was saying "bollox ee". Cue controller incapictation due to laughing.
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I'm sure I've read before on a similar thread that the Albion callsign was the brainchild of a Northeast/BA Regional Division Leeds Bradford Base Captain. I can't recall a name though. Agree, Norjet was naff for a Viscount but I guess the American Northeast had already bagsied the obvious callsign.
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Here's another question. I remember BUA using registrations for callsigns in the late 60's, used to hear their 1-11's on domestic schedules routing DET-BPK-DTY as (e.g.) "British United Juliet Fox". Caledonian, however, I always remember used flight numbers. So does anyone know what happened during the Caledonian//BUA interim period around 1971?
BUA had, at least partially, adopted flight number call signs in the late 60s - we used to get the series “British United 451,2,3,4,5,6,7 & 8” flying over the Channel Islands to & from the Canary Islands (operated by Britannias) between 1966 &
‘68’ , about. But, I can’t remember what callsign they used after the merger with Caledonian. Sorry.
‘68’ , about. But, I can’t remember what callsign they used after the merger with Caledonian. Sorry.
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Another question; this time British Airways. Officially came into existence on 1st April 1974, although Cambrian and Northeast were not integrated for another two years. Looking at some old timetables, the original "BE" and "BZ" prefixes were still in use for the former B.E.A. and Regional Division flights respectively until at least summer 1978. Just wondering if anyone can shed any light on how long it was before "Speedbird" was adopted as the callsign for all BA flights - did this change at the same time as the published timetables changed? Many thanks in advance for any replies.
Another question; this time British Airways. Officially came into existence on 1st April 1974, although Cambrian and Northeast were not integrated for another two years. Looking at some old timetables, the original "BE" and "BZ" prefixes were still in use for the former B.E.A. and Regional Division flights respectively until at least summer 1978. Just wondering if anyone can shed any light on how long it was before "Speedbird" was adopted as the callsign for all BA flights - did this change at the same time as the published timetables changed? Many thanks in advance for any replies.
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Earlier thread on the topic here: PPRuNe: ex BEA and "Speedbird" callsigns
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Anyone shed any light on the callsign "Lima"? Used by a 1-11 back on 21st Jan 1969 on a test/training/delivery flight Stansted-Gatwick-Luton ("Lima 34"). Any possibility it was used by BAC, like HS used "Tibbit"? As always many thanks for any replies.