One I don't like is the UK long-haul Norwegian=Red Nose

But of course Thomas Cook=kestrel, various freight operators=quality, Aer Lingus=shamrock, Indigo (India) =Ifly, West Atlantic = Neptune, RVL = Endurance etc etc.

I never knew that Northeast had two callsigns, Mooncrest. Thanks for that info! About 10 or 15 years ago I was listening to my airband (don't tell the feds) and about the time the last Heathrow-Toon Shuttle (Shuttle 12T) was due in I heard an old fella calling up as 'Northeast 12T' . Turns out it was an ex-Northeast captain's last flight before retirement. A nice touch, but did they get the callsign wrong?!

Virgin America callsign until a week ago was “Redwood”.
Having been bought by Alaska Airlines the callsign is now “Alaska”, I gather Virgin America will cease operations in April having been integrated into Alaska Airlines.

Someone used the callsign Nugget. My memory is not what it used to be, but I think it was the RAE shuttle, generally a Dove from Farnborough to Bedford.

Didn't Bae use the c/s Tibbet for there positioning a/c?

Yep RAE used Nugget- Dove shuttles between Bedford and Farnborough etc.

Tibbet (or teppit?) was the BAe Hatfield callsign if remember. Chester was Newpin, Woodford Avro (still used) , BAC Hurn Llama, Handley Page Hanair.

Qinetic still use Gauntlet and Tester (ETPS) IIRC

And the fictitious Glassjar (unless it was really supermarine) used in "Sound Barrier"

Too young to remember

And at Cranfield where I am today we still use "Aeronaut"

Nugget (RAE) was the callsign for pilots based at all the RAEs, Farnborough, Bedford, Llanbedr, West Freugh and the last unit to use it was Farnborough, Bedford having closed and the other two airfields using 'Tee-bird' when they became 'Test and Evaluation Establishments' rather than 'RAEs'.
When Farnborough test flying moved to Boscombe Down, the pilot's callsigns all changed to 'Gauntlet'(BDN). According to the ICAO listing, Nugget has been re-assigned now.
Tibbet was Hatfield test pilots callsigns; BAe Warton test pilots use 'Tarnish'.

At one time didn't BAe (HSA) shuttle pilots use the callsign 'Felix' ?

And Bedford test pilots 'Blackbox' ?

"Giant" is Atlas Air, although they do operate many CRAF flights.

BAE Corporate Air Travel (CAT) do use Felix...as in "Felix the CAT"

'Blackbox' was the callsign for the Radar Research Squadron at Pershore, then Bedford. I still have my personalised squadron mug, presented to me by Blackbox Delta.

My thanks to Plane Speaker and Simtech for your replies.

Another question if I may, and it's a real long shot. Does anyone know what callsign was used by the De Havilland Sea Vixen test pilots at Christchurch and Hurn back in the 1950s?

We used to hear 'AVRO' callsigns going in and out of Woodford. And I'm sure I've heard 'GHOSTRIDER' on RT as well.

ASCOT reminds me of the exchange which may be apocryphal:

"London Military good afternoon, ASCOT 123. We're an Andover on handover over Dover, over".

The old Concorde callsign 'SPEEDBIRD 1' is, I understand, now used by a lowly A318 out of London Docklands for New York via Shannon.

Early 70's 'Raffles One', always sounded like 'Airforce 1', but was
Baron G-AYID, frequent LHR visitor

Yes, Beverleys used a similar system. I noted the following in the 1960s: XB168 MOBXD; XB284 MOBXH; XL148 MOBCY. The last letter was carried on the tail also.

Laurence

BAe Prestwick used PWK = "Tennant", the younger me thought the Jetstreams were the corporate aircraft for the lager company.

Air Sinclair SCK = "ClanKing" for an Islander which literally did.
Highland Express had VY/TTN = "Tartan" which I liked.

I have heard the callsign "Vicars" a few times - Church of England Air Services maybe? :E

Royal Flights - "Kitty" positioning, "Kittyhawk" with Royal on board. "Rainbow" with Prince Phillip at controls and "Unicorn" if Prince Charles.

My personal favourite is the very appropriate "Vortex" used by the RAF Chinooks