Why bother with the G in an abbreviated callsign?

[Mariner9]

Apart from a few N reg and other foreign interlopers, most GA types bumbling around UK airspace are G-reg. So why then, do we routinely abbreviate callsigns G-XX. Surely it'd make more sense to use say the last 3 letters.

Would certainly reduce the number of times ATC nag you to "use full callsign".

Can anyone explain the reasoning behind the current practise

[Maarten]

Might it have something to do with the fact that there may be more than one G-XX ATC is talking to at that time and therefore the full call sign is needed?

[Mariner9]

Thats my point Maaarten, far higher chance statistically of having two G-XX's than say two XXX's

[Scuzi]

Doesn't that leave the situation where other countries callsigns could be mixed up. E.g

G-MNOP = NOP
N123OP = NOP

I can see where you're coming from about reducing the chances of having to use a full callsign but in my opinion it leaves a greater chance of confusion.

[Mariner9]

In your example Scuzi full callsigns would of course be required. But I would of thought G-MNOP is far more likely to encounter G-??OP than N???OP

[Snigs]

When I was flying in Sweden I flew SE-FDT, this was abbreviated to Fox(trot) Delta Tango by ATC. It seems that they're with you Mariner9

[Mariner9]

On the subject of Swedish reg's Snigs, recall that SE-XUP and SE-XOP attended the pfa rally. Would certainly be happy to use full callsign in the former, not sure about the latter!

[dublinpilot]

Irish registrations are routinly shortened to the final 3 letters of the registration......though sometimes it's only the final two........and on the odd occasion it's E-xx ....

[we_never_change]

Whilst out & about Monday, heard a Gulfstream jet inbound to Luton, on the initial call, the full callsign of "XA-OEM" was given & then both pilot & Luton approach ATC referred to it as "Oscar Echo Mike" in all further transmissions.

WNC

[jezbowman]

Same with Oz - when I hired VH-MDX it became MDX. So there seems to be a trend with two letter country codes where they use the last three in the abbreviation. What do France, Germany and Canada use? (Those guys are the same as us - i.e. X-XXXX).

[Whopity]

We do it because it is the procedure laid down in ICAO Doc 9432 the RadioTelephony Manual. Para 2.7 specifies how callsigns shall be used and abbreviated. This is further stated in CAP 413 Chapter 2.

It has been considered that this is the most acceptable abbreviation for International use and in any event is only used when there is no possibility of confusion.

Some countries will have more foreign aircraft using its airspace than we do in the UK but, as its an Internationaly agreed procedure, we are duty bound to comply with it.

[Keygrip]

What do France, Germany and Canada use?

I've flown in locally registered aircraft in all three countries - and they all used X-XX.

(No, Gromit, not triple X)

[LowNSlow]

Standard procedure (with Luton at least) is full call sign on initial contact. Ground service responds with full callsign and then abbreviate it to the last two letters on subsequent calls. I have heard two Romeo Oscars talking to Luton and then they used the full callsigns to differentiate between the B737 and the C172.

Best callsign I heard was Batman One from an N-reg bizjet going into Luton

[englishal]

In the US the standard abreviation is to use the last 3 letters, so N123XP would be shortened to 3XP. They also like to include the type, so if a PA28 it would be "Cherokee 3XP".

Must admit that if there is a lot of RT traffic, I normally "forget" the G......unless told to use full call sign.

[vintage ATCO]

Standard procedure (with Luton at least) is full call sign on initial contact. Ground service responds with full callsign and then abbreviate it to the last two letters on subsequent calls.

Yes, but . . Luton Tower does it properly, G-and the last two

[Kolibear]

If I 'forget' to use the G prefix - a certain ATC prooner starts nagging me

[david viewing]

I would certainly favour the last 3 letters, as practised in the US. I also like the practice of using the type, ie. "Cessna 49Q" because it helps greatly in identifying traffic at uncontrolled fields. (all part of the broader picture in the rather narrow FISO debate raging elsewhere, in my opinion).

Englishal: A question. Quite often my call "Cessna etc." is read back by ATC as "November etc." with quite a big emphasis on the "November" part, almost as though I'm being put right. Is the Cessna part incorrect practice now in the US? Or is there some other reason why they want to emphasis the "November". Or is it my foreign accent!!?

[Jhieminga]

AIM Chapter 4.2 still reads:

3. Civil aircraft pilots should state the aircraft type, model or manufacturer's name, followed by the digits/letters of the registration number. When the aircraft manufacturer's name or model is stated, the prefix "N" is dropped; e.g., Aztec Two Four Six Four Alpha.

Has this changed because of the whole 9/11 aftermath? Any US pilots who can clarify??

[englishal]

In the US, the initial call would be Cessna one two three four xray tango for N1234XT, no november, then subsequent calls would be Cessna four xray tango. In the UK I suppose they like to remind you / themselves that you're not a G reg.

[Keygrip]

All the ATC'ers that I work with out here (in flight safety meetings) tell me they would prefer the aircraft MODEL rather than the manufacturers name.

They would prefer Skyhawk XXX or Citation XXX rather than Cessna XXX.

Performance and (probable) air crew qualifications/experience are given as the reason why.

(I'm not saying they are right - I'm just passing on what they tell me - but they mostly do things their own individual ways.

One guy told me that the readback he expected for a full airways clearance [levels, next frequencies, squawk code, headings, routing...everything], was a simple "Roger").