Callsigns
High Flying Bird
Joined: Dec 2000
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From: Old Sarum ish
I don't know if there's a difference between individual callsigns and formation callsigns. I'm talking about the latter. e.g. 'Badger Formation', comprising G-AAAA, G-BBBB, G-CCCC etc.
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: ...back of the drag curve
The next two in the sequence being:
"Strike3" and
"Yer Out!"
"Strike3" and
"Yer Out!"
Callsigns are an ICAO thing, and you have to apply to a chap somewhere at Heathrow to get allocated an official callsign. I seem to remember they don't issue callsigns to individuals anymore, only to company or AOC holders.
In the case of Flying Clubs and stinking rich individuals, IMHO it smacks of 'trying to be better than your average Joe'. The Airlines and the military I can understand, but it's no better than those drivers who pay huge amounts to have a personalised number plate?
Joined: May 2001
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From: 75N 16E
In the case of Flying Clubs and stinking rich individuals, IMHO it smacks of 'trying to be better than your average Joe'
Breitling one five five would be my choice 
Joined: Feb 2006
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From: UK
I am a PPL with a fairly large school (Filton) who have the callsign 'Fast Track'. Yes, it is slightly pretentious, but when you're learning it's nice to not have to think about the aircraft's reg everytime you make a call.
It makes me think about the origins of the callsign; 'Fast track'..to what, I wonder?
It makes me think about the origins of the callsign; 'Fast track'..to what, I wonder?
Joined: Aug 1999
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
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From: UK
A fairly recent list of Callsigns in civillian use can be found here:
http://www.airlinecodes.co.uk/callsign.asp
http://www.airlinecodes.co.uk/callsign.asp
Try putting in Speedbird and see what you get as the first entry!
aceatco, retired
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: one airshow or another
AIC 69/2005
4 Telephony Designators
4.1 With the exception of State aircraft, ICAO Telephony Designators will normally only be assigned to AOC holders. Normally, no more than one Telephony Designator will be registered for each aircraft operating agency, aeronautical authority or service.
4.2 Exceptionally, Telephony Designators may be assigned to non-AOC holders at the discretion of DAP. In such cases, the assigned Telephony Designator may be used for flights operated in accordance with aircraft and pilot licensing requirements. Telephony Designators will not under any circumstances be assigned to individuals for personal use.
4.3 Telephony Designators may be used as part of the radiotelephony callsign in accordance with ICAO Radiotelephony Procedures (Annex 10, Volume 2) and CAP 413 (Radiotelephony Manual). Telephony Designators should resemble as far as possible the name of the aircraft operating agency or its function. Ideally, there should be a correlation between the three-letter designator, the Telephony Designator and the name of the aircraft operating agency or its function.
4.4 In order to reduce the length of R/T transmissions, Telephony Designators should be brief and comprise if possible one word of two or three syllables. It should not exceed two words. The Telephony Designator should be easily and phonetically pronounceable.
4.5 The use by aircraft operators of Telephony Designators relating to an air traffic service unit is not recommended and should be avoided.
4 Telephony Designators
4.1 With the exception of State aircraft, ICAO Telephony Designators will normally only be assigned to AOC holders. Normally, no more than one Telephony Designator will be registered for each aircraft operating agency, aeronautical authority or service.
4.2 Exceptionally, Telephony Designators may be assigned to non-AOC holders at the discretion of DAP. In such cases, the assigned Telephony Designator may be used for flights operated in accordance with aircraft and pilot licensing requirements. Telephony Designators will not under any circumstances be assigned to individuals for personal use.
4.3 Telephony Designators may be used as part of the radiotelephony callsign in accordance with ICAO Radiotelephony Procedures (Annex 10, Volume 2) and CAP 413 (Radiotelephony Manual). Telephony Designators should resemble as far as possible the name of the aircraft operating agency or its function. Ideally, there should be a correlation between the three-letter designator, the Telephony Designator and the name of the aircraft operating agency or its function.
4.4 In order to reduce the length of R/T transmissions, Telephony Designators should be brief and comprise if possible one word of two or three syllables. It should not exceed two words. The Telephony Designator should be easily and phonetically pronounceable.
4.5 The use by aircraft operators of Telephony Designators relating to an air traffic service unit is not recommended and should be avoided.
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Massachusetts Bay Colony
My squadron mates and I will often call ourselves "Pitts Formation" when gaggled rather than use the reg of the leader or something like that. It reminds people that we're more than one, hopefully adding a bit to general SA. We've never had a problem either here in the UK or in France. Having said that, we usually make pretty clear what Lead's reg is at some point anyway, so it's more of an easier handle than anything we try to make "official".
First day flying at Redhill a couple of years ago, I was gutted to listen in on the tower freq and get all excited at the impending flyby of "Mustang XX" only to find out that it belonged to a bloody R-22! It's the helicopter training school callsign.
The Story of "Stealth 1"
On the subject of callsigns, a guy I knew from my days in the USAF was a Stealth Fighter pilot, rank of captain, returning single-ship to Holloman AFB from an airshow in the east somewhere. The squadron callsign at home base is "Sundowner XX", but he'd been assigned "Stealth 1" as he was the only Stealth at the airshow.
Enroute he had to stop in at another USAF base for fuel, still using the callsign Stealth 1. When he arrived, on a Sunday down day, he's led by the follow-me truck, not to the Transient Ramp, where all visiting aircraft get parked, but straight as an arrow to the VIP parking spot at the end of the red carpet (permanently painted on the apron) directly in front of Base Ops. He thought "Wow! I've hit the big time!" and was looking for someone to high-5 to celebrate this unexpected treatment for a mere captain.
As he popped the canopy, three full-bird colonels came walking out of Base Ops to greet him. The one walking faster than the other two, the wing commander (top dog on the base) takes one look at Ken's bars and says irately, "A captain?! Where the hell is your wing commander?!?!"
To which Ken, suddenly feeling deflated and confused at this unexplained attack, and still sitting in the cockpit, replies "Well, he's back at Holloman, Sir!"
"Well then, who are you, carrying his callsign?" At which point Ken had figured out where the confusion came from: When he filed his flightplan and it arrived at the base's tower, they naturally would have alerted the Command Post that a VIP was inbound.
"Oh!! Sorry, sir", Ken explains, "He's Sundowner 1. I was given Stealth 1 as an airshow callsign for the trip back home."
The commander and one of the other colonels stomped off without another word, quite put out that they'd been called away from their Sunday BBQ by the command post, got dressed in their uniforms, and had to go out, as military protocol demands, and great an unannounced wing commander...which turned out to be some captain on his way home from a weekend jolly.
Ken was a little deflated and sat there for a second wondering what to do next when all was put right as the third officer, still standing on the apron under the cockpit, grinning like a maniac, looked up at Ken, just like the kids at the airshow he'd just left, and asked, "Can I have a look at your jet?"
He's since left the USAF and rebuilds T-6s with his Dad, as far as I know. Races 'em at Reno, too. Hell of a fine leader and gentleman, Ken is.
Pitts2112
First day flying at Redhill a couple of years ago, I was gutted to listen in on the tower freq and get all excited at the impending flyby of "Mustang XX" only to find out that it belonged to a bloody R-22! It's the helicopter training school callsign.
The Story of "Stealth 1"
On the subject of callsigns, a guy I knew from my days in the USAF was a Stealth Fighter pilot, rank of captain, returning single-ship to Holloman AFB from an airshow in the east somewhere. The squadron callsign at home base is "Sundowner XX", but he'd been assigned "Stealth 1" as he was the only Stealth at the airshow.
Enroute he had to stop in at another USAF base for fuel, still using the callsign Stealth 1. When he arrived, on a Sunday down day, he's led by the follow-me truck, not to the Transient Ramp, where all visiting aircraft get parked, but straight as an arrow to the VIP parking spot at the end of the red carpet (permanently painted on the apron) directly in front of Base Ops. He thought "Wow! I've hit the big time!" and was looking for someone to high-5 to celebrate this unexpected treatment for a mere captain.
As he popped the canopy, three full-bird colonels came walking out of Base Ops to greet him. The one walking faster than the other two, the wing commander (top dog on the base) takes one look at Ken's bars and says irately, "A captain?! Where the hell is your wing commander?!?!"
To which Ken, suddenly feeling deflated and confused at this unexplained attack, and still sitting in the cockpit, replies "Well, he's back at Holloman, Sir!"
"Well then, who are you, carrying his callsign?" At which point Ken had figured out where the confusion came from: When he filed his flightplan and it arrived at the base's tower, they naturally would have alerted the Command Post that a VIP was inbound.
"Oh!! Sorry, sir", Ken explains, "He's Sundowner 1. I was given Stealth 1 as an airshow callsign for the trip back home."
The commander and one of the other colonels stomped off without another word, quite put out that they'd been called away from their Sunday BBQ by the command post, got dressed in their uniforms, and had to go out, as military protocol demands, and great an unannounced wing commander...which turned out to be some captain on his way home from a weekend jolly.
Ken was a little deflated and sat there for a second wondering what to do next when all was put right as the third officer, still standing on the apron under the cockpit, grinning like a maniac, looked up at Ken, just like the kids at the airshow he'd just left, and asked, "Can I have a look at your jet?"
He's since left the USAF and rebuilds T-6s with his Dad, as far as I know. Races 'em at Reno, too. Hell of a fine leader and gentleman, Ken is.
Pitts2112
Last edited by Pitts2112; 20th January 2007 at 21:07.
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: Norfolk
2112, why don't we get a bunch of like minded guys together to go meet Ken and a few others at R E N O later this year! I'm free!!
2112 - you've just worked out why I can't say the R E N O name, he'll want to come !!!
Stik
2112 - you've just worked out why I can't say the R E N O name, he'll want to come !!!
Stik
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Massachusetts Bay Colony
Pitts2112
Joined: Feb 2005
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From: essex
ATC registered Callsigns are normally used for commercial operators and commercial training providers so if you are not one of the above then they are not really for you (according to guidance on call sign registration ).
Dancing with the devil, going with the flow... it's all a game to me.
Joined: May 2000
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From: England
Heard an Apache helicopter today on Cottesmore LARS. The callsign?
'Gangster!'
How cool is that?!
Not even a 'Gangster 01' or Gangster 02 etc. Just 'Gangster!'. You could tell the pilot liked saying it too... and so would I! 
VFE.
'Gangster!'
How cool is that?!
Not even a 'Gangster 01' or Gangster 02 etc. Just 'Gangster!'. You could tell the pilot liked saying it too... and so would I! VFE.
Joined: Jan 2005
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From: Grand Com f'Ort
Oh dear
To the original poster, this is a bit like...
...or in other words...
If you don't understand it, then you haven't reached that level in the game yet.
These callsigns are mostly legitimately used by commercial operators for various reasons, the simplest being the likelihood of a last-minute airframe change. It's also helpful for some pilots (like me) who end up having their own callsign within an organisation (with that operator, regardless of what I'm flying, I have my own number, except on charters, where we use the charter trip number).
Some 'individuals' (and I use the word in its loosest possible sense to encompass 'operators', mostly at North Weald, who are playing at being fighter pilots) have adopted their own callsigns, and are only a letter of complaint or a 3113 (assuming my memory has accurately identified the new name for the 939) from a call from Enforcement.
Oh, and doubtless, someone will be along with the 'stupid formation' dit in a few posts from here.
If you're flying G-ABCD, and a grown-up hasn't told you otherwise; or you're not sure what a grown-up is; or don't know if you've met one (take special note if you fly from North Weald); then you should call yourself 'G-ABCD'.
If you need to ask "how much?", you can't afford it
If you don't understand it, then you haven't reached that level in the game yet.
These callsigns are mostly legitimately used by commercial operators for various reasons, the simplest being the likelihood of a last-minute airframe change. It's also helpful for some pilots (like me) who end up having their own callsign within an organisation (with that operator, regardless of what I'm flying, I have my own number, except on charters, where we use the charter trip number).
Some 'individuals' (and I use the word in its loosest possible sense to encompass 'operators', mostly at North Weald, who are playing at being fighter pilots) have adopted their own callsigns, and are only a letter of complaint or a 3113 (assuming my memory has accurately identified the new name for the 939) from a call from Enforcement.
Oh, and doubtless, someone will be along with the 'stupid formation' dit in a few posts from here.
If you're flying G-ABCD, and a grown-up hasn't told you otherwise; or you're not sure what a grown-up is; or don't know if you've met one (take special note if you fly from North Weald); then you should call yourself 'G-ABCD'.
Joined: Sep 2006
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From: Somewhere near the CPT beacon...
Heard "Maverick one-one" on Wycombe tower on Saturday evening. Had us in fits...I can't for the life of me remember what the aircraft itself was but suffice to say it was a fairly little 'un.
Joined: Jan 2007
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From: Dover
First day flying at Redhill a couple of years ago, I was gutted to listen in on the tower freq and get all excited at the impending flyby of "Mustang XX" only to find out that it belonged to a bloody R-22! It's the helicopter training school callsign.
I have heard that call sign at Manston before and same as you was abit upset that it was only a robbo, not that there's anything wrong with them.
I have heard that call sign at Manston before and same as you was abit upset that it was only a robbo, not that there's anything wrong with them.
Joined: Apr 2000
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From: a galaxy far, far,away...
Being slightly more serious, incorrect use of callsigns causes a whole heap of trouble sometimes. Frinstance there's a JP outfit who use "Sword", except "Sword" belongs to a Tucano squadron at (IIRC) Linton. A few years ago the AAC thought they could make up callsigns and were charging up & down the country using a Harrier unit's monniker.
Don't want to poop anyone's party, but callsigns are an official thing & not a free-for-all.
ap
PS Hi AerBabe! Long time no hear!
Don't want to poop anyone's party, but callsigns are an official thing & not a free-for-all.
ap
PS Hi AerBabe! Long time no hear!
A little less conversation,
a little more aviation...
Joined: Jun 2003
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From: Bracknell, UK
Originally Posted by AP
Being slightly more serious, incorrect use of callsigns causes a whole heap of trouble sometimes. Frinstance there's a JP outfit who use "Sword", except "Sword" belongs to a Tucano squadron at (IIRC) Linton. A few years ago the AAC thought they could make up callsigns and were charging up & down the country using a Harrier unit's monniker.
Don't want to poop anyone's party, but callsigns are an official thing & not a free-for-all.
Don't want to poop anyone's party, but callsigns are an official thing & not a free-for-all.