Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.csd.uwm.edu!bionet!ames!sun-barr!newstop!texsun!texbell!vector!telecom-gateway From: claris!netcom!edg@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Edward Greenberg) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Radio Call-signs In Airplanes Message-ID: Date: 7 Sep 89 17:03:27 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Reply-To: Edward Greenberg Organization: NetCom- The Bay Area's Public Access Unix System {408 997-9175} Lines: 47 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 358, message 5 of 7 In article HAMER@ruby.vcu.edu (ROBERT M. HAMER) writes: >>Don't airplanes use N prefixes for their call signs? >Aircraft radios are licensed by the FCC, and pilots have to get a >"Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit" (at least that's what >mine says) in order to operate it. As a call sign, one uses the >FAA-registered aircraft identification number. A bit of clarification. Pilots no longer need Restricted Radiotelephone Permits when operating in the US. They DO need them to operate outside the US. Aircraft ID's are assigned by the FAA, and the FCC (conveniently) issues a radio STATION license for the aircraft with the same callsign. (Two govt agencies working together, how about that? :-) When operating in the US, most general aviation acft id as followed by the ID, shy the N. So a Piper Warrior N1234A identifies himself as Cherokee-1234Alpha. The controller has the option of calling the aircraft Cherokee-34-Alpha, after which the pilot may shorten the call to the same abbreviation. Most helicopters are called Helicopter 1234A, no matter the brand. Special function aircraft are sometimes referred to by that function. I.e. Traffic-watch-1234-Alpha. This makes sense, since it allows all and sundry to know what's going on. (Traffic watch aircraft fly low and slow and do lots of turns over the freeway on final approach to the airport yesterday at 5 O'clock in hazy condition, where the heck is he??? But I digress. :-) Helicopters do the damnedest things. If you have a bunch of aircraft, you can apply (to the FAA, I think) to use a special callsign, like Academy 21. When you go outside the local area though, you revert to normal aircraft ID's like Cessna 5678Alpha. Note that outside the USA, you are careful to call up in the form of Calgary Tower, Cessna, NOVEMBER 1234-Alpha. This is way beyond the scope of Telecom. One might ask for further info on rec.aviation. -edg -- Ed Greenberg uunet!apple!netcom!edg [Moderator's Note: You are probably correct that the discussion would best be continued in rec.aviation or the radio group. PT]