Radio Callsigns

[bessiedawg]

I have a question about the use of radio callsigns for commercial aircraft. Some companies use their company name as the callsign. ( Southwest 123, United 123, American 123 etc...) Others use "alias" callsigns such as AirTran which uses "Citrus", Northwest Jetliknk uses "Flagship" etc...

Why do some use alias calls and others do not. Is there an advantage one way or the other ? Just wondering.

 

[b7spectra]

The #'s following the "alias" is the flight number. About 99% of commercial airlines use the aliases as it's easier for ATC to track them. I'm a regular at PDK (DeKalb Peachtree Airport) and even some of the "for hire" private a/c go by aliases. I.E. some of the Cirrus SR22's go by the name "SkyCab #" depending on the flight number.

 

[captclint]

You KNEW this was the next question: Where can we find a list, complete or not?
Ok, so I decided to google this subject.

Wikipedia Call Signs
Aircraft/Airline Callsigns
Wings over Philly Callsigns

 

[EMD91123]

http://www.airlinecodes.co.uk/

 

[bessiedawg]

I personally like British Airlines "Speedbird". Just sounds very TransAtlantic to me !

 

[EvilSanta]

Yea, the only ones i know of, are Citrus and Speedbird..... How many more are there?

 

[captclint]

Yea, the only ones i know of, are Citrus and Speedbird..... How many more are there?

DL Shuttle America= "Shuttlecraft" and also "Mercury" ,PSA="Blue Streak", Northwest Airlink="Flagship", Shuttle America="Shuttlecraft" , Mesa="Air Shuttle", Republic Airlines="Brickyard", America West="CACTUS"...the list is endless. Check the links in my post below.

 

[ind224]

On July 3, 2007, Shuttle America received approval from the ICAO to change its ATC callsign to Mercury from Shuttlecraft. The IDENT code remained the same as TCF.

 

[bessiedawg]

That explains it. I have been hearing "Mercury" quite a bit and wonering who that was.

Thanks for the info

 

[eastcoastairshooter]

I.E. some of the Cirrus SR22's go by the name "SkyCab #" depending on the flight number.

first post here, thought i'd share some insight....

the SkyCab SR-22s are actually part of a company called Skycab. It is not just a random callsign they use. They come in and out of one of my local airports (KISO) pretty often. Each one has a different # and it's callsign is then "SKYCAB 14" or whatever the # may be on the aircraft.

 

[mjw357]

Hooters Air = "Pace"

If you are near a local airport with flight training, you may hear some different call signs with the tower.

Here in Columbus, at KOSU the VFR flights from the flight school are desginated 'Buckeye XX'. As an example, if the tail # of the aircraft is N90SU it is 'Buckeye 9', between the aircraft and KOSU tower only. When outside of KOSU airspace it becomes N90SU.

 

[DaveNF2G]

Not exactly an airline callsign, but New York State Police helicopters on training missions use the callsign GRAY RIDER with a number.

 

[DaveNF2G]

This is my list:

AIRLINE SUBSIDIARIES & CONTRACTS

AMERICAN American Eagle
CONTINENTAL Continental Express
DELTA COMAIR & Business Express
NORTHWEST Northeast Connection
UNITED United Express
US AIRWAYS Allegheny Express, Chautauqua, Colgan, CommutAir, Shuttle America

AIRLINE CALLSIGNS

AIR SHUTTLE US Airways Express
AMTRAN American Trans Air
AVITAT Esso Canada
BIZEX Business Express
BLUE RIDGE United Express
BLUE STREAK US Airways Commuter
BRICKYARD Star Alliance (US Airways Express)
CACTUS America West
COLGAN Colgan Airline (US Airways Express)
CRITTER ValuJet
FLAGSHIP Northwest Airlink
FREEDOM AIR Delta Connection
GRAY RIDER NYSP Helicopter
EAGLE FLIGHT American Eagle
ELITE Canada 3000
EXPRESS Federal Express
FIREFLY Jetall
GEORGIAN Air Alliance
JETLINK Continental Express
JETWAY ?
LIFEGUARD Air Ambulance mission (NYSP helicopter)
LIGHTSHIP Northwest Airlink
MIDPAC Mid Pacific
MOUNTAIN Federal Express (feeder)
NORTHEAST Northwest Connection
OPTIONS (unmarked bizjets)
PARTNAIR Partner Air Services
RYAN Emery Air Freight
SAINT CLAIR South West Air, Ltd
SKY CARRIER United Parcel Service
SKYBUS Skybus Airlines
SPEEDBIRD British Airways
TIGER Flying Tigers
TRADER Martinair
TRANSAT Air Trans Atlantic
TRANSPORT ATI
VANGUARD Vanguard Airlines
WATERSKI United Express
WIGGINS Federal Express (feeder)
WISCONSIN United Express

 

[Scott_PHX_APP]

Funny story here for you all. A friend of mine is an Approach Controller here at Phoenix Sky Harbor and told me about a contact he had with a "Cactus" flight, now US Air. Seems that right after the take over/merger between them, the pilots were all using US Air calls for the radio ID's. As a courtesy, pilots would tell the tower they were in the AWA colors not US Air colors on approach so the tower whould better ID them visualy. Well one pilot told my buddy, (a RADAR Approach Controller mind you) that they were in the old AWA colors after they contacted approach. His reply was "Roger thanks, but you're all the same color to me". He said you could hear the silence on the radio after that. No other comments were made and he figured they were either mad or embarrassed to say anything else? Anyway, just thought I'd bring a smile to your faces today. (Maybe? )
Later...

 

[CORN]

EXPRESS Federal Express

Federal Express uses FedEx for their callsign. Hence why they changed their old paint job saying Federal Express to the new FedEx letters.

 

[DaveNF2G]

Here are two new ones (to me):

CHAMPION ?
CLIPPER (PanAm went out of business a while ago, so who did I hear last night?)

 

[mjw357]

Champion = Sun Country Airlines
Clipper = Boston Maine Airways

 

[DaveNF2G]

Thanks for those. Not only will I be updating the list on my own website, but I plan to create a Wiki article on airline calls here on RR (unless one already exists, in which case I'll just update it if needed).

 

[DaveNF2G]

Nobody has really answered the OP's question: Why are these callsigns used?

I take it from an earlier posting that they are assigned or approved by ICAO.

 

[w0fg]

One more:
Mesaba = Northwest AirLink