Initial Call up

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dnhill

Pre-Flight
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Oct 10, 2012
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Southeast Texas
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Display name:
hill
I chose a N number for my PiperSport that is 62PP. I thought it would be nice that there were only 4 numbers or letters - less to say. However, almost every time I make an initial call to ATC, they come back with 462PP. It is always a 4 that is added. I just assume they are looking for a call sign with five numbers or letters. Most of the time I correct them. There is no aircraft with the N number of 462PP registered. Tried different ways/inflections and still almost always the 4 is put in the N number.

I suppose moral of the story is, if you are thinking of a short N number for your next plane, just know that it does the opposite of saving time.

Add to that, the PiperSport type is "CRUZ" and that really gets them confused.
 
I have tried that as well. At least when my wife is with me we have fun with guessing if they will add the 4 or not. It does seem that adding November helps a little.
 
dnhill said:
I have tried that as well. At least when my wife is with me we have fun with guessing if they will add the 4 or not. It does seem that adding November helps a little.
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Could be a free pass, since they don't seem to record the right N#.:wink2:
 
What are you saying exactly? If you are saying "PiperSport 62PP" it could easily be heard as "Piper 462PP", especially since there are not many PiperSports around compared to Pipers.
 
I have found it is easier to tell them you are an LSA before telling them "Charlie-Romeo-Uniform-Zulu". But then they still call me a Cherokee to other traffic.
 
dnhill said:
I chose a N number for my PiperSport that is 62PP. I thought it would be nice that there were only 4 numbers or letters - less to say. However, almost every time I make an initial call to ATC, they come back with 462PP. It is always a 4 that is added. I just assume they are looking for a call sign with five numbers or letters. Most of the time I correct them. There is no aircraft with the N number of 462PP registered. Tried different ways/inflections and still almost always the 4 is put in the N number.

I suppose moral of the story is, if you are thinking of a short N number for your next plane, just know that it does the opposite of saving time.

Add to that, the PiperSport type is "CRUZ" and that really gets them confused.
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I fly a plane with two numbers and two letters and have no problem at all...then again, "Tecnam" doesn't sound at all like a number. Also, try just using "light sport" as your call sign. It still has "sport", but controllers are more likely to recognize it as a light sport. That being said, is there anything wrong with calling up with "Piper xxx"?
 
Everskyward said:
What are you saying exactly? If you are saying "PiperSport 62PP" it could easily be heard as "Piper 462PP", especially since there are not many PiperSports around compared to Pipers.
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Assuming that is what he is saying, you may be right: could be mental expectations are causing the "sp" fricative on "sport" getting interpreted as the "f" fricative and the "t" fricative getting dropped.
 
They confuse RV with Army so don't feel bad.
 
Just go with it......

And try to land at as many airports as you can that use tower tapes to send out landing fees..:yes::)
 
I have been using PiperSport 62PP. I will try with just Piper and see what happens. This plane is also known as SportCruiser, I could use that as well.

Thanks for the suggestions.
 
Everskyward said:
What are you saying exactly? If you are saying "PiperSport 62PP" it could easily be heard as "Piper 462PP", especially since there are not many PiperSports around compared to Pipers.
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Ding ding ding! I think we have a winner!
 
I fly N98189, any guesses how many controllers trip over their tongues on that and screw it ups.

Except for or local tower controllers, they are used to it. But we can always tell when a trainee is on the radio.
 
Since I enjoy puns as a form of humor, and want to learn some balroom dance, I've always thought, if I owned an aircraft, I'd try to get for my tail# Nxx22T
 
AggieMike88 said:
Since I enjoy puns as a form of humor, and want to learn some balroom dance, I've always thought, if I owned an aircraft, I'd try to get for my tail# Nxx22T
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Or NxxT42
 
"Say full call sign"

I have the tee shirt on this one. I would use November 62PP on first contact also.
 
Badger said:
Or NxxT42
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:) but that's more of a visual one. I like the ones that cause ATC to say it, and then get a big grin or a laugh when they realize what they said.
 
BillTIZ said:
I fly N98189, any guesses how many controllers trip over their tongues on that and screw it ups.

Except for or local tower controllers, they are used to it. But we can always tell when a trainee is on the radio.
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One of the planes I regularly fly is N64962. For whatever reason, ATC (except for SAF controllers) regularly mess it up.
 
Used to fly with owner of a plane, tail number ended Zero Romeo Sierra. In practice, it came out, "ZeRomaSerra."
 
Here are a couple funny ones I have heard...
Cessna N294ME - for my gecko
Citabria N990WY - zero whiskey yankee
 
Both the airplanes I've owned had a 4 digit callsign and they always screw it up. N48DX was usually changed to 548DX. Now N69CJ is typically changed to 659CJ. Dunno why it's so hard to listen?
 
Navion FIFE TREE TWO SEVEN KILO

...Periodically I get referred to as NAVY. At least mine is dark blue (I suggested to Margy we paint the tip tanks and stripe yellow so we would look like a Blue Angel.

At least when they redid the type codes, the switched the Navion form the goofy North American model number (N145) that nobody uses to NAVI.

Took me a long time to figure out why we kept getting called Navajo 27K. Turns out the old Baltimore Approach control used to just put the first letter of the type in on VFR pop ups. Upon handoff to Dulles, if the controller didn't recognize my N-number, he'd just guess. C for Cessna, B for Beech, and P for piper were pretty easy, but N was a harder guess.
 
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RV10flyer said:
They confuse RV with Army so don't feel bad.
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Yep.. I have gone back to using 'Experimental XXXXX' instead of 'RV XXXXX'. It got really confusing when I was flying in an area with high concentration of ANG helicopter traffic.
 
I have a similar problem. I changed my n number from Cherokee N8793W to N3UW. for some reason they seemed to always mess up 8793W. Now when I make my initial contact as cherokee 3UW, they will often ask if that is my full call sign. Interestingly if I make the initial contact as Cherokee November - three- uniform- whiskey they will ask that same question even more often.

I have found that by saying my n number slowly makes it sink in better since they are normally expecting a 5 digit n number. I also think the piper sport is making them hear a four. I would rather just say piper pause and your 4 digit n number and say it slower than normal so the 4 digits has time to register. seems to work for me. remember their brain is conditioned to expect 5 digits and they are adding the fifth digit
 
CJones said:
Yep.. I have gone back to using 'Experimental XXXXX' instead of 'RV XXXXX'. It got really confusing when I was flying in an area with high concentration of ANG helicopter traffic.
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Hmmm.. I thought that on initial call up we have to use the word "experimental". After that ATC can shorten it to anything they want. :dunno:
 
N801BH said:
Hmmm.. I thought that on initial call up we have to use the word "experimental". After that ATC can shorten it to anything they want. :dunno:
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When I first started flying the RV, I would say "Experimental" on initial call-up which was usually followed by 'What type of experimental?' to which I replied "RV". So to cut out the 'middle man', I just started using "RV" on initial call-up. I was flying in an area with a ANG Blackhawk wing nearby, so "RV" kept getting confused with "Army" (I don't know if the ANG uses 'Army' as its callsign or not, but I kept getting asked "Is that Army?" - "No. Experimental RV - Romeo Victor"), so now I use "Experimental" on initial call-up and deal with the 'What type of Experimental' clarification when necessary.
 
CJones said:
When I first started flying the RV, I would say "Experimental" on initial call-up which was usually followed by 'What type of experimental?' to which I replied "RV". So to cut out the 'middle man', I just started using "RV" on initial call-up. I was flying in an area with a ANG Blackhawk wing nearby, so "RV" kept getting confused with "Army" (I don't know if the ANG uses 'Army' as its callsign or not, but I kept getting asked "Is that Army?" - "No. Experimental RV - Romeo Victor"), so now I use "Experimental" on initial call-up and deal with the 'What type of Experimental' clarification when necessary.
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I know the feeling....
One time while calling SLC center for Flight Following I used "Zenith801 BH for my initial call..... The controller came back with Zenith ? How many channels do you get with that thing" .. We both laughed our asses off and he instructed me to always use experimental for the initial and then they tag my blip with EX /G and some other suffix that describes "less then 100 knots...
 
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