Uncontrolled airport: Full or partial call sign?

Henning said:
"Twin Cessna inbound 5 miles straight in, get out of my way." :D
Click to expand...

Bwahahahaha..!!!:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Actually, when I was flying in Alaska I knew a girl that did just about that, until she pile drived a C-406 into the Arctic Ocean. Wreckage unrecoverable.
 
The FCC stuff...

Likelihood they'll care, near zero.

Likelihood they'll care if you have a bunch of folks running a fly-in with handhelds with a field with no corresponding fixed station license to at least kinda act like the handhelds are licensed under?

There's been fines levied for that after a group ignored them more than once.

Technically all the CFIs doing the handheld to solo student thing are operating an unlicensed transmitter also...

Not that I care.
 
EdFred said:
Feel free to report me to the FCC.
Click to expand...

This is right up there in importance with using cellphones in the air and whether or not to report leaving a class delta airspace.

denverpilot said:
Likelihood they'll care if you have a bunch of folks running a fly-in with handhelds at a field with no corresponding fixed station license to at least kinda act like the handhelds are licensed under?

There's been fines levied for that after a group ignored them more than once.
Click to expand...

And the local honyock ATC tower run with handhelds by two guys so old that they can't even see the planes in the pattern anymore, asking you to switch to ground control, 123.45 once you've cleared the runway so you can talk with two more honyocks with handhelds who direct you to taxi through a ditch.

All the while, the two local hot dog chopper pilots who are giving rides are arriving and departing right over all the parked aircraft creating an airplane wing rock-n-roll dance like has never before been seen...reminiscent of football fans doing "the wave".

Yeah, right, morons.

I flew here for business...obviously picked the wrong day...and I'll park myself as far away from this BS as possible and ignore all of you...thanks.
 
Last edited:
The guidance says you're supposed to use your complete call sign, though I rarely do either. The type of aircraft (and enough identifier to resolve when there is more than one) is more useful than the actual numbers. The annoyance is the moronic and generally unsafe local flight school here who use unauthorized callsigns involving the name of their school rather than the aircraft type or the proper full callsign. I don't royally give a damn that RudeAss-3 is in the pattern, but it would help to know if I'm looking for a skyhawk or a bonanza.
 
flyingron said:
I don't royally give a damn that RudeAss-3 is in the pattern, but it would help to know if I'm looking for a skyhawk or a bonanza.
Click to expand...

That's a very good point. IIRC St. Louis University flight school planes, flying out of St. Louis Downtown (CPS), use call signs like "Billiken 1" etc. Billiken being their school mascot.
 
Brad Z said:
Unless "Red Cessna" is your radio station call sign, sounds like most of y'all (cap'n Ron included) are breaking the rules....
Click to expand...

The FAA controllers breaks that rule every year at Oshkosh. Oh well.
 
BillTIZ said:
FSDO would most likely monitor the traffic at the airport, realize that the whiner's reports are bogus and then just pay him lip service in the future.

Plus, if you were to attend those FAASTeam safety meetings and meet your local FAA reps, you would have an inside track to counter the whiners complaints.
Click to expand...

The reality is the FAA ALWAYS believes the whiners. It keeps them in business.
 
Oh, good. Another "I don't follow rules unless I like them" thread...

timwinters said:
That's a very good point. IIRC St. Louis University flight school planes, flying out of St. Louis Downtown (CPS), use call signs like "Billiken 1" etc. Billiken being their school mascot.
Click to expand...
Why would you assume that the school does not have an approved company call sign per 47 CFR §87.107(a)(3)? Many of them do.

JB1842 said:
The FAA controllers breaks that rule every year at Oshkosh. Oh well.
Click to expand...
No, the rule applies the callsign used to identify the transmitting station. The OSH controllers are not transmitting on the aircraft's radio so they don't have to give that station's callsign.

Ron Levy said:
How is using type plus last three as I recommended breaking the rules?
Click to expand...
The FCC rule only provides for an abbreviated callsign when it is initiated by a ground station. The AIM recommendation is consistent with the FCC regulation.
 
Last edited:
Larry in TN said:
Why would you assume that the school does not have an approved company call sign per 47 CFR §87.107(a)(3)? Many of them do.
Click to expand...

That's a good point. It still doesn't help you find them though when they don't give you a clue as to their type.
 
I don't see the point in saying my call sign at all. Who even takes note of the other call signs, other than the type of plane if someone is announcing? I just hear "Springfield traffic Cessna blahblahblah turning base for 18 springfield". Then I'm looking for a cessna. It just wastes time saying your call sign.
 
Hawka said:
I don't see the point in saying my call sign at all. Who even takes note of the other call signs, other than the type of plane if someone is announcing?
Click to expand...
I see the point even if you don't. It's helped avoid a problem more times than I can count.
I just hear "Springfield traffic Cessna blahblahblah turning base for 18 springfield". Then I'm looking for a cessna. It just wastes time saying your call sign.
Click to expand...
What happens when there's more than one Cessna in the pattern? How do you keep track of who's where? This is all about situational awareness, and with incomplete information, you're not going to be able to obtain and maintain SA, and that's how we end up with a Cess-per sandwich.
ddecker.jpg


As for last three vs full call sign, the FAA is satisfied with type plus last three on CTAF (just ask them, or see if you fail a practical test for using only that on CTAF) as long as there aren't two planes with identical or nearly identical type plus last three. As for the FCC, until they start monitoring CTAF's and writing people up for using less than their full FCC-official call sign, I'm not worrying about that.
 
If it's just other "company" aircraft in the area I use people's first names. Every 2 hours we are in different aircraft and it's hard to keep track. It's easier to pick out a voice and ask my question.

E.g " Bob, where are you at now? I'm about to turn final" or "Bob, I'm final, but no rush"

My calls always have my full call sign. It's a habit from my ham radio hobby.

We have a regular huge ego guy that comes in on a jet making calls 30 miles out for nonstandard patterns. He is always ****ed when he turns left base and we're right base. :mad2: Like we're suppose to get out of his way.
 
Are there any rules prohibiting Using accents / doing impressions when making calls?
I have my Sean Connery damn near perfect and I want to try it out in the pattern or on FF.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Are there any rules prohibiting Using accents / doing impressions when making calls?
I have my Sean Connery damn near perfect and I want to try it out in the pattern or on FF.
Click to expand...

I don't think there is any rule against that.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Are there any rules prohibiting Using accents / doing impressions when making calls?
I have my Sean Connery damn near perfect and I want to try it out in the pattern or on FF.
Click to expand...

I used to put on my best Arkansas redneck accent when I was based in Harrison and frequently flew to Berryville, Huntsville, and other NW AR airports (all in Tyson Country) and then announce my intentions: "Berryville traffic, skylane 5057D, 5 miles east, 2,500', will be executing the stinky chicken house 1 to very skinky chicken house 2 approach to runway 25, Berryville, any queasy stomachs in the area please advise"
 
I really don't see the big deal. I pretty much say mooney 6099q all the time. I don't get the people that feel weird about calling out their tail number.
 
rbridges said:
I really don't see the big deal. I pretty much say mooney 6099q all the time. I don't get the people that feel weird about calling out their tail number.
Click to expand...

Well, in the case of a previous poster in this thread, if there's a local aviation Nazi who filess false complaints with the FAA when he hears full call signs, I thinketh I'd be not using mine...ever...regardless of what the regs say.

We don't have that issue around here though so I don't hesitate to use it.
 
Pilawt said:
And what's with this "last call" thing I've been hearing from outbound traffic lately. Is that a threat or a promise?
Click to expand...

I always respond with "Promise?" or an order for a final cocktail.
 
flyingron said:
I always respond with "Promise?" or an order for a final cocktail.
Click to expand...

I don't hear "final call" around here much if ever but I'll be remembering your retort if I ever do. "One bourbon, one shot, and one beeeeeeer."
 
I'm so used to rattling off my full N-number now that I just do it without much thought.

I fly out of a towered field, flying very frequently in the pattern or in/out of that field is a skyhawk used for training... Cessna or Skyhawk 815HA. I am Archer 6185H. About 1/3 of the time the tower reads back "skyhawk 815HA" to me. Another 1/3 or so of the time they get confused and ask me to repeat my N number or just hash it up somehow.

I am then often shortened to 85H... but I'm so used to rattling the whole thing off that I usually just do that.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Are there any rules prohibiting Using accents / doing impressions when making calls?
I have my Sean Connery damn near perfect and I want to try it out in the pattern or on FF.
Click to expand...

Hawka said:
I don't think there is any rule against that.
Click to expand...


actually there is:

47 CFR §87.109

Transmissions will be made in the English language and with no Sean Connery accents.
 
The FCC requirement is that all transmissions include the station identifier. I suspect this would mean that using pilot controlled lighting requires violating the regulations....
 
This discussion is so unfair. I have a 3 digit call sign and never get to use an abbreviated call sign.*

*Who cares is a good response, covers the whole thread really.... I can't read N numbers on the other side of the pattern anyway...
 
EdFred said:
You mean like all the tools that respond to traffic callouts with "got him on the fish finder"?
Click to expand...
That would be another example.

Hawka said:
I don't see the point in saying my call sign at all.
Click to expand...
It's an FCC requirement of all licensed radio transmitting stations. Doesn't have anything to do with it being needed to function in the pattern at an airport without an operating control tower.
 
timwinters said:
I used to put on my best Arkansas redneck accent when I was based in Harrison and frequently flew to Berryville, Huntsville, and other NW AR airports (all in Tyson Country) and then announce my intentions: "Berryville traffic, skylane 5057D, 5 miles east, 2,500', will be executing the stinky chicken house 1 to very skinky chicken house 2 approach to runway 25, Berryville, any queasy stomachs in the area please advise"
Click to expand...
Cute, but not very useful to anyone other than the locals. I remember one time somebody who kept referencing "the water tower" while entering the downwind at Leesburg VA (JYO). There are three water towers on that side of the airport, far enough apart to matter in this context. Which one? The blue one? The white one? The cylindrical one? :dunno: Best just to stick with the FAA-recommended practices, thanks.
 
jbarrass said:
*Who cares is a good response, covers the whole thread really.... I can't read N numbers on the other side of the pattern anyway...
Click to expand...
From my perspective as the other guy in the pattern interested primarily in safety, I don't really care what call sign you use as long as it's sufficiently unique that I can sort you out from the others in the pattern and you stick with it.
 
99% of the time I'm coming into an uncontrolled field I'm coming off of an IFR flight with an approved call sign, so that adds a variable. The routine I've settled into and works best IMO is to use the call sign with ATC and use make and tail number with CTAF.

Me: Denver center, HoneyBadger 457 has the field in sight, would like to cancel IFR
Center: HoneyBadger 457, IFR cancelation received, squawk 1200, have a nice day.
Me: Take care
Me: Denver traffic Piaggio 123AB is 8 miles to the South passing through 12,000 feet, inbound straight in runway 35 Left, Denver.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top