Is there a "correct" call sign for the PA-28R?

Full diclosure....I have a lil bit of time in an Arrow...and owned a "Cherokee" Six. Both go bout the same speeds. And in either plane was I ever asked to slow to approach speeds.


Not to be confused with Bonanza speeds. :D
 
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rolivi said:
I say RV for the Vans and assume they are aware of the "experimental nature" of my plane.
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Yeah, RV works great. But you're right about FF...they want to know the exact model. I rarely use "Experimental" before RV...I understand the only time it's absolutely required is on initial contact with the tower.
 
SoCal RV Flyer said:
Yeah, RV works great. But you're right about FF...they want to know the exact model. I rarely use "Experimental" before RV...I understand the only time it's absolutely required is on initial contact with the tower.
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so....when you tell em it's a "David Leroy Van's RV-6"....what do they say?
 
Some folks substitute "Red and White Cessna" when they're in the pattern. Any opinions on that technique?
 
Pilawt said:
Agreed. If the controller answers with the wrong type I usually, in the immortal words of Sam Goldwyn, let it roll off my back like a duck. I'll just enunciate better in my next transmission.

But where it can make a difference is if the controller answers me as, for example, "Stationair 7YQ" (instead of Skyhawk), then proceeds to tell another nearby airplane that he has "traffic at three o'clock and two miles, a Stationair" ... That's when I'll jump in and correct him.

On the other hand, you can't always assume that the controller is wrong. More than once I've heard my abbreviated callsign with a different type, and there really was another airplane on frequency with the same abbreviated callsign. If there's any doubt at all, I'll ask, "Was that for Skyhawk 7YQ?"
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Thats very good to verify. At that time you should begin using your full call sign. The controller is required to do it, but even if they don't, I'd highly recommend you do. With emphasis. Don't rely on just the make and model.
 
avH8tor said:
Some folks substitute "Red and White Cessna" when they're in the pattern. Any opinions on that technique?
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I have a good friend that does this. When I first started flying with him it drove me nuts but I kept quiet about it since I didn't see any harm. Now I'm used to him saying it and actually find it pretty useful. Some people fly a 172 110 knots on the pattern while other people fly 182s 90 knots in the pattern, model isn't really important, color, that helps
 
Call signs (other than to differentiate between two planes) are by and large useless for traffic reports. Blue Navion is going to be a whole lot better than N5327K. Of course, certain things like "yellow cub" are kind of confusing if there is more than one in the pattern.
 
I fly a PA32 Saratoga and occasionally referred to as a Cherokee Six by ATC. I don't think it makes much difference as long as speed and build type are comparable. As mentioned before it's relatively important to the other traffic in the area that may be looking for you. As someone mentioned before a Citation and a Skyhawk are going to have some significant differences of speed during an approach / pattern. This could be HUGE for saying Cherokee 1234 you are 2nd in line behind the Citation on 3 mile final vs the Skyhawk on 3 mile final.

I was flying into Tulsa a couple months ago and when I got handed off to Tower the new controller just called me cherokee as opposed to Saratoga. When he was talking to the SW airline 737 he said "there's a cherokee that is @ ...." No way in hell did it matter to that SW airline guy if I was a Cherokee 140 or an Arrow or a Saratoga for the matter. However, you slice it I was a little guy that needed to get where I was going and out of his way.
 
rolivi said:
I say RV for the Vans and assume they are aware of the "experimental nature" of my plane. I say Cherokee for all PA28 variants AND the PA32s. I say Cesnna for all them 150, 152, 172, 177. That's fine for the bulk of the radio work.

EXCEPT: When requesting the Flight Following and they ask for the plane type. Then they'll get "Cardinal 12345 is a C177RG/___"
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I had an RV-4 and I have instructed and flown all you listed and I agree %100.
 
Then there are us Mooney people. We all pretty much are just Mooney XXXXX. Despite a very great speed and capability range. That said we all do look alike ;)

I think it matters most to tower controllers and in the pattern to help with visual identification. Those with radar can see our (blazing fast) ground speeds!


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A arrow compared to a Cherokee 140, calling both the same "Cherokee", that's like calling a 152 and a 182 the same thing.

I identify my plane as an "amphib" vs a skywagon, figure a controller might wonder why I'm 30kts slower than he pictured outer wise.
 
James331 said:
A arrow compared to a Cherokee 140, calling both the same "Cherokee", that's like calling a 152 and a 182 the same thing.

I identify my plane as an "amphib" vs a skywagon, figure a controller might wonder why I'm 30kts slower than he pictured outer wise.
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Respectfully, C152s and C182s are both commonly referred to as "Cessnas" despite their difference in performance.
 
neilw2 said:
Whether I flew an Arrow, a Warrior, or an Archer I was almost always called "Cherokee" by ATC.
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Same....hell, in my lance cooking along at 160 they still call me Cherokee.
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
wow.....and that's almost Cirrus speeds. :eek:
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Turbos do have an advantage sometimes. If I ran it full rental power, it will be 170 ish at almost 30 GPH.

I was landing at Flagler a few weeks ago and it was the first time I was told "you are overtaking a Cherokee to your right by 60+ knots. " They resequenced me to #1

I was grinning ....
 
Unit74 said:
Turbos do have an advantage sometimes. If I ran it full rental power, it will be 170 ish at almost 30 GPH.

I was landing at Flagler a few weeks ago and it was the first time I was told "you are overtaking a Cherokee to your right by 60+ knots. " They resequenced me to #1

I was grinning ....
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yup....I get that in the Bonanza now and again. :lol:
 
And the Mooney guy just smiles to himself lol


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gsengle said:
And the Mooney guy just smiles to himself lol


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Whilst he is chaffing his shoulder on one side by the fuselage and the other by the passenger who is also in the same predicament. :p
 
Except a Mooney is wider than a PA28 ;)

PA28 42 inches
Bonanza 42 inches
M20 43.5 inches


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Ya unit74 check your facts dude. It's wider than most. Now if u told me you sit it it like a corvette close to the floor Id agree, but 164kts on 10gph is pretty cool


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gsengle said:
Except a Mooney is wider than a PA28 ;)

PA28 42 inches
Bonanza 42 inches
M20 43.5 inches
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The above are measured at the elbow. I bet at eye level the Mooney is no wider than the others, because of the more semi-circular cross-section of the upper fuselage. And in the pre-'J' models, the windshield is much closer to the pilot's face.
 

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flyingron said:
Call signs (other than to differentiate between two planes) are by and large useless for traffic reports. Blue Navion is going to be a whole lot better than N5327K. Of course, certain things like "yellow cub" are kind of confusing if there is more than one in the pattern.
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I always tell myself that I'm going to start using Oshkosh rules at uncontrolled fields. "Yellow high wing" or "green and white low wing" are a lot more useful to people looking for the airplane that's talking than anything else. But then I forget to do it and go back to the call sign habit we are all taught to use.
 
iamtheari said:
I always tell myself that I'm going to start using Oshkosh rules at uncontrolled fields. "Yellow high wing" or "green and white low wing" are a lot more useful to people looking for the airplane that's talking than anything else. But then I forget to do it and go back to the call sign habit we are all taught to use.
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Yeah. I like to say "RV N*****" on the initial call-up about 10 miles out; after that it's "red RV." Saves some syllables.
 
gsengle said:
Except a Mooney is wider than a PA28 ;)

PA28 42 inches
Bonanza 42 inches
M20 43.5 inches


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I'm a lance driver son..... That's a PA 32. I can play shuffle board in the cockpit and not hit the copilot with the stick.
 
When my kids get big it's Saratoga time. But I don't look forward to the fuel burn, and loss of speed :(


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Aaronk25 said:
Ya unit74 check your facts dude. It's wider than most. Now if u told me you sit it it like a corvette close to the floor Id agree, but 164kts on 10gph is pretty cool


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And what facts would those be? Apparently all three of you completely missed that I was talking about PA32s, NOT 28'S......


BAM==== Ball in your court with some heat on it and a little spin you straighten y'all out.
 
I used "yellow Cub" at the uncontrolled home drome when I had a ... er, yellow Cub. But these days, "white Skyhawk with brown and orange trim" isn't quite as helpful, so I use the reg number.

:p
 
gsengle said:
When my kids get big it's Saratoga time. But I don't look forward to the fuel burn, and loss of speed :(


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That's where I'm at. Unit74, party of five.....bring around the Lance and leave the RV in the stable........
 
I had a nice tailwind the other day going to KCUB. I called myself Cessna, controller kept calling me a Skylane. After he pointed me out to other traffic (traffic at your x o clock, a Skylane), I corrected saying I'm a 150. He laughed, said ok I'll downgrade you and said he'll call me "turbo Cessna" from now on :)
 
mtuomi said:
I had a nice tailwind the other day going to KCUB. I called myself Cessna, controller kept calling me a Skylane. After he pointed me out to other traffic (traffic at your x o clock, a Skylane), I corrected saying I'm a 150. He laughed, said ok I'll downgrade you and said he'll call me "turbo Cessna" from now on :)
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Is that like the Pixar movie whee the snail is named Turbo?


Next time I call up I might say Turbo Cherokeeeeee!!!!
 
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