"November"

Tantalum said:
There's a N11LA that has similar "issues" here sometimes. 'I need the full callsign' so the best is just make the calls as NOVEMBER one one lima alpha
Click to expand...

Except years ago I was flying in NE, and the controllers would abbrviate, but keep the November. So N12345 became November 345. I asked, and they said it was due to the number of non-US planes that they worked (mainly Canadian). I did not make the comment that only having letters would be a clue. :D
 
The Goodyear Blimp hangs out at Bridgeport, CT when providing TV services for some of the New York area games. I’ve heard on the radio: “this is November One Alpha, the Goodyear blimp Mayflower…”.
 
Kent Wien said:
I don’t mind if they call me that as long as I get to call them “Tower” instead of, say, “Kennedy Tower.”
Click to expand...
Then you have Kennedy Steve: "Tower"..."Yes, Plane?"

On another note I can understand why as a controller you'd default to November rather than Cirrus, Piper, Grumman, Cessna ETC. While it would be an advantage in some ways to only have to tune into if you will a call that starts with Beechcraft/Bonanza. But I'd also imagine from the controller's point trying to keep that straight sometimes, especially if you have to make 3 calls boom-boom-boom getting it right the first time would be extremely important. I don't know the episode number offhand but I remember Opposing Bases talked about this at one point.
 
I'm only ~20hrs in training at a 141 pilot-mill, but all of my radio work must begin "ABC Tower/Ground, Slowpoke November 1234A" and my CFI has drilled over and over that "November" must be used on an initial call. Is it regional, maybe? In the Chicago area where I train we have plenty of international flights, even international GA, so I can see why "November" shouldn't be a given.
 
BMan said:
I'm only ~20hrs in training at a 141 pilot-mill, but all of my radio work must begin "ABC Tower/Ground, Slowpoke November 1234A" and my CFI has drilled over and over that "November" must be used on an initial call. Is it regional, maybe? In the Chicago area where I train we have plenty of international flights, even international GA, so I can see why "November" shouldn't be a given.
Click to expand...
Yes, probably a regional thing. The book says November is one way, manufacturer (Piper, Cessna, Beech, etc.) is another, or model (Skyhawk, Comanche, etc.).

Around here we also hear "Yellow experimental" or "Orange biplane." Not strictly according to the rules.
 
When I was training in LSAs, we announced ourselves as "Light sport 123AB." Controllers probably aren't familiar with all the light sport models, but the performance is pretty much the same so "light sport" told them what they needed to know.
 
Gilbert Buettner said:
Yes, probably a regional thing. The book says November is one way, manufacturer (Piper, Cessna, Beech, etc.) is another, or model (Skyhawk, Comanche, etc.).

Around here we also hear "Yellow experimental" or "Orange biplane." Not strictly according to the rules.
Click to expand...

But more useful than a make or model that no one has ever heard of.
 
Bob Noel said:
(not really on point but, hey, this is the interweb)

A while back I flew N3RW. I got used to telling the briefer that the full tail number was N3RW and used N3RW on first contact with ATC. After that I used whatever ATC used
Click to expand...
BTDT with N733
 
Gilbert Buettner said:
I like it when the local Stearman pilot uses "Boeing."
Click to expand...

I've heard a lot of pilots of experimentals who think that "Experimental" should be used on the radio instead of the aircraft type. Not so; FAR 91.319(d)(3) only says the pilot "must notify the control tower of the experimental nature of the aircraft."

Funny story about that ...

AerSale has been in the news this week, for getting FAA certification of its virtual/enhanced reality heads-up display for Boeing 737 aircraft. AerSale is based at Goodyear AZ, my home field. They have a Boeing 737-800, operating under an Experimental certificate, that they've been using for flight tests of this system. Its tail number is now N30AS, changed a couple of years ago from N737AS.

One day Mrs. P and I were returning to GYR from Henderson NV in our C-172N, coincidentally N737YQ. We were near Laughlin NV, on flight following with LA Center. We heard "Experimental Seven Three Seven Alpha Sierra" call in VFR, asking for practice IFR approaches at Bullhead City, Needles, Lake Havasu City, Yuma, then return to Goodyear. Now what do you expect if you just hear "Experimental Nxxxxx" with no further description? Sure, some sort of homebuilt bugsmasher. That's probably what the controller thought when he told 7AS in a bored voice to contact Bullhead Tower for his practice approach.

I recognized the N-number as AerSale's Boeing. I told Mrs. P that even after all those approaches, he'll likely get back to GYR at the same time we do.

Sure enough, as we neared GYR, tower told us to make a left base for runway 3. Just then "Experimental 737 Alpha Sierra" called in VFR ten miles southwest of the airport. Tower nonchalantly gave him straight-in runway 3 and follow the Skyhawk (us) three miles ahead.

Knowing what was going on, and since there was nobody else in the pattern, I offered to do a wide left 360 to let the ... ahem ... Boeing in first. Tower picked up on the clue, and said oh yeah, that's a good idea.

After the Boeing landed, tower suggested it might be helpful if in the future he used "Experimental Boeing" in his callsign.
 
Last edited:
Half Fast said:
Controllers probably aren't familiar with all the light sport models, but the performance is pretty much the same so "light sport" told them what they needed to know.
Click to expand...
While flying my Citabria I've had controllers address me as "Helicopter xxxxx." Now I know a Citabria is slow, but ...

Actually the issue is that the Citabria's type designator is 'CH7A', which at first glance looks like it might belong to a large helicopter.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top