Okay... I gotta ask?

azblackbird

azblackbird

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azblackbird
What's with some of the people here using airport identifiers (i.e.; I flew from KGEU to KLAS) when telling us of their flying exploits?

Why not just say I flew from Glendale up to Vegas today, or from Denver down Albuquerque, rather than getting all fancy with the various identifiers, which many here I'm sure have to Google just to see where the hell you actually flew? :dunno:
 
It's an ongoing back and forth. I try to use both "I flew from Orlando Executive (KORL) to Leesburg (KLEE)" but in the defense of those who use identifiers, there are at least 3 airports that are "Orlando" airports and more in the vicinity. Without the identifier, you don't know which one. (KORL, KMCO and X04 are all called Orlando airports. Not to mention KISM, X02, etc.)
 
It can be a pain...personally, I wouldn't mind it if they gave out the ID's comma delimited...as in: Today I flew D95 Y93 KSAW. Reason being, you can just cut/paste them into a skyvector/foreflight/etc and see their route easy schmeezy.
 
The identifiers mean more to me. Then I know if it's an airport I've been to, and as stated there's often multiple airports for a particular region.
 
Don't have time to lookem all up so if they use one I know, I get geography and typical weather or traffic from the post; otherwise I get info from the story only.
Not to say I've never done it. But I realize if I post 99TX very few people will know wth that is.
 
jsstevens said:
It's an ongoing back and forth. I try to use both "I flew from Orlando Executive (KORL) to Leesburg (KLEE)"
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That would seem to me the easy way to do it. That way you cover all bases, so us poor schleps who aren't gifted enough to know every airport indentifier of the entire US, can easily form a mental picture of whomever is posting their flight path.
 
So if someone wrote they flew to Vegas, do they mean North Las Vegas Airport or Las Vegas McCarran International Airport or Henderson Executive Airport? Writing VGT or LAS or HND is much clearer and easier. Besides most of us know quite a few identifiers and if we want to know a strange one that we see on here, it isn't very difficult to look it up.

What is not so clear is when people refer to DEN as DIA or to MCI as KCI. Not sure why they do that.
 
The site needs a plugin where it'll add the airport name to the identifier. I guess you could write a Chrome or Firefox plugin instead, but seems like it could be done on the site itself.
 
Challenged said:
The site needs a plugin where it'll add the airport name to the identifier. I guess you could write a Chrome or Firefox plugin instead, but seems like it could be done on the site itself.
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Sort of like what happens when one types @membername and possible names pop up? Good idea!
 
jsstevens said:
I try to use both "I flew from Orlando Executive (KORL) to Leesburg (KLEE)"
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Without the identifier I would assume Leesburg is somewhere south of the Mason Dixon Line. Google maps tells me that it could be in FL, VA, GA, or Indiana (never woulda guessed).
 
Challenged said:
The site needs a plugin where it'll add the airport name to the identifier. I guess you could write a Chrome or Firefox plugin instead, but seems like it could be done on the site itself.
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That!

Most of the time, I have no idea what airports people are talking about when they just post the identifier and no city name. Heck I can't remember most of the identifiers I've been to. My brain does not store identifiers or acronyms long term. I'd never make it in the military.
 
Because DEN-ABQ is a different experience than APA-AEG. And when someone says Las Vegas does that mean Las Vegas,NM or Las Vegas NV
 
You can always post both the identifier and city. Takes several seconds longer. If you need to know the identifier,you can always use air nav.
 
I prefer it when people use the identifiers. Easy enough to plug those into Garmin Pilot (maybe Foreflight also, I’m not a FF user), and learn a bit. Can see the airport location, take a look at the nearby environs and peruse the procedures and AF/D. Not as easy to do if someone just gives the name.

Plus, airports are sometimes known by different names. I’ve heard them refered to by the official name of the airport, a previous name, or the nearby city. The identifier is unique.

Example. Nevada County airport. Lots of people refer to it as Grass Valley. And it’s highly unlikely that most people on POA know where it is. Is it in Nevada? Maybe, from the name... Grass Valley? Possibly near Mendicino? (Insert your favorite marijuana joke here.) There are four Grass Valleys in the US. Which one?

KGOO, however is completely unambiguous. So, if I post about renting Alpine Aviation’s Lake Amphibian at KGOO, interested folks can easily look it up.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
I had wondered about either adding something to the forum or maybe creating a browser extension that would let you mouse-over an identifier and it would pop up the airport's city... preferably with a link to google maps.
 
I enjoy looking the identifiers up, putting them in sky vector and see if I could make the same trip. I won’t mind the full route as well, then a low time pilot can learn something


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
PaulS said:
You forgot the 3.










:D
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anigif_enhanced-29655-1411569676-34.gif
 
SkyDog58 said:
So if someone wrote they flew to Vegas, do they mean North Las Vegas Airport or Las Vegas McCarran International Airport or Henderson Executive Airport? Writing VGT or LAS or HND is much clearer and easier. Besides most of us know quite a few identifiers and if we want to know a strange one that we see on here, it isn't very difficult to look it up.

What is not so clear is when people refer to DEN as DIA or to MCI as KCI. Not sure why they do that.
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The FAA identifier is DEN but the name is Denver International Airport and is referred to in the media and everywhere else as DIA. Historically, even the late night shows used DIA, as in DIA is DOA when talking about the failed automated luggage system. That's why.
 
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