What is the meaning of "Company Traffic"

billwil

billwil

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Billwil
I sometimes hear ATC use the phrase "company traffic" when referring to certain traffic (never to me...only others in the pattern), many times they are talking to helos, but not always. Sometimes the pilot re-uses the phrase when they report "in sight" or "looking", etc. What is meant by this phrase? I don't know where to find the ATC guidelines (like the AIM for Air Traffic Controllers...I forgot what it was called), so I didn't know where to look this up.

Thanks.
 
You know, I've heard this so many times and never thought to ask myself. I always assumed it was similar typed....
 
Areeda said:
It means owned or operated by the same company.

Joe
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I've heard it used to me before also...in a Cherokee 180. A few times, even. Is there an alternate meaning too?
 
Thanks. I figured it must be something like that. SkyHog...when they've used it with you...were you in a rented plane? Maybe the company traffic was another plane from the same FBO? Just a crazy guess.

In the cases that I've heard it, the "traffic" were training flights in fixed wing and helo (different companies), but they were referring to aircraft from the same school when they used the term. Makes sense.
 
Oh...one more question about this. Can anyone tell me (or guess) why it would matter that the traffic was from your own company (or school)? It still hurts just as bad when you smack into each other. :D If there is no good reason to know that the traffic is from the same company, why is the phrase used? I'm assuming just to aid in identifying the other aircraft. Thoughts?

BTW, this forum rocks...several answers in the middle of the night. Go to bed, people! :)
 
SkyHog said:
I've heard it used to me before also...in a Cherokee 180. A few times, even. Is there an alternate meaning too?
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Same flight school possibly? Perhaps he mistakenly thought so...?
 
billwil said:
Oh...one more question about this. Can anyone tell me (or guess) why it would matter that the traffic was from your own company (or school)? It still hurts just as bad when you smack into each other. :D If there is no good reason to know that the traffic is from the same company, why is the phrase used? I'm assuming just to aid in identifying the other aircraft. Thoughts?

BTW, this forum rocks...several answers in the middle of the night. Go to bed, people! :)
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Yep, and you'll know where they'll probably turn off and where they are going to taxi to.
 
billwil said:
BTW, this forum rocks...several answers in the middle of the night. Go to bed, people! :)
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What else are you supposed to do when weather sucks and you have some things to catch up? I'm re-writing our checklists. Fun!
 
billwil said:
Oh...one more question about this. Can anyone tell me (or guess) why it would matter that the traffic was from your own company (or school)?
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In the case of airliners you would have a clue what paint scheme to look for. In the case of smaller GA companies I think it's sometimes just a case of the controllers being friendly and half-joking. I've been given "company traffic" when the company only had two airplanes.
 
I agree with Mari. With the airlines, it gives you an idea of which paint scheme to look for. In GA outfits, it gives you a good idea what the aircraft looks like and where they'll be parking. Now that I've been flying at Panorama for so long, I can pretty much recite all of the tail numbers without looking, and their paint schemes. It helps sometimes when they call out company traffic.
 
I've also heard and used the term "company traffic" in a 172, but it is used more frequently at the big airports with the air carriers. I'm sure that my buddy Clint (ATCT, who's posted on here once or twice) uses it frequently at IAH Tower - "Continental 123, you are following a company 737 on a 2 mile final, runway 27, cleared to land, number two."

When flying around Sugar Land in the 172 and I hear it, since I know all of the tail numbers and paint schemes at my FBO, I know what to look for and that the plane will either be doing a touch & go or will be turning off at D or C2 and taxiing to parking.

Here's another interesting one for you Bill, and you may or may not have heard this already, but you might hear sometime, "Cessna 12345, flight of two, cleared for takeoff.", or, "Cessna 12345 and your flight, make a left downwind for runway 17." This is when you have multiple planes flying in close formation. Only the "flight leader" is talking to ATC, and it's their callsign that is used, with "flight of ___" appended to it. We've had a few formation flights come in to Hobby for events at the 1940 Air Terminal Museum - one was a Stearman PT-17 with a PT-19 and a Piper Cub in trail... it was pretty cool to see them land one after the other on the "big" runway at HOU. Another was when we were doing a Cub event and there was a guy who had a vintage Cub w/o a transponder that was flying in formation with a guy in a Cessna 140. The third one I remember at the museum was just recently, when that same 140 (the one the museum is raffling off in July - still time to get your tickets!) flew in formation with a 120.
 
ADS Twr uses "Company" when other aircraft from the same flight school are in the pattern, and they also have used it (tongue in cheek, I think) with club planes.

t0r0nad0 said:
...

The third one I remember at the museum was just recently, when that same 140 (the one the museum is giving to Spike in July - still time to buy tickets to support the museum while they give Spike the sweet 140!) flew in formation with a 120.
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Fixed that for ya! ;)
 
How did I know you'd chime in there, Spike? Are you bringing your sweet Bo for Beechcraft Day on May 17?
 
I have also heard company traffic applied to aircraft using the same "call sign" such as "CAP Flight 1924" and "CAP Flight 1925".
 
billwil said:
I sometimes hear ATC use the phrase "company traffic" ...What is meant by this phrase?
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In the context I have heard it, it usually sounds to me like, "there is a valid reason I am delaying you"!
 
billwil said:
Oh...one more question about this. Can anyone tell me (or guess) why it would matter that the traffic was from your own company (or school)? It still hurts just as bad when you smack into each other. :D
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My guess would be that they know what types of airplanes their company flies, so they can omit the type. I've heard that often. "SpamCan 1234, traffic is an MD88 at your 2 o'clock and 3 miles" takes longer to say than "SpamCan 1234, company traffic 2 o'clock and 3 miles." Not a whole lot shorter, but every bit counts.
 
Henning said:
Same flight school possibly? Perhaps he mistakenly thought so...?
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When I was flying Aztecs for KFS under 135 in the late '70's, the Louisville controllers knew all our N-numbers, and would call us out to each other as "company traffic."
 
flyingcheesehead said:
My guess would be that they know what types of airplanes their company flies, so they can omit the type. I've heard that often. "SpamCan 1234, traffic is an MD88 at your 2 o'clock and 3 miles" takes longer to say than "SpamCan 1234, company traffic 2 o'clock and 3 miles." Not a whole lot shorter, but every bit counts.
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Ahh...interesting. This makes more sense to me (i.e. the type thing), rather than where they will turn, etc. So, the followup to this is, has anyone heard "company traffic" used for different types? I know that in the cases I have heard it, the type is the same on both aircraft (either Piper Warrior 161 or Robinson helicopters). Maybe the type should match to use this terminology.
 
t0r0nad0 said:
--SNIP--
Here's another interesting one for you Bill, and you may or may not have heard this already, but you might hear sometime, "Cessna 12345, flight of two, cleared for takeoff.", or, "Cessna 12345 and your flight, make a left downwind for runway 17." This is when you have multiple planes flying in close formation. Only the "flight leader" is talking to ATC, and it's their callsign that is used, with "flight of ___" appended to it. We've had a few formation flights come in to Hobby for events at the 1940 Air Terminal Museum - one was a Stearman PT-17 with a PT-19 and a Piper Cub in trail... it was pretty cool to see them land one after the other on the "big" runway at HOU. Another was when we were doing a Cub event and there was a guy who had a vintage Cub w/o a transponder that was flying in formation with a guy in a Cessna 140. The third one I remember at the museum was just recently, when that same 140 (the one the museum is raffling off in July - still time to get your tickets!) flew in formation with a 120.
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PJ, I have heard that several times (and did happen to know that one from before I started training). I think there are a lot of RVs out here, and they sometimes fly in formation. A couple of small experimentals (I didn't catch the type) took off in formation while I was in the pattern at CHD just a few days ago. Sounds like an interesting thing to get trained in (eventually) and try one of these days.
 
t0r0nad0 said:
How did I know you'd chime in there, Spike?
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Perhaps because you know that I am constitutionally incapable of not doing so? :goofy:

t0r0nad0 said:
Are you bringing your sweet Bo for Beechcraft Day on May 17?
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Sadly, I'll be flying a Cadillac to Austin, for my nephew's college graduation. If I could weasel out of it, I would, 'cept... well... I love the guy like a son, and he has made us all more proud than I can say.

I'll get there... someday... in the plane... maybe you can fly it home for me when I come down to accept my 140? :p
 
flyingcheesehead said:
My guess would be that they know what types of airplanes their company flies, so they can omit the type. I've heard that often. "SpamCan 1234, traffic is an MD88 at your 2 o'clock and 3 miles" takes longer to say than "SpamCan 1234, company traffic 2 o'clock and 3 miles." Not a whole lot shorter, but every bit counts.
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"Colgan 4973, your traffic to follow is a company Airbus at 2 o'clock, three miles" is a lot easier than "Colgan 4973, your traffic to follow is a US Airways Airbus at 2 o'clock, three miles." And in one phrase it lets us know we're looking for a smaller bus (319/320 size) and that it'll be white and blue. Likewise, if we're looking for a Company Saab 340, we know it's blue, not red, and a Company 1900 is dark blue, not white (all without saying the company name again, thus possibly confusing someone who's only listening for a callsign).
 
SCCutler said:
Perhaps because you know that I am constitutionally incapable of not doing so? :goofy:
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I guess you picked the proper profession then ;).

SCCutler said:
Sadly, I'll be flying a Cadillac to Austin, for my nephew's college graduation. If I could weasel out of it, I would, 'cept... well... I love the guy like a son, and he has made us all more proud than I can say.

I'll get there... someday... in the plane... maybe you can fly it home for me when I come down to accept my 140? :p
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It's always something with you, isn't it - wife's birthday, nephew's graduation, yada yada yada! :) I'll not hold it against you since you did make an effort to swing by last August to congratulate me on my PPL. I'll catch you again soon enough.
 
SkyHog said:
I've heard it used to me before also...in a Cherokee 180. A few times, even. Is there an alternate meaning too?
Click to expand...

There was a Piper Arrow used by a local FBO to charter pilots to/from a nearby airport to pick up the big jets... Was tagging along and we would also get 'Follow company traffic, Falcon 900, cleared to land..."

Probably doesn't make as much sense unless all the aircraft are painted the same. :)
 
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