Why do they always call me Skyhawk?

Huckster79

Huckster79

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Huckster79
So I called approach tonight to fly my old Cessna 140 into GRR, and referred to myself as Cessna 1859V, within a couple exchanges I became “Skyhawk 59V” and this has happened numerous times.

I didn't correct them but always signed off as Cessna 59V as I did’t see it as a big deal to tie up radio time correct grammar them. I get there’s a lot of Skyhawks out there but there’s plenty of 150/152s, 175s, 177s etc…

is Skyhawk to Cessna just the equivalent of Kleenex to facial tissue in the controller world?
 
Are you a Citation or a piston single at roughly 110kts?

I’m guessing that’s all that really matters for traffic management.
 
Real exchange, names changed to protect the guilty.

"Podunk Ground, N12345, Cessna 152, ready for taxi"
"N12345, Podunk Ground. Say type Cessna"
"Cessna 152"
"152 or 172?"
"152"
"Roger, Skyhawk 345, taxi to runway 7"
 
As a student pilot, twice I called up while in a plane that had an "NCxxxx" number. The first time it was fine, and the end the controller mentioned they didn't get too many of those. Second time, different airport, it took about 6 back and forth calls to confirm the number. That's when the instructor said they just leave out the C, as it only confuses people.
 
Huckster79 said:
So I called approach tonight to fly my old Cessna 140 into GRR, and referred to myself as Cessna 1859V, within a couple exchanges I became “Skyhawk 59V” and this has happened numerous times.

I didn't correct them but always signed off as Cessna 59V as I did’t see it as a big deal to tie up radio time correct grammar them. I get there’s a lot of Skyhawks out there but there’s plenty of 150/152s, 175s, 177s etc…

is Skyhawk to Cessna just the equivalent of Kleenex to facial tissue in the controller world?
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For some, and it sounds like many controllers, yeah. Another is Crescent Wrench for any brand of ‘adjustable jaw’ wrench. What is a 140 anyway? Sky sumpin or another?
 
At
dmspilot said:
Real exchange, names changed to protect the guilty.

"Podunk Ground, N12345, Cessna 152, ready for taxi"
"N12345, Podunk Ground. Say type Cessna"
"Cessna 152"
"152 or 172?"
"152"
"Roger, Skyhawk 345, taxi to runway 7"
Click to expand...
At first I thought ya was kiddin around a little, but it took about one second for me to say, yeah, it probably happened just like that
 
I checked in with a "Long-EZ Experimental" and was promptly deemed an "RV." I tried to correct him a couple times, but just got my clearance and landed. As I was rolling out, "NXX, what type IS that?"
"Not an RV, sir!"
 
For a year, every time I landed at a towered field in Florida, a controller would call my Grumman Tiger, “Experimental NXXX”. I jokingly announced Certified Tiger NXXX”. It changed nothing. I think the reply above is most important that it is irrelevant unless they are calling your Citation Skyhawk.
 
Albany Tom said:
As a student pilot, twice I called up while in a plane that had an "NCxxxx" number. The first time it was fine, and the end the controller mentioned they didn't get too many of those. Second time, different airport, it took about 6 back and forth calls to confirm the number. That's when the instructor said they just leave out the C, as it only confuses people.
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That's because the "C" isn't part of the N-number any more. The FAA just allows it to be painted on the plane for historical reasons.
 
The C (or X or L) wasn't really part of the registration, just the way you displayed the number on the plane. I believe if you look at the old Airworthiness Certificates or registrations, you won't find it there.

I used to regularly get called NAVAJO 27K which had me confused until one of the controllers let me know that they tend on VFR class B popups to just put the first letter of the type in. C for Cessna and P for piper works fine, but N gave the next controller reason to guess what I was.

The oddest one was Oshkosh tower calling me a Tomahawk. What part of my Navion looks like a Tomahawk?
 
luvflyin said:
For some, and it sounds like many controllers, yeah. Another is Crescent Wrench for any brand of ‘adjustable jaw’ wrench. What is a 140 anyway? Sky sumpin or another?
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officially we are just 140s, our little gals never got a name from Cessna. Some of the guys made up stickers in the old Cessna font with the moniker “Mini-wagon” being we look like a scale model of a sky-wagon :)
 
I knew it wasn’t anything to worry about. That’s why I didn’t correct them I was just curious if others experienced similar or had insight as to the why that might have been different than my assumption that it’s like Kleenex or Crescent Wrench
 
The MD80s are called “mad dogs”. The md11 became the “mighty dog”...

And the b717 then became the “mud puppy”, hehe.
 
On a single flight I was a Cherokee a Comanche a twin Comanche and a Bonanza as I got handed off from facility to facility.
 
Huckster79 said:
officially we are just 140s, our little gals never got a name from Cessna. Some of the guys made up stickers in the old Cessna font with the moniker “Mini-wagon” being we look like a scale model of a sky-wagon :)
Click to expand...

Isn't a 140 a round tail?
 
Huckster79 said:
So I called approach tonight to fly my old Cessna 140 into GRR, and referred to myself as Cessna 1859V, within a couple exchanges I became “Skyhawk 59V” and this has happened numerous times.

I didn't correct them but always signed off as Cessna 59V as I did’t see it as a big deal to tie up radio time correct grammar them. I get there’s a lot of Skyhawks out there but there’s plenty of 150/152s, 175s, 177s etc…

is Skyhawk to Cessna just the equivalent of Kleenex to facial tissue in the controller world?
Click to expand...
I get called Skyhawk and Skylane constantly. I die a little on the inside every time.


Huckster79 said:
officially we are just 140s, our little gals never got a name from Cessna. Some of the guys made up stickers in the old Cessna font with the moniker “Mini-wagon” being we look like a scale model of a sky-wagon :)
Click to expand...
You're not original :). Everyone calls every taildragger a mini-wagon. 120/140's, 170's, Maule's, tailwheel converted Cessnas (150's really look like mini-wagons)
 
Of course, the funniest one was one night I was coming back into IAD. I was doing my usual "keep your speed up" approach to 12 and doing about 160 knots in the descent. Now the approach end of 12 is over two miles from the control tower. The tower asks if I have my landing light on. I tell him it's on my gear and to hold on a sec. The Navion gear speed is only 87. So, I close the throttle, haul back on the yoke, and as soon as the needle drops into the white arc, drop the gear and the flaps. The view from the tower must have been confusing. I essentially went from 160 to 70 knots in seconds and was descending what appeared to be near vertical. I get a call from the tower:

What type of airCRAFT is that?

I don't even think he was even going to commit to it being an airplane.
 
Well, after reading this thread I don't think I can complain about the Glasair getting called a Glastar.
 
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, how many of you guys can distinguish all types of aircraft you see?

Controllers are no different and the type aircraft that gets typed in the data block by the clearance delivery controller isn’t always readily apparent to what the aircraft is called. Pilot - “I’m a navion” Most controllers - “WTF is a navion?”
 
Timbeck2 said:
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, how many of you guys can distinguish all types of aircraft you see?
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Since I was three, why?!! Isn’t that normal?

Of course I couldn’t speak or write, I just texted...

Full disclosure... I do struggle EVER so slightly with the planes that have been invented SINCE I was three.
 
The only thing besides Skylane that I’ve been called is Cirrus. Could be worse, I guess
 
Mtns2Skies said:
How?
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Could be called Skywagon.

When I think Wagon I think two things...covered wagons and pioneers. Not a cool image. Or the Wagon Queen family Truckster. Also not cool.
 
I have been known to refer to a citation as a “twin cessna” when they do something to annoy me. Unsurprisingly, they make a point to try to correct me on EVERY transmission.

As a radar controller, I really only care about aircraft type enough to know your general cruising speed, so the differences between Cessna or pipers or even mooneys are basically irrelevant. That said, I’m also a pilot and I try to know and use as many model names as I can, but when I’m busy, I’m just putting in C172 or P28A and calling you “November”.
 
One day while flying a Husky in the pattern, the controller got a little flustered with the situation and began calling EVERY airplane a Husky. Lots of confused pilots I’m sure.
 
When I was flying a C-425 I got called ''King Air'' many times.... what an insult.!! :lol::lol:
 
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