NZ8800 From New Zealand, joined May 2006, 425 posts, RR: 2 Posted (6 years 10 months 4 weeks 3 hours ago) and read 16136 times:
Some are recognisable(ish) like YVR - Vancouver, and YWG - Winnipeg.
Then there's almost a code with the YY's... but what it means beats me.
YYC - Calgary
YYG - Charlottetown
YYJ - Victoria
YYT - St Johns
YYZ - Toronto
When airport codes in many other countries are recognisable, eg LHR, AKL, SYD, PPT, EZE, CPT, CDG, OSL, HEL... why are Canada's like they are?
Geekish question - but I've sometimes wondered!!!
MDZWTA ~ Mobile Disaster Zone When Travelling Abroad
Aviator27 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 8, posted (6 years 10 months 3 weeks 6 days 6 hours ago) and read 14479 times:
With the Chicago Convention in 1944, ICAO was formed. Different letters were assigned to different regions of the world for their 4 letter ICAO airport code, which is different from three letter IATA code. For example London Heathrow is EGLL/LHR. Palma de Mallorca is LEPA/PMI. Paris Charles De Gaul is LFPG/CDG. The USA is easy, you add K in front of the IATA code and you get the ICAO code. KMIA/MIA, KLAX/LAX, KORD/ORD, KMSP/MSP. Here is a list of ICAO airport prefixes.
K= USA
Y = CANADA
EG = ENGLAND
Z = CHINA
U = RUSSIA
LF = FRANCE
LE = SPAIN
There are tons more.
Also aircraft registrations were assigned.
N = USA
F = FRANCE
EC = SPAIN
I = ITALY
VT = INDIA
D = GERMANY
A6 = UAE
C = CANADA
G = UK
I don't think all of the US airport codes can simply have a K added in front of them to get the ICAO code . . . Fairbanks is an example above - PAFA(ICAO) = FAI (IATA) or Deadhorse above - PASC (ICAO) = SCC (IATA).
Far be it for me to sharp shoot an airline pilot, but there's obviously more to it than what is offered above . . .
Slawko From Canada, joined May 1999, 3799 posts, RR: 10 Reply 11, posted (6 years 10 months 3 weeks 6 days 4 hours ago) and read 13826 times:
Quoting Aviator27 (Reply 8): With the Chicago Convention in 1944, ICAO was formed. Different letters were assigned to different regions of the world for their 4 letter ICAO airport code, which is different from three letter IATA code. For example London Heathrow is EGLL/LHR. Palma de Mallorca is LEPA/PMI. Paris Charles De Gaul is LFPG/CDG. The USA is easy, you add K in front of the IATA code and you get the ICAO code. KMIA/MIA, KLAX/LAX, KORD/ORD, KMSP/MSP. Here is a list of ICAO airport prefixes.
K= USA
Y = CANADA
EG = ENGLAND
Z = CHINA
U = RUSSIA
LF = FRANCE
LE = SPAIN
Canada's ICAO Code is C, not Y, as in CYYZ, CYVR, CYUL.
"Clive Beddoe says he favours competition, but his actions do not support that idea." Robert Milton - CEO Air Canada
BeechNut From Canada, joined Apr 2004, 708 posts, RR: 9 Reply 12, posted (6 years 10 months 3 weeks 6 days 4 hours ago) and read 13800 times:
Actually all Canadian airports start with a C. Internationally, YUL or YYZ for example are CYUL and CYYZ. The correct question is whether the second letter of all Canadian airports is a "Y". And the answer is no. For example my home field is CZBM (Bromont, Quebec).
Once upon a time "Y" designated airports with weather reporting facilities and other letters, aerodromes that did not (all airports are aerodromes, but not all aerodromes are airports!). The other two letters come from the railway station telegraph code for the city. As noted some are obvious, some less so.
Aviator27 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 13, posted (6 years 10 months 3 weeks 6 days 4 hours ago) and read 13651 times:
Hawaii and Alaska become the 49th and 50th state after the Chicago Convention. Both became states in 1959. Hence they fell into the P = Pacific regional code. My mistake on the Canada code.
AirMailer From United States of America, joined May 2006, 413 posts, RR: 0 Reply 15, posted (6 years 10 months 3 weeks 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 13242 times:
Quoting BA757 (Reply 9): Wouldn't that be the UNITED KINGDOM, as Scotland, Wales & NI also have EG**
Speaking of...
This may be a stupid question, but what's the difference between the UK and Britain?
Rikkus67 From Canada, joined Jun 2000, 1464 posts, RR: 2 Reply 16, posted (6 years 10 months 3 weeks 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 12967 times:
posted by TGUman, Thu Apr 20 2006:
Quote: Okay, so the final answer, and specifically the answer to the question above is found here below. I am going to be quoting from my Canadian IFR ground school course text written by Micheal Culhane.
"Although the naming of Canadian airports and weather stations can seem confusing, here is a brief explanation. Originally, in the 1930's, Canada used two letters for identification of a weather reporting station. Additionally, preceding the 2-letter code, was placed a Y (meaning "yes") where the reporting station was co-located with an airport, a W (meaning "without") where the reporting station was not co-located with an airport, and a U where the reporting station was co-located with an NDB. An X was used if hte last two letters of the code had already been taken by another Canadian ident, and a Z was used if the locator could be confused with a U.S. three letter ident. ... The ICAO names are in a 4 letter format starting with a C for Canadian airports." (section 2.18 pg 64)
NZ8800...hope that helps.
Also for Airmailer:Great Britain / England is part of the UNITED KINGDOM, which also takes in Scotland and Wales.... IF I don't have that completely correct, would someone from the UK please correct me!
Cessna 172; King Air 100; Twin Otter; SAAB 340; Dash 7; Dash 8-100,-200,-300,-400; CRJ-200,700,900; ERJ-170; F-28; DC 9-
Rampart From United States of America, joined Aug 2005, 2854 posts, RR: 7 Reply 17, posted (6 years 10 months 3 weeks 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 12967 times:
UK is the "united kingdoms" of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, the name of the country -- full name is "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". Britain (or Great Britain) refers to the island (which includes England, Scotland, and Wales), named for an early tribe.
VV701 From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2005, 6631 posts, RR: 17 Reply 20, posted (6 years 10 months 3 weeks 6 days 1 hour ago) and read 12688 times:
I've always wondered ... What's (or Who is/was) an Eng?[/quote]
Actually it was Angles, a Germanic tribe originating in Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany who, with the Saxons (from Saxony again in Germany) and the Jutes (from Jutland, Denmark) invaded what became Angleland that transmuted into England between 1,500 and 1,600 years ago. The local population of Picts were pushed into Wales, Ireland and Scotland. The north (Highlands) and west (Islands of Scotland were subsequently invaded by the Vikings (from Scandinavia) leaving two distinct Scottish races that are still distinguishable today, namely the tall sometimes red headed Highlander and Islander and the shorter more swarthy darker Lowlander/
Quoting AirMailer (Reply 15): This may be a stupid question, but what's the difference between the UK and Britain?
Quoting Rampart (Reply 17): "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland".
But here things get a lot more complicated when you look at Jersey, Guernsey and Sark (the Channel Islands) and the Isle of Man. Are they part of the UK? Well, not really. Are they separate countries? Well they have their own Parliaments and do not send representatives to the Westminster parliament but, still, not really (even though they have their own stamps and coins) as they are illegible to joinn the UN. What is more they are not part of the EU!
So what are they? Well Jersey is governed by their parliament and a Governor General who is Queen Elizabeth's representative on the island. They are a British dependency.
Why bother with all this detail? Well what is most relevant to us is that BA Connect is registered in the Isle of Man as are most of its aircraft - i,e outside the EU - while BA itself is registered like its aircraft in the UK! Now please do not ask me why, but tax could be one reason.
Rampart From United States of America, joined Aug 2005, 2854 posts, RR: 7 Reply 21, posted (6 years 10 months 3 weeks 6 days 1 hour ago) and read 12677 times:
Quoting ANother (Reply 19): I've always wondered ... What's (or Who is/was) an Eng?
"England" is a derivation of the "land of the Angles", again named for one of the early tribes (and for which Anglia is also named, I think a Roman province name now attributed to a region of England).
Sorry, geography is my profession, aviation is just a hobby.
ANCFlyer From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 22, posted (6 years 10 months 3 weeks 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 12361 times:
Quoting Aviator27 (Reply 13): Hawaii and Alaska become the 49th and 50th state after the Chicago Convention. Both became states in 1959. Hence they fell into the P = Pacific regional code