On August 26, I watched and listened to a Jetsgo flight climbing out eastbound at 6:52 pm. During comminications with the Toronto departure controller, the pilot refered to himself as "Jetsgo one ninety nine alpha".
I've never heard the letter "Alpha" use after a Jetsgo flight number before (or any airliner's flight number), some I'm very curious as to what that means.
I did a search, and the only possibility that I could find was that this Jetsgo flight was on a multi-leg flight and that the letter "alpha" was attached to the flight number to indicate to ATC that it was on it's first of 2 or more legs during this departure. Is this correct?
I understand that a letter D (delta) after a flight number means that flight's delayed.
Mr Spaceman From Canada, joined Mar 2001, 2780 posts, RR: 15 Reply 2, posted (9 years 8 months 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 1844 times:
Hello Sushka.
Thanks for your reply.
I understand what you mean. It's normal procedure for an airline pilot to check in with a new controller, give the controller his altitude & speed, etc, and finish his transmision by simply saying the letter of the current ATIS info.
EX: "Toronto arrival, Air Canada four zero three is with you at ten, one zero thousand, slowing to two fifty. Yankee." In this case, it's understood by ATC that the pilot has the ATIS info called Yankee.
Regarding the Jetsgo flight. The letter alpha was used in a different context. it was used like this ........
"Toronto departure, Jetsgo one ninety nine alpha is with you at two point three for five thousand, off zero six right".
[departure controller gives instructions].
"OK, Jetsgo one ninety nine alpha is cleared to two three thousand, and we'll steer heading zero eight zero."
This Jetsgo pilot also used one ninety nine alpha when he contacted the next Toronto Center controller.
Goboeing From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 2631 posts, RR: 12 Reply 3, posted (9 years 8 months 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 1832 times:
"Q" is "Cu" as in "Cumulus" clouds. They were under the bases.
AAR90 From United States of America, joined Jan 2000, 3410 posts, RR: 50 Reply 5, posted (9 years 8 months 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 1763 times:
I did a search, and the only possibility that I could find was that this Jetsgo flight was on a multi-leg flight and that the letter "alpha" was attached to the flight number to indicate to ATC that it was on it's first of 2 or more legs during this departure. Is this correct?
Nope. ATC only knows the one flight number that correlates to the one flight plan. Normally airline flight numbers are the same as that used on the ATC flight plan; however, when a flight is delayed the airline might "stub" the next flight segment with a different aircraft. That could cause the ATC computers to see two different aircraft operating with the same flight plan and same callsign. To prevent that the "stub" flight number is usually appended with a letter. i.e. flight-795 and flight-795A. The proper callsign for the second flight would be "Flight-795 Alpha."
I understand that a letter D (delta) after a flight number means that flight's delayed.
No ATC requirement, but that might be one airline's "policy." At AA, stub flights are appended with a letter the computer generates --there's some sort of priority given to "similar sounding callsigns" and a few internal concerns that drive the computer's choice of letter appendix. I get to fly stub flights about 2-3 times per year. Normally when transiting DFW (lots of flights, lots of delay potential, lots of spare planes).
*NO CARRIER* -- A Naval Aviator's worst nightmare!
SQ325 From Germany, joined Jul 2001, 1437 posts, RR: 8 Reply 6, posted (9 years 8 months 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 1731 times:
Many Airlines started to ad a letter behind their "normal" callsign!
It makes it easier for Pilots and ATC to avoid mistakes in communication
SN Brussels airlines, BA Regional partners are only some airlines added a letter behind the numbers!!
Sponsor Message: 
From Canada, joined Mar 2001, 2780 posts, 
From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 4784 posts, 
From Germany, joined Jul 2001, 1437 posts, 
Sponsor Message: 
Printer friendly format
