Call signs

[Robert Bernstein 1106839]

HI all. How come some call signs I see online say "UAL1185", for example for United Airlines but my callsign says N701BR. I fly a Continental Express CRJ 200 and want the call sign to say "Continental Express 701", but it wont fit in the callsign login box for VATSIM, which is I [Mod - Happy Thoughts]ume how you do it? -Also, do you have to fly for an online airline to be able to have a callsign with the name of the airline? -Bob.

[Ryan Geckler]

No, you'd put in COA701 as the callsign. If you look up Continental Express's callsign and telephony, it's "COA" and "Continental". The pilot client should recognize that it's an Express plane and place the livery as such.

[Ernesto Alvarez 818262]

remember theres a difference between callsign and ICAO code. what you are using when flying for one of the airlines is the ICAO code and flight number to login, not the callsign. when you talk to ATC you would use the callsign, theyll know what code to look for, if not theyll ask you to say the code phonetically so they can spot it.

 

no you dont have to fly for a VA if you dont want to, you are free to do as you will (within the regs)

 

you can even make up your own 3 letter code and callsign and fly with that. just make sure to do your homework so you dont use a duplicate code that could cause confusion.

[Darrol Larrok 1140797]

The important thing to remember is that a callsign for an airline is a three letter code, followed by a flight number. NOT the spoken callsign.

[Robert Bernstein 1106839]

Ok guys, I think I got it. I would write in a callsign of COA701 when logging in to VATSIM, but for ATC use N701BR when speaking to them? Is that right? I don't fly for an online airline, but I'd like to recognized as Continental Express, which is my plane's livery. Thanks again! -Bob.

[Ernesto Alvarez 818262]

nooooooooo

 

COA701 would be "Continental 7 0 1" when you talk to ATC.

 

there is no "Continetal Express" callsign itself, thats just the brand name. much like American Eagle, theyre callsign isnt "American Eagle", they use "Eagle Flight"

 

the Continental Express flights are flown under the Continental designator. these flights are actually operated by 2 different carriers, Expressjet and Chautauqua. however they use the "COA" ICAO designator and the "Continental" callsign and fly under the Continental banner.

 

now if you go into the Continental Connection flights, those are operated under the subcontractors designators, like Colgan and a few others.

[Robert Bernstein 1106839]

Thanks Ernesto. So... I would login to VATSIM as N701BR, but speak to ATC as "Continental 701"? Is that right? -Bob.

[Ryan Geckler]

Nope, log in as COA701 and say "Continental 701".

[Charan Kumar]

N701BR is the acft's reg number which is not used at all anywhere on VATSIM. Whatever you login with in the CallSign box, COA701 or N701BR, that is what you will be called. The first you know, the second you will be called November 7 0 1 Bravo Romeo first and then Regional 1 Bravo Romeo for shortened. If you want to be specifically called with the livery name, use the appropriate ICAO Code. AAL for american, BAW for British Airways, SKW for skywest and so on.

[Robert Bernstein 1106839]

Oh ok guys. Sorry im so dense. I will login as COA701 and say, Continental 701 when replying to ATC. I think that raps it up. I will not use the N701BR for anything. Correct me if im wrong again. THANKS! -Bob.

[Ernesto Alvarez 818262]

you can still use it, when operating a private flight

 

if all you want to do is commercial flights, forget about the registration numbers, majority of the commercial carriers have theyre own designators

[Robert Bernstein 1106839]

Thanks everyone. I will use the COA701 from now on. -Bob.

[Wade Williams 877539]

Bob,

 

One other thing - don't let the fact that X-Plane displays a placard with the "tail number" in the cockpit for many aircraft confuse you. This tail number is set in PlaneMaker and is static. That is, it doesn't change according to what callsign you logged into with XSquawkBox. The easiest thing to do is just ignore it, but if you really wanted to, you could go into PlaneMaker and update it for all your aircraft.

 

But as others have said, when you're flying as an airline (whether one that exists in the real world or a fictitious one) you use that company's callsign.