Connecting with vPilot as General Aviation

[Xander Hoving 1382504]

As a enthusiast towards general aviation such as small powered aircrafts and ultralights, what should I do when it come to filling in a Callsign, Type Code and SelCal Code when I want to fly anything that isn't an airliner e.g. a Cessna 172

[Bradley Grafelman]

Same process as if you were flying an airliner. Pick a call sign, pick a SELCAL code if applicable, and fill in the correct ICAO aircraft type code for whatever aircraft you're using.

[Xander Hoving 1382504]

Does that mean that I should use the tailnumber as a call sign for general aviation aircrafts? Also what does the SelCal Code stand for?

[Andrew Ogden]

GA Callsigns are different around the world. In Australia, the GA code is VH-XXX, where X is three letters representing a real or fictional aircraft, and in New Zealand, the GA code is ZK-XXX, where X means the same. There is a list i found on google of most of them although i cant remember where i got them from.

 

EDIT: GA codes are tail numbers. SelCal codes are used for trans oceanic flights as a means of notification. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SELCAL

[Bradley Grafelman]

Note that Andrew is actually referring to aircraft registrations. While it's true that GA flights typically just use the registration, that's definitely not always the case.

 

Also, don't forget to remove the hyphen when using a registration as a callsign.

[Ernesto Alvarez 818262]

to add to what Brad said, do not confuse flying GA with having to use a tail number. the two really dont have anything to do with each, even jetliners use tail numbers when the operator doesnt have its own ICAO designator.

 

plenty of GA of all types flying with an ICAO designator, all that means is the operator applied and received theirs.

 

your next question might be "can you use your own fictional designator", absolutely! just do your homework beforehand to avoid using a duplicate from a real carrier or another fictional virtual airline to avoid confusion. I do it pretty often, and currently researching my next one for a virtual company i created on Air Hauler

[Xander Hoving 1382504]

Ok so just to be sure, if I use PH-LOM as a tail number on a cessna, that means that the callsign will be LOM if I am correct. Also, is a SelCal also mandatory for GA, or small props and ultralights to be exact?

[Don Desfosse]

If your tail number is PH-LOM, you would connect as PHLOM. SelCal is definitely not mandatory for GA.

[Joshua Black]

Like Don said... you connect using the full registration. That is also your callsign. Depending on where you fly, at some point that callsign may be abbreviated to the last few letters/numbers when talking on the radio.

 

So in Canada for example, a Cessna 172 with the registration "C-BISI" will connect as CBISI. When you make the initial radio call, it's usually required that you state your aircraft type along with your full callsign. So it would be "Cessna 172 Bravo India Sierra India." All subsequent radio calls to that controller will usually be abbreviated to "India Sierra India" Note that this varies from country to country.

 

Of course for airlines, you would use the flight number as the callsign instead of the registration. (IE Air Canada 123)