Basic question! BA tail markings
Discussion
5150 said:
Yup. Abbreviated reg.
Simply put, it's easier to spot the aircraft you're working on when you can see the registration! They place the abbreviated versions at vantage points to make identification easier.
They also put them on the nose-gear doors, too . . . .
And you will find the reg also above the cockpit window although the last three letters, and inside the aircraft on the main entry door.Simply put, it's easier to spot the aircraft you're working on when you can see the registration! They place the abbreviated versions at vantage points to make identification easier.
They also put them on the nose-gear doors, too . . . .
BA staff use the last 3 letters to reference an aircraft (the first 2 letters of three used to id what model the aircraft is, unlike the Sleazyjet fleet that is all A320 series so apart from Ceo/Neo engines, are just small/bigger/biggest Airbus), for example:
ZZx - 777-200 GE90 Engine(all retired)
IVx - 777-200ER GE90
RES - 777-200ER GE90 non stantard Registration is a tribute to the Royal Aeronautical Society
MMx - 777-200ER RR Trent 800
TBx - 777-300ER GE90 (Runs a larger version of the GE90 to the 200ER's)
BA like to mix up their fleets to make life interesting for those who keep them running, such as deciding to stick GE engines on their last 787's in their order when the rest of the fleet is Rolls Royce. So the 787 fleet will now expand to 4 sub fleets, so likely those 6 will need a new reg prefix.
The three letter reference in a few case can cause confusion as for example TBD is both a 777-300ER, and a key building (Technical Block D). And a few aircraft have names, G-RAES, a 777-200ER is know as Grace, a 767 shared a name with the band NWA so the non PC band name was often used, the Olympic Golden Doves A319 were called golden budgies (by Engineering at least), and following that tradition an A320Neo with a blue paint scheme got called the blue budgie.
smack said:
5150 said:
Yup. Abbreviated reg.
Simply put, it's easier to spot the aircraft you're working on when you can see the registration! They place the abbreviated versions at vantage points to make identification easier.
They also put them on the nose-gear doors, too . . . .
And you will find the reg also above the cockpit window although the last three letters, and inside the aircraft on the main entry door.Simply put, it's easier to spot the aircraft you're working on when you can see the registration! They place the abbreviated versions at vantage points to make identification easier.
They also put them on the nose-gear doors, too . . . .
BA staff use the last 3 letters to reference an aircraft (the first 2 letters of three used to id what model the aircraft is, unlike the Sleazyjet fleet that is all A320 series so apart from Ceo/Neo engines, are just small/bigger/biggest Airbus), for example:
ZZx - 777-200 GE90 Engine(all retired)
IVx - 777-200ER GE90
RES - 777-200ER GE90 non stantard Registration is a tribute to the Royal Aeronautical Society
MMx - 777-200ER RR Trent 800
TBx - 777-300ER GE90 (Runs a larger version of the GE90 to the 200ER's)
BA like to mix up their fleets to make life interesting for those who keep them running, such as deciding to stick GE engines on their last 787's in their order when the rest of the fleet is Rolls Royce. So the 787 fleet will now expand to 4 sub fleets, so likely those 6 will need a new reg prefix.
The three letter reference in a few case can cause confusion as for example TBD is both a 777-300ER, and a key building (Technical Block D). And a few aircraft have names, G-RAES, a 777-200ER is know as Grace, a 767 shared a name with the band NWA so the non PC band name was often used, the Olympic Golden Doves A319 were called golden budgies (by Engineering at least), and following that tradition an A320Neo with a blue paint scheme got called the blue budgie.
WyrleyD said:
Used to use the last two letters of the reg when acknowledging air traffic instructions or sometimes the first letter too if abroad i.e "Hold 5000 Oscar Papa or Hold 5000 Gulf Oscar Papa" (G-ATOP) , but things may have changed as that was in the 60's.
Still the same.....full registration required unless ATC abbreviate to last 2.magpie215 said:
WyrleyD said:
Used to use the last two letters of the reg when acknowledging air traffic instructions or sometimes the first letter too if abroad i.e "Hold 5000 Oscar Papa or Hold 5000 Gulf Oscar Papa" (G-ATOP) , but things may have changed as that was in the 60's.
Still the same.....full registration required unless ATC abbreviate to last 2.
MarkwG said:
magpie215 said:
WyrleyD said:
Used to use the last two letters of the reg when acknowledging air traffic instructions or sometimes the first letter too if abroad i.e "Hold 5000 Oscar Papa or Hold 5000 Gulf Oscar Papa" (G-ATOP) , but things may have changed as that was in the 60's.
Still the same.....full registration required unless ATC abbreviate to last 2.WyrleyD said:
MarkwG said:
magpie215 said:
WyrleyD said:
Used to use the last two letters of the reg when acknowledging air traffic instructions or sometimes the first letter too if abroad i.e "Hold 5000 Oscar Papa or Hold 5000 Gulf Oscar Papa" (G-ATOP) , but things may have changed as that was in the 60's.
Still the same.....full registration required unless ATC abbreviate to last 2.Hard-Drive said:
WyrleyD said:
MarkwG said:
magpie215 said:
WyrleyD said:
Used to use the last two letters of the reg when acknowledging air traffic instructions or sometimes the first letter too if abroad i.e "Hold 5000 Oscar Papa or Hold 5000 Gulf Oscar Papa" (G-ATOP) , but things may have changed as that was in the 60's.
Still the same.....full registration required unless ATC abbreviate to last 2.Mabbs9 said:
These letters also can help the pilots. Planes aren't always where you expect them to be and it's nice to glance and confirm you're in the right place before strolling down the jetty. The pax can get worried if they see you walking back up and trying the next one.
And, if you are bussed to the aircraft, you can see the letters on the nose wheel doors as well.peter tdci said:
And, if you are bussed to the aircraft, you can see the letters on the nose wheel doors as well.
I always liked the way some of the US carriers put the ETOPS status on the nose wheel door as well, presumably to stop domestic aircraft setting sail for Hawaii, not that it actually stops it happening though.Random example of a United 737 max picked from Flightradar https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/11358943?utm_campa...
EDIT: Thinking more about this, other than Aer Lingus/Azores Airlines sending A321s across the Atlantic, do European carriers really need to bother about ETOPS ratings on narrow body aircraft?
I’d assume Icelandair and Play’s whole fleet crosses the Atlantic pretty much every day so I can’t imagine there’s any distinction there.
Edited by alangla on Monday 2nd September 12:50
Some airlines have separate Fleet Numbers for their aircraft - which they use for internal admin and maintenance purposes instead of the actual aircraft registrations. From my plane spotting days back in the 1970s I recall that Air Canada used a Fleet Number system.
If you look carefully at this picture of an Air Canada DC-8, you can see the registration is CF-TJO but the Fleet Number is 815. The Fleet Number is shown on the top of the tail fin.
If you look carefully at this picture of an Air Canada DC-8, you can see the registration is CF-TJO but the Fleet Number is 815. The Fleet Number is shown on the top of the tail fin.
Eric Mc said:
Some airlines have separate Fleet Numbers for their aircraft - which they use for internal admin and maintenance purposes instead of the actual aircraft registrations. From my plane spotting days back in the 1970s I recall that Air Canada used a Fleet Number system.
If you look carefully at this picture of an Air Canada DC-8, you can see the registration is CF-TJO but the Fleet Number is 815. The Fleet Number is shown on the top of the tail fin.
Interesting. I guess that’s logical, and simpler. Road vehicle operators do the same, traditionally always allocating fleet numbers rather than referring to registration numbers (although, as a side note, under the previous registration plate system it was common for sequential reg numbers to match the fleet numbers, i.e A110 ABC would be fleet number 110, or something along those lines). If you look carefully at this picture of an Air Canada DC-8, you can see the registration is CF-TJO but the Fleet Number is 815. The Fleet Number is shown on the top of the tail fin.
alangla said:
I always liked the way some of the US carriers put the ETOPS status on the nose wheel door as well, presumably to stop domestic aircraft setting sail for Hawaii, not that it actually stops it happening though.
Random example of a United 737 max picked from Flightradar https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/11358943?utm_campa...
EDIT: Thinking more about this, other than Aer Lingus/Azores Airlines sending A321s across the Atlantic, do European carriers really need to bother about ETOPS ratings on narrow body aircraft?
I’d assume Icelandair and Play’s whole fleet crosses the Atlantic pretty much every day so I can’t imagine there’s any distinction there.
I seem to remember that the status on the nose wheel door is also there as a reminder to ground crew. There are different requirements for checking and servicing ETOPS aircraft - the engines, for instance, should be checked by two different engineers to avoid one person making the same mistake on both - and I guess that the engineers need to be ETOPS certified as well.Random example of a United 737 max picked from Flightradar https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/11358943?utm_campa...
EDIT: Thinking more about this, other than Aer Lingus/Azores Airlines sending A321s across the Atlantic, do European carriers really need to bother about ETOPS ratings on narrow body aircraft?
I’d assume Icelandair and Play’s whole fleet crosses the Atlantic pretty much every day so I can’t imagine there’s any distinction there.
Edited by alangla on Monday 2nd September 12:50
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