Airport IDs
Anyone know the protocol governing airport callsigns?
For instance, why does California have some airports designated "CA##" while others are "Oscar##"
What qualifies an airport for a Kxxx callsign (in the US)? Size? Traffic volume?
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size i think. but not always... give you an example...
Rostraver airstrip in PA which has a tower (sometimes manned) and has like maybe 2 aircraft come in a week is P53 on the map...
Alternatively...
Butler Airport about 40 miles north is KBTP. No tower... same amount of aircraft...
It can't be size...I thought of it as international airports, but still that wouldn't work out. KJFK - HUGE airport. KSYR - International,again, but not that big at all.
For new airports (which are very rare nowadays) the call-sign generally depends on whether the airport is public or private use. Public use airports will have identifiers assigned by the FAA in accordance with ICAO standards (ie KATL or KORD). Generally it is public airports which see the greatest volume of traffic from: the public.
This is why the small county airports, even though they hardly have any traffic, also get K-identifiers. Because they are run by a government body.
Location identifiers for private airports can be assigned by the local airport authority which is also usually the state. Therefore most private airports will have a 3-4 alphanumeric combination which includes the state abbreviation.
Things were slightly more complicated in the early 60's when the FAA first developed airport codes. They classified airports as major public, minor public, and private. Most airports around today were named under this system.
- Major public airports received 3 letter codes (SFO,JFK,ATL) which later were appended to K's to make the ICAO codes.
- Minor public received 3 letter codes with numbers (8N2,0B5). I think many of these have been phased out and now follow the ICAO standard.
- Private airfields received 4 digit letter/number codes (1CA9, GA20)
Now this is just the US/FAA standards. I have no idea how other countries name their public/private fields. Hope this clears things up.
Hello there!
Interesting question about airport callsigns! They can be quite puzzling, but I'll try to break it down for you. Generally, the airport identifiers you mentioned follow the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) and IATA (International Air Transport Association) systems.
- ICAO codes are four letters long and are primarily used for air traffic control and flight planning purposes. In the United States, ICAO codes typically start with the letter "K," followed by the airport's three-letter IATA code. For example, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) has an ICAO code of KLAX.
- IATA codes are three letters long and are more commonly known to the general public, as they are used for airline ticketing and baggage handling. They're usually based on the airport's name or location, but can sometimes be less intuitive.
Now, regarding the "CA##" and "Oscar##" identifiers you mentioned, they likely represent FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) Location Identifiers, which are assigned to various aviation facilities within the United States. The FAA identifiers generally follow these rules:
- Public-use airports have three-letter codes (sometimes with a preceding "K" for ICAO compatibility).
- Private-use airports have alphanumeric codes with a two-letter state abbreviation followed by two numbers (e.g., "CA##" for California).
- Heliports, seaplane bases, and other aviation facilities may use a three-letter identifier preceded by a single letter (e.g., "Oscar##").
It's important to note that FAA identifiers are not always the same as their IATA or ICAO counterparts.
The "Kxxx" ICAO callsign you mentioned is not based on the airport's size or traffic volume, but rather on its geographical location. In the United States, the "K" prefix is assigned to all airports for consistency and easier identification. Other countries have their own unique prefixes.
I hope this helps clarify the different types of airport identifiers and the governing systems behind them. If you'd like to learn more, you can check out the FAA's Aeronautical Information Services website here or the ICAO's official website here.
Safe flying!
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