Lesson 2 · 6 min
Callsigns
Airline callsigns, aircraft registrations, and when you may abbreviate.
Underlined terms below have a definition — click one to read it, or open the full glossary.
Light aircraft: the registration
UK-registered aircraft carry a beginning with G, for example G-BKTM. On the radio each letter is spoken in the : Golf Bravo Kilo Tango Mike.
The first call uses the full . After the controller has used an abbreviated form, the pilot may abbreviate too.
TWR Golf Bravo Kilo Tango Mike, Barrowfield, join left hand downwind runway two seven, QNH one zero one three
A/C Barrowfield Tower, Golf Bravo Kilo Tango Mike, Cessna 172, 5 miles south-east, 1500 feet, request joining instructions
Abbreviation
A may be shortened to the first letter and the last two letters: G-BKTM becomes Golf Tango Mike.
Only the controller may start abbreviating, and only when there is no risk of confusion with another aircraft . If two aircraft would abbreviate to something similar, use full for both.
Airline callsigns
Commercial flights use a plus the flight number: British Airways flights are 'Speedbird', easyJet is 'Easy', Ryanair is 'Ryanair'. So BAW42C is spoken as Speedbird four two Charlie.
Airline are never abbreviated. Helicopters, air ambulances and military traffic each have their own conventions — for example an air ambulance may use ''.
Try it
How is G-CDPW correctly abbreviated?
Who may begin using an abbreviated callsign?