It has started

[TFaudree_ERAU]

The age of Skybus is among us. I heard them on the Miami Center frequency tonight with the following transmission.

Skybus 82: Good evening Miami Center, Skybus 82 climbing through 11,000 for 16,000.
Miami Center: Skybus 82, good evening, Miami Center, climb and maintain FL230

Three minutes later-

Miami Center: Starcheck 802, contact Tampa Approach 135.5, good night
Skybus 82: Roger, we'll call Tampa on 135.5, Skybus 82.
Miami Center: No Skybus, you stay with me, that was for Starcheck 802, Tampa on 135.5.

DOH!

[ColeyF]

Skybus 82, Starcheck 802. Well, those callsigns are kind of similar.


CF

[PGT]

Originally Posted by ColeyF

Skybus 82, Starcheck 802. Well, those callsigns are kind of similar.


CF

Shouldn't be for someone flying an A320

[mtsu_av8er]

Originally Posted by ColeyF

Skybus 82, Starcheck 802. Well, those callsigns are kind of similar.

For a Private Pilot, maybe . . .

[falconvalley]

Originally Posted by PGT

Shouldn't be for someone flying an A320

ATC calls us "Skywest" all the time! Maybe we should be checking their credentials!

I think it's normal for a pilot of a new airline to have an "identity crisis".

When I flew out of LCK for AirNet, CMH approach used to call us "Star Trek"

[wheelsup]

Didn't Skybus get it's crop of initial pilots from the regional 121 check airman ranks? Poking fun at their experience level might bite you in the rear end...

[BobDDuck]

It's pretty normal to take another airlines call some times. It's not like you are flying around with the same N number all day long. I went through 6 different call signs yesterday.

As wheelsup said, while these guys might not have made the best choice by going to Skybus, they aren't spring chickens to the industry either.

[jtrain609]

That's for sure. Anytime I'm flying around on an N number my calls are usually pretty jacked up for a little while.

"Ground Amflig....erm....November 123 Alpha Fox, hangar one taxi 15 with uniform"

"Amflig....erm....wow.....what hangar again?"

"I know sir, it's confusing. Hangar one, we're a pax. charter today"

"Oh....Amfl...I mean November 123 alpha fox taxi 15 hold short of 8 at charlie 6..."

I mean can you blame them? They see a white plan with blue stripes taxing outta the Amflight hangar!

[Van_Hoolio]

Yea I heard Skybus while with Cleveland Center last night.

[TFaudree_ERAU]

Yes, I realize they are similar callsigns. However, the flight was from FLL to CMH. Wouldn't some basic geographical knowledge and the fact that you're climbing through the high teens to the low flight levels clue you in that you wouldn't be calling a TRACON next, especially one thats clear on the other side of the state?

[zmiller4]

Originally Posted by TFaudree_ERAU

Yes, I realize they are similar callsigns. However, the flight was from FLL to CMH. Wouldn't some basic geographical knowledge and the fact that you're climbing through the high teens to the low flight levels clue you in that you wouldn't be calling a TRACON next, especially one thats clear on the other side of the state?

When you talk on the radio all day, all over the country, with many different callsigns, you're going to screw up on the radios, period. It happens. And there's also instances where you'll get swapped over to a facilities that you wouldn't expect. Northern CA is a mishmash of airspace between Norcal and Oakland center; there's places where approach will hand you off to center as you get closer to your destination. Flying from TUS to SLC, there's a thin little band of LA Center's space that you cross through...that screws people up sometimes.

Anybody who claims to be perfect on the radio is absolutely lying.

[Ralgha]

Originally Posted by TFaudree_ERAU

Wouldn't some basic geographical knowledge and the fact that you're climbing through the high teens to the low flight levels clue you in that you wouldn't be calling a TRACON next

The High Desert Tracon (Joshua Approach) controls 25,000 square miles and up to FL350 or higher (not sure of their upper limit). It's not anywhere near there geographically, but tracon is not always limited to the lower altitudes.

[Pilot877]

Originally Posted by wheelsup

Didn't Skybus get it's crop of initial pilots from the regional 121 check airman ranks? Poking fun at their experience level might bite you in the rear end...

Well said, wheelsup. I have found that the world gets smaller, the longer I am in this business. I came back here because I agree with Doug's philosophy of "paying it forward", and helping to answer questions. This thread topic, however, isn't even worthy of flightinfo.

[SteveC]

Originally Posted by Pilot877

Well said, wheelsup. I have found that the world gets smaller, the longer I am in this business. I came back here because I agree with Doug's philosophy of "paying it forward", and helping to answer questions.

Good!

This thread topic, however, isn't even worthy of flightinfo.

Oh, I don't know if I'd say that. I think it may very well be worthy.

[GaTechKid]

I heard them somewhere over SoCal/Nevada a couple days ago.

[mtsu_av8er]

Originally Posted by wheelsup

Didn't Skybus get it's crop of initial pilots from the regional 121 check airman ranks? Poking fun at their experience level might bite you in the rear end...

I don't know anything about poking fun at anyone's experience level . . . I'm as impressed by a part 121/135 check airman as I am by my dog . . . it's just a title that they've earned. They aren't perfect.

As far as the callsign thing, I don't get it . . . I've been called Flightworks, Flexjet, Flight Options, FedEx . . . no matter how much I hear it, I laugh.

[Doug Taylor]

Now I'm afraid people are going to be listening to liveATC whenever I'm on the radio!

Here's the kicker. I'm no fan of Skybus so don't interpret this as a defense of them, but if I had a dime for every time I thought I was a different callsign, I'd be retired by now.

It used to happen often because I have a bad short term memory (forgetting my current flight number) but a fantastics long term memory (hearing another Southernjet on frequency and remembering the city pair and aircraft type).

So if I flew Southernjet 113 a few weeks ago, but today I'm Southernjet 1131, I have to struggle to NOT answer Southernjet's 113 radio call from ATC.

I can tell you the color of the shirt that B767Driver wore when we last flew at Skyway over a decade ago during my type ride, but where I left my keys today, I don't know.

I'm no Skybus fan, but this can and DOES happen to many professional pilots at all experience levels.

[mtsu_av8er]

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

Now I'm afraid people are going to be listening to liveATC whenever I'm on the radio!

Oh, I've already heard you, Dough. I've got a little database of ship numbers and everything . . .

[KLB]

I have go through a quick memory practice before I begin every flight. It is especially tough flying out of BUR to MYF. We have three flights ( 101 102 and 104) all going the same route around the same time and the pilots swap between those three runs almost daily. Not only do we screw them up, but ATC gets us confused also.

BTW. JayAre is nortorious for answering for other flights' call signs. (Putting him on the spot).

[wheelsup]

Originally Posted by mtsu_av8er

I don't know anything about poking fun at anyone's experience level

Did you actually type that with a straight face? C'mon now, be honest.

[jtrain609]

Originally Posted by KLB

I have go through a quick memory practice before I begin every flight. It is especially tough flying out of BUR to MYF. We have three flights ( 101 102 and 104) all going the same route around the same time and the pilots swap between those three runs almost daily. Not only do we screw them up, but ATC gets us confused also.

BTW. JayAre is nortorious for answering for other flights' call signs. (Putting him on the spot).

Oh man, one day I was flying with Brandon (obviously before he went to the 99) and checked in with a, "Good morning Socal Amflight 104...102...101..10....hold on"

*Brandon what flight are we? 102? Good*

"...it's Amflight 102 checkin' in 5,000'"

[meritflyer]

Back to the Skybus thing -

Once I saw what they're paying their captains, I am personally offended and a little whizzed that folks even applied for the spot.

Oh well.

Carry on.

[usphsfnp]

I was flying a 182 last weekend and Center called me Comair....
"Center Skylane 567 level 1-1 thousand"
"Comair 567 30.08"
"30.08, and if it helps, we're a Skylane"
"ok"

That's funny, to me

[ColeyF]

Originally Posted by wheelsup

Did you actually type that with a straight face? C'mon now, be honest.

Mmmmm Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone....





CF

[mtsu_av8er]

ColeyF, you're great! You're officially my hero. How can I be like you?

I'll take back what I said . . . I remember a time that I made the same mistake repeatedly while talking to ATC.

So, I was flying multiple approaches in a Baron, down in Orlando. I was "FLX Trainer 2", and we were shooting ILS after ILS after ILS into ORL. Well, in a little bit, FLX421 checked in, inbound to the airport. There were lots of FLX aircraft on the freq, but that one stuck in my head (I did that horrible, horrible run for a month a little while back). So, every other radio call from ATC would result in me answering " . . . FLX421 err, ummm, trainer 2". Once or twice, I answered 421's instructions. The controller was irritated at first, and kept verifying my response.

So, a few minutes later, FLX101 checked in, and the controller (being a smarta55), said, "FLX Trainer 2, please be advised, there is a FLX101 on the frequency, in addition to you and FLX421". The Chief Pilot (I was flying with him) and I looked at each other with the same evil grin, and I replied, without missing a beat, "Roger, FLX 421 . . . umm, Trainer 2". LMAO.

The controller even laughed at that one!