Callsign 'Heavy'

Sizzler

Anybody know what the criteria is for using this Do you have to be flying something bigger than a 767 to get away with it? Is there actually a rulebook that says aircraft carrying a certain payload can use it ? Or is it just the yanks flexing their muscles I've never heard a european pilot use it but yet have heard "American 93 heavy" - "Delta 28 Heavy" being shouted out across the airwaves, does sound cool though

ImDave

I think it means that the aircraft in question is a wide body aircraft, and alerts the ATCO to the fact that extra spacing will be required to allow for wake disturbance etc. I could very possibly be wrong however

Chiron

IIRC- and I probably dont the weight bands are up to 7,500kg is a Light, 7,500kg - 133,000kg is Medium and anything above 133,000kg is a Heavy...I stand to be corrected though.

As EI-DAV said it is used in the callsign to alert ATC to the requirement for extra spacing.

Again, iirc the phrase "heavy" should follow the callsign on each first contact with atc i.e. every time a frequency change is made.

This is also the real reason cabin lights are dimmed before take off...the aircraft weigh less without all that extra light in the cabin!

FlutterinBantam

Aircraft are categorised by ICAO according to the wake turbulence they produce. Because wake turbulence is generally related to the weight of an aircraft, these categories are based on weight—aircraft with a maximum certificated take-off weight of 300,000 lb (140,000 kg) or more are classed as Heavy, those between 15,500 lb (7,000 kg) and 300,000 lb (140,000 kg) are classed as Medium, and those below 15,500 lb (7,000 kg) are classed as Light. Due to their weight, all current wide-body aircraft are categorised as Heavy. The lightest widebody aircraft ever built was the Airbus A300B1 with a maximum take-off weight of 291,000 lb (132,000 kg).

The wake turbulence category is used to guide the separation of aircraft—a Heavy category aircraft will require greater separation behind it than a Medium category, which in turn requires more separation than a Light category. In some countries, such as the USA, it is a requirement to suffix a heavy aircraft's call sign with the word "heavy" when communicating with ATC in the Terminal Radar Area. If the aircraft is on an ARTCC (Air Route Traffic Control Center Frequency), they are not required to say "heavy" at the end of the callsign. For example, flight UAL342 operated by United Airlines using a wide bodied aircraft would use the call sign "United 342 Heavy" while in the USA.

With thanks to Wikipedia......

Sizzler

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

Aircraft are categorised by ICAO according to the wake turbulence they produce. Because wake turbulence is generally related to the weight of an aircraft, these categories are based on weight—aircraft with a maximum certificated take-off weight of 300,000 lb (140,000 kg) or more are classed as Heavy, those between 15,500 lb (7,000 kg) and 300,000 lb (140,000 kg) are classed as Medium, and those below 15,500 lb (7,000 kg) are classed as Light. Due to their weight, all current wide-body aircraft are categorised as Heavy. The lightest widebody aircraft ever built was the Airbus A300B1 with a maximum take-off weight of 291,000 lb (132,000 kg).

The wake turbulence category is used to guide the separation of aircraft—a Heavy category aircraft will require greater separation behind it than a Medium category, which in turn requires more separation than a Light category. In some countries, such as the USA, it is a requirement to suffix a heavy aircraft's call sign with the word "heavy" when communicating with ATC in the Terminal Radar Area. If the aircraft is on an ARTCC (Air Route Traffic Control Center Frequency), they are not required to say "heavy" at the end of the callsign. For example, flight UAL342 operated by United Airlines using a wide bodied aircraft would use the call sign "United 342 Heavy" while in the USA.

With thanks to Wikipedia......

That was impressive...till you mentioned wikipedia

Makes sense I guess but what I take out of that is there doesnt seem to be any ruling for the same thing to be operated in euro skies? If there was Im guessing Emirates / Etihad / Aer Lingus would be using it on their buses surely? (using the local examples!)

therecklessone

Sizzler wrote: »

Makes sense I guess but what I take out of that is there doesnt seem to be any ruling for the same thing to be operated in euro skies? If there was Im guessing Emirates / Etihad / Aer Lingus would be using it on their buses surely? (using the local examples!)

Certainly not in Irish airspace anyway, though the US carriers have a tendency to tag it on.

expediateclimb

A380's are super heavy in a class of their own

pclancy

I didnt think it was used outside the US except by US carriers....

gaff85

Dublin ATC always use this designation "Heavy" after anything bigger than a
B757 takes off.

highlydebased

US carries often append it to their callsign when the are with EISN control, but I have never once heard Shannon control use it in their communication with these aircraft