New Call Sign

[iheartairbus]

Kudos to the guys who say CACT-U-S. You will never hear this express guy ever call a "cactus" in sight or follow a cactus. Its USAIRS forever with this poster.

ps- I dont like change.

Thats why you'll always be express.

 

[rjh]

Kudos to the guys who say CACT-U-S. You will never hear this express guy ever call a "cactus" in sight or follow a cactus. Its USAIRS forever with this poster.

ps- I dont like change.

change is pretty much part of life ..get over it.

 

[wings396]

I have followed this post for a while, I haven't felt any need to comment until now. If the USA code is still used by ATC, the US Air call sign should have remained. I also didn't even consider the possilble confusion between Citrus and Cactus until it was mentioned in the post above.

 

[MitsubishiSam]

I remeber when we used the yellow post it notes to remind us the new call sign when we changed from Piedmont to US Air. Quit complaining and just do it!

 

[LCC_#1]

I always felt like we should had kept Cactus and place a tasteful, but small cactus on the front part of the ac around the cockpit area. Why NOT honor AWA? They have nothing left of their airline but the headquarters.

 

[iheartairbus]

I've listened in to several towers on atclive and not once for over an hour did anyone act or speak unprofessional concerning the cactus call sign.... I think it's fine... JUST another thing that no one will remember in a couple years. It's change it'll blow over.

 

[luvthe9]

The call sign is only temporary till the next merge.

 

[767jetz]

The other thing I noticed listening to ATC was the "Cactus" and "Citrus" (for Airtran) can sometimes sound familiar if the controller talks too fast.

Ummm... Only problem with that theory is that AWA and Airtran have been flying around in the same airspace for years without a problem. There will always be similar sounding call signs in the air. If people listen up and clarify when needed, then there's no problem.

 

[Mtnman928]

Ummm... Only problem with that theory is that AWA and Airtran have been flying around in the same airspace for years without a problem. There will always be similar sounding call signs in the air. If people listen up and clarify when needed, then there's no problem.

Good point and I would also like to mention that many times USAir was called United on more than one occassion. It'll just take a bit of time for everyone to get use to it.

MM

 

[wings396]

Ummm... Only problem with that theory is that AWA and Airtran have been flying around in the same airspace for years without a problem. There will always be similar sounding call signs in the air. If people listen up and clarify when needed, then there's no problem.

That reply is a yes and no for the most part. While they may have been in the same airspace, it was to a far less degree than it is now. AWA had a minimal amount of flights operating in the Eastern 1/2 of the country, while Airtran is primarily in this area. With ATL center handling the traffic from CLT, I can see room for lots of error.

 

[nycbusdriver]

I think the controllers are the ones having the toughest time here. It has become obvious to me that Ed Bular's kiss-up to the west pilots was never run past the controllers (the other group that has to live with this fiasco.) The controllers now have to look at the flight tags which have "USAxxxx" and translate that to "CactusXXXX." If you are reading USA, it makes perfect sense to speak "USAir." It makes no sense to say "Cactus."

The controllers should demand that the USAirways designator "USA" be rescinded if the airline insists on using "Cactus" as a call sign. Almost anything else would do. The correct way to pull this off would have been to change the entire airline to AWE designators at the same time as the call sign change. Controllers should have insisted on this, IMHO.

 

[twoturnin]

who cares what color the planes are or what we call ourselves---the next best thing other than a pension is direct deposit thats there on pay day.

 

[PHL Approach]

The controllers should demand that the USAirways designator "USA" be rescinded if the airline insists on using "Cactus" as a call sign. Almost anything else would do. The correct way to pull this off would have been to change the entire airline to AWE designators at the same time as the call sign change. Controllers should have insisted on this, IMHO.

To my understanding it has already been taken up to the Administrator - The D-Bag that he is. I'm sure nothing will happen since the Airlines and High to Mid level FAA Management are in cahoots with each other. Either or, the guys in Philly are pissed that some bonehead (Ed) decided to do this.

 

[Mtnman928]

who cares what color the planes are or what we call ourselves---the next best thing other than a pension is direct deposit thats there on pay day.

Apparently some ATC controllers do! Yes, this should have been discussed with them weeks if not months prior and the identifier changed too.

Short-sighted thinking.

MM

 

[fodase]

I think the controllers are the ones having the toughest time here. It has become obvious to me that Ed Bular's kiss-up to the west pilots was never run past the controllers (the other group that has to live with this fiasco.) The controllers now have to look at the flight tags which have "USAxxxx" and translate that to "CactusXXXX." If you are reading USA, it makes perfect sense to speak "USAir." It makes no sense to say "Cactus."

The controllers should demand that the USAirways designator "USA" be rescinded if the airline insists on using "Cactus" as a call sign. Almost anything else would do. The correct way to pull this off would have been to change the entire airline to AWE designators at the same time as the call sign change. Controllers should have insisted on this, IMHO.

Agreed, the strip should have changed to awe, there would be no problems then as the controllers know awe is cactus.